Three big questions Hornets must answer heading into 2025-26 season

Injuries derailed Charles Lee's first year as Charlotte Hornets head coach. LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Grant Williams all suffered season-ending injuries early in the campaign. Therefore, it's hard to get a read on the Hornets' overall development as a rebuilding team. 

Nevertheless, there are now some legitimate questions regarding the sustainability of the Hornets' current roster, and those questions will need to be answered sooner rather than later. With that in mind, here are three burning questions heading into the new season. 

Can Charlotte Hornets take care of the rock? 

Turnovers were a huge issue for the Hornets last season (15.5 per game), especially when comparing them to the number of assists the team dished out. Overall, the Hornets ranked 28th in the NBA for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.57 assists per turnover), which showcased their need for a reliable table-setter.

The return of both Ball and Miller should go a long way toward solving some of those issues. Nevertheless, taking care of the rock is an integral developmental area for Charlotte. It can't maximize the offensive talent on the roster if it is giving away offensive possessions nearly 16 times per game. 

Will Charlotte Hornets improve on the perimeter? 

Perimeter shot-making was another area where the Hornets struggled last season. They ranked 28th in the NBA for three-point percentage (33.9 percent) despite being 11th in the league for perimeter-based attempts (38.3 per game). 

The return of Miller, Ball and Williams will all be huge for Charlotte's three-point offense. However, Lee will also need growth from elsewhere on the roster. It's clear he's looking to play the math game — at least to some extent — but he needs the shooting talent to make that approach pay dividends. 

The loss of Seth Curry, who walked in free agency in the summer, will be a huge blow. He was, after all, the Hornets' biggest threat from deep, having dropped 45.6 percent of his perimeter attempts last season. Fortunately, Tre Mann could emerge as a sharpshooting threat after hitting 40 percent from deep on 4.6 attempts per night. 

Will the rookies make an impact? 

Charlotte added a string of high-level rookies in the summer. Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Sion James all come from elite programs and have solid potential at their respective positions. 

Knueppel could help ease the perimeter shooting issues, while McNeeley projects as a two-way glue guy who could tie everything together. Factor in Kalkbrenner's playmaking and scoring in the frontcourt, and suddenly, the Hornets have a balanced roster top-to-bottom. 

Of course, another influx of rookie talent will undoubtedly mean that Charlotte is heading toward an inconsistent season. However, fans can finally begin to accept that there's a clear blueprint on the way, and all being well, better times are ahead.