2026 Charlotte Hornets

[uncfan888]

1 hour ago, frankw said:

Disappointing the way the team has stumbled down the final stretch.

Even more insulting we cannot get past a team led by a surging player we traded away for literally nothing.

I like the young talent of this team. But this upcoming offseason will be the most consequential in many years. The worst thing the Hornets can do is over think it by changing as little as possible.

We got abused in the paint. 62 to 40. Need to address that this off-season 

[frankw]

19 minutes ago, uncfan888 said:

We got abused in the paint. 62 to 40. Need to address that this off-season 

Well unfortunately that conversation opens a can of worms that few of us want to grapple with. This team runs through LaMelo Ball. He's the superstar the supermax guy. But much more often than not he is a complete non factor in the paint and at times can be downright dreadful. Yes he will go off for 30+ some games making insane off balance threes from damn near half court. But that's never going to take us on a playoff run. It is what it is.

[frankw]

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/points-in-paint-per-game

The Hornets currently sit at 25th in the league in points in the paint.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2026_totals.html#totals_stats::fg2_pct

You have to scroll all the way down to 45 and 91 to find Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller for our 2pt leaders. LaMelo is all the way down at 99.

As fun as some of the games have been this season I think it needs to be reflected upon through less rosier lenses.

Current outlook of the Hornets.

Pros: 7th youngest team in the league and one of the young cores with the most potential.

Cons: Too much credit had been given to the staff for leaning entirely on simplistic offense that consists of chucking up absurdly high volume threes and virtually no emphasis on development in the paint.

We need to pump the brakes on all this coach of the year talk for Charles Lee. Where we go from here is exceptionally pivotal. If the powers that be think we are on the cusp of something special and don't at all need to consider significant changes including on staff it could end up being an all time blunder.

[uncfan888]

8 minutes ago, frankw said:

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/points-in-paint-per-game

The Hornets currently sit at 25th in the league in points in the paint.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2026_totals.html#totals_stats::fg2_pct

You have to scroll all the way down to 45 and 91 to find Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller for our 2pt leaders. LaMelo is all the way down at 99.

As fun as some of the games have been this season I think it needs to be reflected upon through less rosier lenses.

Current outlook of the Hornets.

Pros: 7th youngest team in the league and one of the young cores with the most potential.

Cons: Too much credit had been given to the staff for leaning entirely on simplistic offense that consists of chucking up absurdly high volume threes and virtually no emphasis on development in the paint.

We need to pump the brakes on all this coach of the year talk for Charles Lee. Where we go from here is exceptionally pivotal. If the powers that be think we are on the cusp of something special and don't at all need to consider significant changes including on staff it could end up being an all time blunder.

We're built a lot like Boston, but Boston has jaylen brown killing it on 2 pointers

[HardcoreHokie]

We need more bigs.  I love Moose, but him coming off the bench would be ideal.

Even Kalkbrenner slowed down  Duren/Stewart from my eyes.  

Draft someone like 7’3 Center from Michigan Aday Mara. We have plenty of talent, we need size.

I really want Yaxel and one of Mara/ Quaintance.

[frankw]

10 minutes ago, uncfan888 said:

We're built a lot like Boston, but Boston has jaylen brown killing it on 2 pointers

Logically yes. Boston has the right balance though. Jalen Brown is #2 in the paint and their best shooters are 17th and 19th. While our best shooters are #1 and #2 and we have one player in the top 50 for points in the paint.

And my understanding looking at the information I just referenced is we were basically at the exact same paint percentage last year in Charles Lee's offense.

At the end of the day we either want to compete for a playoff series winner and the finals or we just want to stumble our way to another play in. We've already done that with James Borrego.

[HardcoreHokie]

15 hours ago, HeelsPanthersCanes said:

Go figure, I come in here and give someone their flowers, try to be nice, and the fuging Hornets put up a 10 point 4th quarter. 

HAHAHAHAHA. 

It better be fuging crickets in here until they win a playoff series.

