NBA Notes: Hornets, LaMelo Ball, Raptors, Scottie Barnes, Nets

Hornets

Charlotte still has real questions hovering in the background, ESPN writes in its midseason grades. LaMelo Ball and his long-term fit. Brandon Miller still trying to find efficiency, now shooting under 42 percent for a third straight season.

But those concerns have been pushed aside by a rookie class that looks like it changed the franchise’s trajectory. Fourth overall pick Kon Knueppel has been electric, knocking down threes at a historic clip and already flashing star upside.

Second-rounders Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner have not just held their own but started games and contributed winning minutes.

For a team desperate for optimism, the rookies have delivered it. That matters.

Raptors

Even optimistic projections did not have Toronto sitting near the top of the East at midseason. Yet here they are. The perimeter group has clicked faster than expected, led by Scottie Barnes playing at an All-NBA level.

The Raptors also absorbed the loss of Jakob Poeltl, who has not played since late December, without much slippage. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles stepped into the starting lineup and looked comfortable.

Toronto has probably outperformed its point differential and has been excellent in close games. Some regression would not be shocking. Even so, this season has already exceeded expectations by a wide margin.

Nets

Rebuilds are tricky to grade, especially when winning too much is not really the goal. Brooklyn does not control its first-round pick after this season, so balance is required.

So far, the Nets have managed it. They remain in the bottom tier of the standings while still competing most nights. A minus 4.8 point differential puts them well ahead of the true bottom dwellers.

That competitiveness has been driven largely by Michael Porter Jr., who has played like an All-Star and boosted his trade value significantly. Moving Porter before the deadline would help Brooklyn lean into the rebuild while sending him to a team with real postseason ambitions.

Threading the needle is hard. The Nets have done it reasonably well so far.