Mar 23, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) is defended by Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

NBA analyst provides brutal assessment of Charlotte Hornets' lineup

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 9:30 AM ET

This year's Charlotte Hornets' starting five is, on paper, going to be better than last year's. Josh Green has been swapped out for either Collin Sexton or Kon Knueppel, in all likelihood. Either way, that's a huge upgrade.

Moussa Diabate is replacing Mark Williams (and theoretically Jusuf Nurkic), so there's at least a significant downgrade on offense, though Diabate's defense is much better. And having the other three (LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Brandon Miller) is a step in the right direction, too.

But according to Bleacher Report insider Grant Hughes, Charlotte actually sports one of the worst starting lineups in the entire NBA. He gave the unit, projecting Diabate and Knueppel to start, a D.

The Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Sacramento Kings all got the same grade. Only the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards were handed an F. It doesn't paint a pretty picture for Charlotte.

There's no way to know how this lineup will perform since it's a brand-new lineup. There's no net rating from last year, and it's pretty hard to predict how Knueppel will do as a rookie in the NBA.

Hughes admitted that Sexton probably should start on merit, but the franchise is much more invested in Knueppel. Additionally, Sexton could get more trade value by coming off the bench and being the first option rather than starting and being the third or fourth option.

"Ball, when healthy, has generally been a stellar driver of offense. He's graded out no worse than the 93rd percentile in Offensive EPM across the last four seasons and should stay among the elites with better shooting in his supporting cast," Hughes did admit.

Hughes also foresees a possible Brandon Miller year-three jump, "especially if he maintains the spike in three-point volume he showed in 27 games prior to a season-ending wrist injury last season." Both he and Ball could both shoot 10 threes a night.

"The center spot is rough, as Diabate doesn't contribute much besides offensive rebounding. Veteran Mason Plumlee could wind up starting, but he's not an upgrade," Hughes acknowledged. He also said there's not a soul in that five "known for his defensive contributions."

Should this five be a common lineup for Charlotte, it's going to be hard for them to improve on last year's 24th-ranked defensive efficiency. But the offense should be better, although that's also not a guarantee with some new pieces.