The Charlotte Hornets aren't lightyears away from contending.
LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have the goods on the court (health pending), and their new head coach, Charles Lee, has brought some juice to the bench. The franchise sits at a disappointing 7-17 through the season's first quarter, but positives can be plucked out of the muck and mire.
Arguably the most glaring positive is that the Hornets are pacing to keep their first round draft pick in 2025. The team will flip the pick to San Antonio if it falls out of the lottery, but as the losses mount, that reality becomes more and more unlikely.