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How the Charlotte Hornets can define success in 2025-26

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 9:13 PM ET

Success is relative to expectations.

For teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers, anything short of a world championship is a failure. The Charlotte Hornets aren't swimming in those ponds quite yet, so success will have to be measured differently in the Queen City.

Let's take a look at some markers for the Hornets to strive for in 2025-26.

Improved health across the board

Jeff Peterson and Charles Lee are still firmly in evaluation mode.

The Hornets' brass have a wealth of young talent, spearheaded by a pair of jumbo shot creators, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. The exciting young duo has a sky-high ceiling; we just need to see it in action. With a number of talented ball handlers now in the fold, Ball and Miller should see a decrease in playmaking pressure, allowing them to ease the burden on their overtaxed bodies.

Beyond Ball and Miller, Tre Mann and Grant Williams, two key members of Charlotte's young core, will both return from injuries in 2025-26. The health of that pair plus the rest of the Hornets' 25-and-under group, are imperative to Lee and Peterson's ability to fully evaluate what how talented their core truly is.

Improved offensive efficiency

This summer, Charlotte went all-in on improving their dreadful offense from 2024-25.

The first-round picks spent on Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley should open up the floor for Charlotte's primary ball handlers.

One of those ball handlers, the recently acquired Collin Sexton, thrives as a foul-drawer and short-area finisher, two places where the Hornets have struggled in years prior. Sexton won't change the Hornets' offensive outlook singlehandedly, but he'll play a major role in any uptick that comes this season.

Lastly, it is unlikely that Charlotte plays any slower than they did in 2024-25. Improved back court depth should lead to improved pace which should lead to more efficient looks in early offense scenarios.

Charles Lee proves he is 'the guy'

Lee is going to have his work cut out for him.

Billed as a defense-first head coach, Lee had Charlotte humming on the championship-winning side of the floor before countless injuries led to his defense bottoming out.

With Josh Green likely unavailable to start the season, Charlotte doesn't have a natural ball-stopper in their projected rotation, making it likely that much of this season looks like the end of the last. Looking at the Hornets' two-deep depth chart doesn't inspire much confidence in projecting their ability on the defensive end of the floor.

If Lee can lead Charlotte to any sort of competency on the defensive end of the floor with the way this roster is constructed, then he will be worth every penny that the Hornets ownership is paying him.