Crickets for you in here bro, RIP.

[uncfan888]

1 hour ago, frankw said:

Logically yes. Boston has the right balance though. Jalen Brown is #2 in the paint and their best shooters are 17th and 19th. While our best shooters are #1 and #2 and we have one player in the top 50 for points in the paint.

And my understanding looking at the information I just referenced is we were basically at the exact same paint percentage last year in Charles Lee's offense.

At the end of the day we either want to compete for a playoff series winner and the finals or we just want to stumble our way to another play in. We've already done that with James Borrego.

I feel like Jeff Davidson is doing a good job but Charles Lee brought the same philosophy that Boston uses. It will be interesting to see what they do this off-season. It will either catapult them to the upper half of the east or it will be more of the same for the last two decades

[toldozer]

7 hours ago, uncfan888 said:

We're built a lot like Boston, but Boston has jaylen brown killing it on 2 pointers

Bridges wants to jack up threes like melo and kon and needs to be getting to the basket. Miller needs to get stronger and do more of that too 

[uncfan888]

5 minutes ago, toldozer said:

Bridges wants to jack up threes like melo and kon and needs to be getting to the basket. Miller needs to get stronger and do more of that too 

Yeah, I agree. bridges shoots way too many threes. Brandon is our best all around player and if he put on some weight he'd be unstoppable 

[toldozer]

11 hours ago, uncfan888 said:

Yeah, I agree. bridges shoots way too many threes. Brandon is our best all around player and if he put on some weight he'd be unstoppable 

Yup. Hopefully  Brandon adds some muscle this off-season but he'll probably be resting his shoulder for a while so I doubt it. Miles should probably be replaced but I don't think we find a better 4th option to be honest. So is it better to add depth along side williams and Coby or try to upgrade the 4/5 . I think adding depth will probably be more beneficial than trying to upgrade starters and bank on Brandon and Kons continuing development. I really don't think they are going to make the playoffs unfortunately. I think the big hole they put themselves in has exhausted them. They've been amazing since January 1 but I think it's come at a cost and their legs are gone. 

[HardcoreHokie]

4 hours ago, toldozer said:

So is it better to add depth along side williams and Coby or try to upgrade the 4/5 . I think adding depth will probably be more beneficial than trying to upgrade starters 

Upgrade at the 4/5 and you achieve both.

I love Moose and Miles but would love them coming in with Coby off the bench.

If they can somehow draft Yaxel and Mara that might actually be feasible at some point next year.

I also think there are some options in Free Agency - packaging Green, Grant, Mann, and picks could net us an upgrade at one of the Bigs.  But either way, we need more SIZE.

[Jackie Lee]

5 hours ago, toldozer said:

Yup. Hopefully  Brandon adds some muscle this off-season but he'll probably be resting his shoulder for a while so I doubt it. Miles should probably be replaced but I don't think we find a better 4th option to be honest. So is it better to add depth along side williams and Coby or try to upgrade the 4/5 . I think adding depth will probably be more beneficial than trying to upgrade starters and bank on Brandon and Kons continuing development. I really don't think they are going to make the playoffs unfortunately. I think the big hole they put themselves in has exhausted them. They've been amazing since January 1 but I think it's come at a cost and their legs are gone. 

I wouldn't just assume that Coby is going to sign here either. They thought he would put them over the top in the playoff run but the starters seemed to have hit a wall and I could see that being discouraging to him and his agent, he probably either wants to start or be on a legit playoff team

[HardcoreHokie]

I also like the idea of going after Michael Porter Jr this offseason.  The Nets are in a total rebuild and he just had a career year.  24/7/3 and a career 40% 3pt shooter at 6’10.

I’ve seen a “mock” trade or two packaging Bridges and Green’s contracts with a couple of future firsts (so we’d still keep the two this year) to the rebuilding Nets, who apparently have very little draft capital.

Probably a little more realistic than getting Giannis, while still keeping some of our picks.