Charlotte Hornets: 5 Reasons Behind Promising Start

5. Jeremy And Jeremy

Without a top superstar, a team like the Hornets has to depend on chemistry, defense and depth to reach its full potential. On the depth front, having two reserves like Jeremy Lin and Jeremy Lamb (both acquired over the offseason) has been a huge boost to the team’s bench scoring.

Lin, who was signed to a bargain two-year, $4.7 million contract this summer, has been excellent off the bench for Charlotte, averaging 10.4 points, 2.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.

He’s only shooting 40.5 percent from the floor and 29.6 percent from downtown, but his scoring numbers would be even better if not for his last five games in which he’s failed to reach double digit scoring. Say what you want about his Dragon Ball Z haircut, but it must be working for him.

As for Lamb, he’s joined James Harden and Reggie Jackson as the latest third fiddle to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and find greater success elsewhere (or, in Lamb’s case, 11th fiddle). He’s averaging a career-high 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game off the bench this season, shooting an efficient 50.5 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from downtown.

For a team with six players averaging at least 10 points per game, having two of them coming off has been a big part of Charlotte’s vastly improved offense.

Next: No. 4