Jan 27, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (12) during the first quarter at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Predicting every major stat leader for Charlotte Hornets in 2025-26

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 8:54 AM ET

Last year, the Charlotte Hornets were led by LaMelo Ball in a lot of statistical categories. He was pretty excellent when on the court, and the roster was fairly thin last year. This year, it's a much more well-rounded roster, and there could be a lot of different stat leaders.

Points per game

I'm going with a curveball here: Brandon Miller. Yes, LaMelo Ball scored 25 points per game last year, albeit in a smaller sample size, and there's no indication that he's going to regress. But he has more help on offense, so he can and probably will pass a little more. Miller was also enjoying a good season before going down, and I believe in a year-three leap so that he can just barely edge Ball in points (like literally by a point or less).

Assists per game

This one's a no-brainer: LaMelo Ball. He led the team in assists last year, recording over seven per game. That was with his teammates leaving the most points off the board on potential assists in the NBA, so a better roster won't have that issue. He could come close to double-digit assists in 2025-26.

Rebounds per game

Moussa Diabate. Even if Mason Plumlee starts, Diabate will play almost as many minutes, and he will certainly outrebound every single player during his time on the court. His per-36 rebounding average was 12.7. He was second only to Mark Williams, who is gone, in rebound percentage last year, too.

Steals per game

Kon Knueppel. He is probably going to end up starting sooner rather than later, and he'll be tasked with guarding the best offensive wing player most nights since the rest of the perimeter defense is pretty bad. That will give him the most chances, and he's a player who might actually give effort on defense.

Blocks per game

Ryan Kalkbrenner. I believe Kalkbrenner won't spend much time in the G-League, and he is likely the best defensive big the Hornets have. Diabate is great, but he's undersized. Even if Kalkbrenner only plays sparingly, I expect more blocks during his time on the court than Diabate, and definitely more than Plumlee.

Field-goal percentage

Mason Plumlee. By virtue of most of their shots coming close to the basket, big men always lead their teams in field-goal percentage. Plumlee is a better offensive player than either Diabate or Kalkbrenner, and he won't be shooting from distance.

Three-point field-goal percentage

Kon Knueppel. This is an easy one, too, as Knueppel is easily the best shooter the Hornets have, and he probably won't end up with a high volume that could tank his numbers. Both Ball and Miller will shoot more and less effectively. Knueppel has a sneaky shot at a quiet 50/40/90 season.

Free-throw percentage

Tre Mann. It is probably because he played in only 13 games last year, but Mann shot over 90% from the line. He was only outdone by Nick Smith Jr. in that time, and I don't believe Smith is going to be on the roster for much longer. Plus, Mann will play more than Smith regardless.