Hornets 2025-26 Season

Hornets Talk
684

It blows my mind that this team is only 2 games under .500 considering the early season struggles. It was starting to look really bad. I had some fun here:

-core starting 5 is now 17-2

-Kon will annihilate the rookie three point record. Shooting an absurd 44% from three (on 8 attempts per game) and leads the entire league in threes made.

-Kon flirting with the first ever rookie 50/40/90 season. And should be ROTY.

-Kalkbrenner is third in the league in true shooting percentage/effective FG percentage

-Melo ranks 5th in offensive rating

-last 20 games most threes *made in the league*: 1) Melo 96 2) Brandon Miller 84 3) Kon 84. Yes, top three in the league are our guys.

-last 20 games hornets are number one in offensive rating and 9th in defensive rating. And rank at number one in the league in total net rating over the last 20 games.

-[formally redacted by author] with a reliable bench. Both of those are firsts for the hornets. Coby, Sion, Josh Green, Grant, and Kalk is a super solid bench rotation. Legit 10 guys deep. Wow wow wow

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685

please remove the last sentence. we donā€™t talk about a no hitter

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686

Fixed it for you. Consider it redacted.

687

Oh I totally agree with you. And I want to be clear that Iā€™m not devaluing Millerā€™s importance or potential.

If Brandon miller can add more dribble drive, get to the rim more often, get to the free throw line more often-then weā€™re cooking. He can very much continue to evolve and I would like to see that. His dribble drive/handles are definitely a weak spot to his game, which very much contradicts the young Paul George comparisons. I want more aggression and decisiveness out of Brandon, and less picking up his dribble/settling for the tough fadeaway/turnovers when pressured.

Of course, the hornets should and will sign miller to the max extension heā€™s eligible for, which would be around 50m AAV. For context, hereā€™s players making around 50m or so this year:

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688

Resigning Miller to the max is a no brainer for this team. I do understand and agree with the point that a ā€œtrue maxā€ should be reserved for the best of the best, for the actual game changing superstars that can carry a team by themselves. But thatā€™s not how the market works.

The only calculation right now is to keep this group together. Do we want more from each of our big 3? Of course, they have a lot of weaknesses to improve on. Ball handling, ball security, defense, decision making, strength. But what they have right now has the league completely miffed. Which is something weā€™ve never ever had.

This may feel like hyperbole, but weā€™re holding on to the second coming of the splash brothers (the version with Durant!). Not in overall game of course, but the shooting. Like, the Hornets have been breaking NBA records regularly like its par for the course, making it look casual. 2-game three point record, 3-game record, etc. etc. Melo, Kon, and Brandon can go off for 6-8 threes at any moment. Hell, each or any combination is a threat to go off for 10+ 3s if they start cooking. Since January, all 3 are the top 3 3point shooters in the entire league.

So could a max salary for Brandon become an issue in the future? Of course. But those are first world problems weā€™ve never had before. Do it for now, Kon looks to be on the trajectory for a max, Meloā€™s will be ending around then, maybe theyā€™ll start becoming unselfish like the Spurs and figure out how to get paid, but could arrange the salaries enough to fit in and allow other signings. Or at worst, bad contracts are always able to be traded away. I canā€™t see any of the 3 becoming an albatross like Batum, Rozier, Hayward. Shooting is always a valuable skill to acquire.

3 snipers with size and 3 level scoring is near impossible to guard for long. Iā€™d love for that to be the identity of the team for the next 3 years, and fill in any hard working 3 and d guys around them. We deserve good things, this is as good a shot as weā€™ve ever had to have fun watching a team, I donā€™t think worrying about paying someone 25% vs. 22% of the cap is worth the anxiety. Iā€™ll put my chips down on this hand (this bet brought to you by FanDuel).

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689

Signing miller to a max extension is a no brainer for the hornets. I feel like folks have thought Iā€™ve said otherwise.

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690

I donā€™t think folks have thought you said otherwise. Chef posted an article saying that this could be an issue: Hornets face Brandon Miller dilemma that could get more complicated this summer

I was just putting my response to that sentiment. I think itā€™s 99% certain heā€™ll get the full amount, I think most people are probably aligned with that decision, even if that amount of money commitment makes us feel queasy. Not really a better, viable option for the team going forward. I wouldnā€™t want to touch the synergy between the 3, even if we potentially were to get the ā€œbetterā€ player in a trade.

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691

The Suns have waived Cole Anthony, heā€™d be a good end of the bench back up pg. An old North Carolina player maybe bring him in and see what he has left, send him to greensboro and get him in game shape for a long play off run. You just never know whatā€™s round the corner, if Lamelo gets hurt we only have Coby as back up we may need a back up to the back up so to speak.

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692

Letā€™s sign him. Get rid of Tillman.

I really donā€™t know why we brought him to the team.

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693

Would rather have PJ Hall than Tillman. Or even Plumdog millionaire, but heā€™s with the spurs now.

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694

I think they want PJ Hall getting guaranteed minutes with the Swarm right now. But, I donā€™t think heā€™s going anywhere if they can help it.

695

Iā€™d rather have Jason Maxiell than Tillman.

696

Good discussion with Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe about the Hornets at the 1:10:53 mark

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697

This was a good listen. Hope we see little playoff run

698

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Jussayin.

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699

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Kon ranks 8th in the league in offensive efficiency ratings. Thatā€™s nuts

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700

Thatā€™s crazy. I thought that was Miles when I first looked at it. loll

701

31-31!!! WE HAVE A NOT LOSING RECORD!!

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702

I donā€™t think theyā€™ve played particularly well the last 2 games and won by 16 and 27. Whatā€™s that say about this team? Big game tomorrow vs Boston.

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703

Charlotte hornets at +15000 to win the finals. Easy money guys.