The Charlotte Hornets turnaround, broken down
The most dramatic in-season change of 2025-26. Season arc, identity shift, who changed, and the statement wins behind it.
The Charlotte Hornets have engineered the most dramatic turnaround of the 2025-26 season. After starting 16-28, Charlotte has gone 28-10 since January 22, outscoring opponents by +10.6 per game. Their three-point shooting surged from 36.6% to 39.1%, while opponents went from shooting 47.8% to 45.3%. They slowed their pace from 101.7 to 97.6 possessions per game and started dominating the glass , outrebounding opponents by 8.5 per game, up from +5.2 before. Most telling: they went from 0-8 in close games to 5-3. They finished 44-38.
Since Jan 22: 28-10 · +10.6 margin · 39.1% 3PT · 45.3% Opp FG
The Arc
Rolling 10-game win percentage across 82 games. The vertical line marks January 22, the inflection point.
Identity Shift
44 games before January 22 vs 38 games after. The defense tightened by 10.2 points per game.
| Stat | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 16-28 | 28-10 |
| Avg Margin | -0.2 | +10.6 |
| Pace | 101.7 | 97.6 |
| FG% | 45.9% | 46.2% |
| 3PT% | 36.6% | 39.1% |
| 3PT Made/G | 15.1 | 17.8 |
| Rebound Margin | +5.2 | +8.5 |
| OREB/G | 12.3 | 13.3 |
| Opp FG% | 47.8% | 45.3% |
| Opp 3PT% | 36.9% | 34.8% |
| Opp PPG | 115.9 | 105.7 |
| Close Games (≤5) | 0-8 | 5-3 |
| Blowout Wins (15+) | 10 | 16 |
| Blowout Losses | 9 | 2 |
Who Changed
Plus-minus shift for key players, before and after January 22.
Monthly Arc
Charlotte's win percentage by month, by month.
Statement Wins
Brandon Miller put up 26 points and 8 rebounds and led CHA past SAS 111–106. CHA dominated the boards 51–36. Collin Sexton finished with 21 points on the night.
26 PTS · 8 REB · SAS (62-20)
Kon Knueppel put up 24 points on 62% shooting and led CHA past HOU 109–99. Knueppel CHA shot 41.4% from the field. CHA connected on 17 threes to HOU's 8. HOU committed 18 turnovers. LaMelo Ball finished with 20 points on the night.
24 PTS · HOU (52-30)
Miles Bridges put up 26 points and 5 assists on 71% shooting and led CHA past ATL 126–119. Bridges CHA shot 48.4% from the field. CHA dominated the boards 49–30. CHA connected on 18 threes to ATL's 18. Kon Knueppel finished with 23 points on the night.
26 PTS · 6 REB · 5 AST · ATL (46-36)
Brandon Miller put up 31 points and 9 rebounds and led CHA past ATL 110–107. Miller did it from deep, hitting 5 threes for 15 of 31 points. CHA shot 37.5% from the field. CHA connected on 19 threes to ATL's 10. LaMelo Ball finished with 24 points on the night.
31 PTS · 9 REB · ATL (46-36)
Kon Knueppel put up 20 points and powered CHA to a 29-point rout of BOS. Knueppel did it from deep, hitting 4 threes for 12 of 20 points. CHA connected on 19 threes to BOS's 10. BOS committed 15 turnovers. LaMelo Ball finished with 18 points on the night.
20 PTS · BOS (56-26)
CHA pulled away with a 37-24 run starting at 1:07 in the 1st quarter into the 3rd quarter (10:15 remaining). Key stretch: C. White 12 pts, M. Bridges 11 pts.
26 PTS · 11 REB · 8 AST · NYK (53-29)
CHA pulled away with a 37-19 run starting at 7:51 in the 3rd quarter into the 4th quarter (8:11 remaining). Key stretch: C. White 10 pts (2 threes), L. Ball 7 pts (1 three).
35 PTS · 8 AST · MIN (49-33)
CHA pulled away with a 40-27 run starting at 10:26 in the 1st quarter into the 2nd quarter (9:20 remaining). Key stretch: C. White 10 pts (2 threes), L. Ball 6 pts (2 threes).
19 PTS · NYK (53-29)
Playoff Matchup Profile
DET is the problem, 0-3 vs DET. ATL, ORL are the matchups they want, 3-1, 3-1. Trailing the season series against BOS (1-2), CLE (1-3), DET (0-3), MIA (1-3), PHI (1-2). Can this team win a playoff series? The three-point shooting and close-game resilience say yes.
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