Oct 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball (1) dribbles the basketball against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Hornets soar up NBA power rankings after impressive first week of the season

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 12:39 PM ET

Aside from losing Brandon Miller in the second game of the season and the atrocious defense that was on display on Tuesday night in Miami, the start of the 2025-26 campaign has been a sight for sore eyes for Charlotte Hornets fans.

They dominated Brooklyn in the season opener, should have beaten Philadelphia on the road, and rebounded after a poor start in Washington.

Even after last night's 144-117 blowout loss to the Miami Heat, ESPN moved the Hornets up nine spots in their latest batch of power rankings.

"Amazingly, the Hornets were one bad quarter from a 3-0 start," Kevin Pelton wrote. "Only getting outscored 39-25 in the final 12 minutes on Saturday against Philadelphia. A blemish on their opening week in which they blew out Brooklyn and Washington. The Hornets are winning with two rookies (No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel and second-rounder Ryan Kalkbrenner) in their starting five and despite a shoulder injury to starter Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball is off to an outstanding start, averaging 28.3 PPG, 9.7 APG, and 8.3 RPG while shooting 41.9% on 3s."

Before the letdown in South Beach, the Hornets ranked No. 1 in the NBA in offensive rating (124.5) and 10th in defensive rating (111.6).

You could make the assumption that those numbers were a direct indication of playing inferior competition, but offensively, we know the Hornets can score. Even without Miller, they put up nearly 140 on Washington and almost 120 on Miami. Ball movement has been a huge part of the team's success, hitting 30 or more assists in three of their first four contests.

Miami's tempo created some issues for the Hornets, but things will begin to slow down for them in the coming days, facing Orlando, Minnesota, and Utah, so perhaps the defense will return to form sooner than later.

The Hornets will get their first crack at the Orlando Magic tomorrow night in Uptown. Tip-off is slated for approximately 7:10 p.m. ET. You'll be able to watch the game live on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.