What is the Charlotte Hornets bread and butter this upcoming season?

Bread has existed for around 30,000 years.

It's an important part of civilization, and each culture has bread intertwined in SOME way. We have several different kinds of bread, from flatbread to brioche, to sourdough, to rye, to pita, the list goes on and on and on.

Butter, in contrast, was introduced around 9,000 years ago.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the two were brought together to become the well-known combination we know today in 1496, and were introduced with an incredible name: Bread and Butter.

Over the last few centuries, it's managed to turn itself into more than just the food itself, becoming one of the most common metaphors of today. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, "bread and butter" is "a job or activity that provides you with the money you need to live".

Since the NBA was founded in 1946, we've seen NBA teams display their own bread and butter. The 90s Bulls had the triangle offense. The early 2000s Lakers had Shaq in the paint and Kobe on the perimeter. The 2004 Pistons had defense. The 2010s Warriors had pace, space, and defense.

For the Charlotte Hornets, it's three point shooting.

As prevalent as shooting beyond the arc is in the NBA this season, it's likely where the Hornets hang their hats. The team took the 11th most threes by any team in the league last season, taking 38.3 a game. It was not exactly successful, as the squad shot 33.9% on those attempts, the third worst in the league.

For the Hornets to have success, they need their shots to fall. Head coach Charles Lee runs a three point heavy offense, one he helped learn in his assistant coaching days under Mike Budenholzer and Joe Mazzulla.

Mazzulla's Celtics took the most threes in the league last season, taking 48.2 a game. Budenholzer's Suns took the 12th most, shooting 38 times a night.

The Hornets addressed their shooting needs immediately this offseason. They first drafted Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley, two of the most prolific shooters in the 2025 draft class. Knueppel shot 40.6% from deep on 5.3 attempts a night, while McNeeley shot 31.7% from deep. While McNeeley's numbers are not flashy, he showed flashes of being a great shooter with his touch and mechanics.

The squad also added Collin Sexton in a trade with the Utah Jazz, a guard who shot, just like Knueppel, 40.6% from deep.

With LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller both healthy as well, the team should easily see an increase in three-point numbers. Ball and Miller's ability to handle double teams will also generate more open looks, and with the improved shooting around them, it should lead to a higher amount of makes.

For the Hornets to be successful, they need their three-pointers to fall. After an impressive offseason from President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson, the three-ball could begin to go through the hoop.

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