Hornets may have plenty of offense, but ESPN sees one thing missing

The Hornets suddenly have a lot more offensive talent. What they may not have is someone who organizes all of it.

ESPN identified Charlotte’s biggest roster hole as a pass-first playmaker after the team traded LaMelo Ball to Minnesota over the summer. Ball led the Hornets in assists in each of the past six seasons and was the player most responsible for setting the table.

Now Charlotte is trying something different. Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Dennis Schroder can all handle the ball and create offense, while Brandon Miller has room to grow as a facilitator. That gives coach Charles Lee several options, but not necessarily one obvious offensive conductor.

The Hornets may be good enough to make that work. They jumped all the way from 29th in offense in 2024-25 to fifth last season, and ESPN noted that a more balanced approach could actually suit the roster well.

The concern comes later. Without a true table-setter, things can get harder in late-game situations when defenses tighten and somebody has to create a clean possession.

Charlotte is young enough to live with some of that. But after moving on from Ball, the Hornets are about to find out whether having several guys who can make plays is the same thing as having one who can run the whole show.