Describing each member of the Charlotte Hornets' core with one word

Here's one descriptor of the most important Hornets players.

Oct 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) celebrates with guard LaMelo Ball (1) after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

As of now, barring any future trades, the Charlotte Hornets' core is LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and Miles Bridges (probably in order of importance to the front office, though Ball and Miller could probably be switched there). They're all under contract for at least this upcoming season and beyond.

However you may feel about that core, and there's a wide variety of beliefs about whether this group of Hornets is really it or not, those are the key players for now. Here's how to describe each one of them in a single word.

LaMelo Ball: Vexing

Mar 25, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

I thought about using the word frustrating for LaMelo Ball. That does apply, but I think it's a little too harsh. Ball is a supremely gifted passer, a creative shooter, and a very good floor general. He can do it all, so there's really no reason he should shoot 5/21 all that often when he can pass as well as anyone in basketball.

That's where the frustration lies because shooting lines like that are frustratingly common. But with Ball, you have to take the good with the bad, which is what led to the vexing term. It's a little annoying how often Ball has conventionally poor box scores, but then he'll wow you with something like his final game of the season: 25 points (on 13 shots), nine assists, and one rebound.

He did all that in 29 minutes while battling foul trouble. He's supremely talented, but he's a little too tied to his own shot considering how great of a passer he is. Of course, there's a little more nuance to that conversation given the sheer lack of shooting talent he has around him, but still.

Brandon Miller: Exciting

Jan 12, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Brandon Miller is a very exciting piece. While there are some media questions about Ball's place in the core, no one disagrees that Miller is that guy for the Hornets. He is a special talent. He can shoot perhaps better from three than Ball can, he's a longer defender (though we're still waiting for that to translate into actual good defense), and he showed a lot of growth in year two.

He's the ideal player for the modern NBA. There aren't any glaring flaws in his game, especially not now that he showed some self-creation skills before going down. If he can continue to get his own shot and take some defensive attention from Ball, the sky is the limit. However, that does still remain a question mark, as does his defensive ability, which is why he's exciting. He's not a surefire future superstar just yet.

Mark Williams: Unappreciated

Apr 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) reacts to an official’s call during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images / Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

I find it hard to blame the front office for moving Mark Williams at the deadline. They got an exceptional haul for a player who's nearing contract time and had missed a huge percentage of his games in the NBA. I also find it hard to blame them for at least considering attempting it again given his place outside the top two for the Hornets. This hasn't worked, so I can't fault them for trying to get some pieces to really rebuild with.

However, I also think it speaks to how quickly people forget. This is a new front office, but fans might not remember how long the Hornets looked for an answer at the center position. Before drafting Williams, it was not exactly a who's who down low.

That was a glaring hole on the roster for so long, and Williams not only filled that but became a really good player. He's averaging a double-double and shooting nearly 62% from the field. There were days when we would've done anything for that, and now we're so quick to dismiss him? He is exceptionally underappreciated and maybe even underrated, too.

Miles Bridges: Outsider

Apr 4, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) shoots a three pointer over Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

If one of these four is going to go, I believe it both will and should be Miles Bridges. Not only does his signing put somewhat of a black mark on the franchise given his legal struggles, but he's 27 and might not be worth the $25 million salary he's on, at least not as the fourth-most important Hornet.

Bridges is a solidified player with a clear contract situation (two years, $50 million left after this season). That makes him a pretty easy trade candidate, and I think after finishing with one of the three worst records in basketball, a shakeup is coming and it probably starts with the one outsider in the Core Four as they've occasionally been called.

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