What Are the Right Rotations for the Charlotte Hornets This Season?
As the Charlotte Hornets prepare for the upcoming season, head coach Charles Lee faces a welcome challenge: figuring out how to balance a roster that’s deeper and more versatile than it’s been in years. The core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges is set in stone. However, the pieces around them are still taking shape in the midst of a competitive preseason. With new additions and promising young talent, Lee’s task now is to find the right mix of players who can complement each other and keep the team competitive on both ends of the floor.
The most realistic starting lineup right now looks like LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann or Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Mason Plumlee or Moussa Diabaté. Sexton has been aggressive and confident in the preseason, giving Charlotte another scorer next to Ball, while Mann and Knueppel have each made cases for playing time with their playmaking and shooting. In the frontcourt, Plumlee’s experience might earn him the starting spot early on, but Diabaté’s athleticism and defense could make him too valuable to keep off the floor. The flexibility to rotate between those players gives the Hornets plenty of matchup options.
Whichever of Sexton, Mann, and Knueppel doesn’t start will likely be the first guard off the bench, with the same holding true for whichever big man isn’t in the starting five. Spencer Dinwiddie should be the next key piece in the rotation, bringing leadership and experience to the second unit. Grant Williams and Josh Green are expected to fill important roles as energy players and defenders, while Ryan Kalkbrenner and Liam McNeeley could see minutes as they adjust to the NBA pace. Altogether, that group forms a solid eight-to-ten-man rotation that gives Lee plenty of reliable options.
Behind that main group, Tidjane Salaun and KJ Simpson have shown flashes of potential and could fight their way into the mix with continued development. Players like Sion James, Antonio Reeves, and Drew Peterson are capable of contributing but will need to earn their spots through consistency and effort. Charlotte still has one roster cut left to make, meaning veteran Pat Connaughton could either end up being the odd man out or find a role as a steady depth option. With a blend of young talent, seasoned vets, and healthy internal competition, the Hornets finally look ready to establish a clear identity and find the right rotation to build on it.
