It's been a decade since the Charlotte Hornets have made the playoffs, and now it's so close they can almost reach out and touch it. All they have to do is get through a tough NBA Play-In Tournament, not that it gets easier after that. Regardless, this is an important step for an incredibly young team.
No one expected much from the Hornets this season, likely because it's been a long time since the franchise was remotely relevant. That has certainly been the case during the LaMelo Ball era. Not because he isn't a great player, but because he's been injured frequently and for long periods of time.
2025-2026 has turned out a lot differently than expected. Ball has been healthy, on the court, and playing excellent basketball. He has a great team around him, including a likely Rookie of the Year winner in Kon Knueppel. This group has fought hard and found their way into the postseason.
Charlotte's path to the playoffs is rough
The Hornets are the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference, which means they take on the 10th seed in the first round of the Play-In. If they make it past the Heat, Charlotte then takes on the loser of the Sixers and the Magic to determine who gets the final spot in the playoffs.
That means the Hornets have to win a pair of do-or-die games before they even get to the playoffs. Even worse, taking the eighth seed in the East means facing off against the number one team in that conference. That would be the Detroit Pistons, who are legit contenders this season.
Even if Charlotte makes it to the first round of the playoffs, getting past the Pistons seems unlikely at best. The Hornets lost both games against Detroit this season, though that doesn't mean they wouldn't at least be competitive. They are a good, but young, team.
The Hornets are a good team but first needs experience
Over the past few years, the Hornets' front office has made smart trades and drafted really well. That work is coming to fruition as they have improved by leaps and bounds as a franchise. The next thing this group needs is experience as a team in the postseason.
Pat Connaughton is the only member of the Hornets over the age of 30 who has been in the league for 10 years. The rest of the roster are in their 20s and have played in the NBA for seven seasons or less. This postseason is incredibly important to their continued development.
Getting through the Play-In and into the playoffs is going to be brutal on the Hornets, but it's definitely doable. While it's not likely to result in a championship this year, it will provide some important experience and put this roster on the path to being champions in the future.
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