Dec 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Can the Charlotte Hornets actually make some noise in the East this season?

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 12:22 PM ET

Barring major injury or incredibly poor luck, the Charlotte Hornets are going to be better in 2025-26. Even with some injuries expected, the team has done an incredible job of adding depth and talent, thereby raising the floor to withstand the loss of players to injury. 19 wins should easily be surpassed.

How many more wins can they get, though? Is there a way they can contend? The East is pretty open since the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers are both likely to be less competitive thanks to major injuries. Does that open the door for Charlotte?

Can the Hornets really make the playoffs in the East?

The East is always pretty bad, especially when compared to the West, so 40 wins in 2025-26 would probably be enough to land a Play-In Tournament spot, thereby giving a team a chance to make the playoffs. The Hornets probably won't be that good, though, and even if they are, they won't make a lot of noise.

The absolute best-case scenario this season is that the Hornets wildly overperform to a .500 or better record, potentially making the Play-In Game as the ninth seed. Whether they win that game or not (or the subsequent one to make it into the playoffs) is a moot point, because these Hornets would go no further.

LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges are a solid quad of players. Collin Sexton, Pat Connaughton, Liam McNeeley, and Moussa Diabate are solid contributing players, too. That just isn't a roster that screams surprise contender.

The Cleveland Cavaliers may have gotten better over the offseason, and with Boston losing Jayson Tatum, the number one seed in the East is likely Cleveland's again. If Charlotte managed to get into a series with them, there is really no way they would even make a competitive series out of it.

That's not to shame the Hornets, because making it as the eighth seed even in the weakened East would be a major step forward. Playoff basketball hasn't been a thing in Charlotte since 2016, so this would be a really great outcome.

It's just that it's probably the absolute perfect best-case scenario that is probably unattainable. Players will get hurt, and they won't live up to expectations; that's basketball. It just means the Hornets can't really contend this year, which is fine. No one needs or expects them to.