Feb 22, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) lays on the court after being fouled during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

One analyst expects dreadful offense from Charlotte Hornets in 2025-26

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 10:57 AM ET

The Charlotte Hornets added a lot of different players, and most of them were added because of what they can do on offense. Kon Knueppel, Collin Sexton, Liam McNeeley, Pat Connaughton, and Spencer Dinwiddie are all offensive players first and foremost.

Plus, getting Brandon Miller back, having a healthy LaMelo Ball, and retaining Tre Mann after a lost season suggest that the offense will be better in 2025-26. According to one analyst, though, that won't actually be the case.

B/R analyst demolishes Hornets offense after busy offseason

Bleacher Report analyst Greg Swartz gave the Charlotte Hornets a D+ offensive grade. There are just four other teams with D+ or worse grades: the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, and Phoenix Suns.

Swartz said one small reason for optimism is that when LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller were on the floor together, the Hornets had a good rating in the 63rd percentile. And he also admitted that when Ball "inevitably" gets hurt, the Hornets are better equipped to handle it.

"Charlotte did a better job preparing for when Ball inevitably misses time due to injury, trading for Collin Sexton and signing Spencer Dinwiddie as additional ball-handlers. No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel averaged 14.4 points on 40.6 percent from three at Duke as a freshman last year," Swartz admitted.

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean much. "Only the Washington Wizards ranked worse offensively last year than the Hornets (106.7 rating). Ball has played an average of 35 games the past three years, and last year's lottery pick, Tidjane Salaün, looked lost for most of the season," Swartz said.

Swartz also doesn't like losing Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic, which leaves a huge hole at center. "This team is going to be an average offensive unit when Ball plays and one of the worst in the NBA when he doesn't (which is typically a lot)," he concluded.

The Hornets have a much better offensive makeup now, and with some injury luck, that should remain the case all season. Apparently, that's not good enough in the eyes of the analyst, so the Hornets may end up with a bottom-five offense.