Hornets are among the NBA's worst in ESPN's recent batch of power rankings

Charlotte's brutal December keeps the Hornets toward the bottom of the NBA.

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It's no surprise that the Charlotte Hornets are tumbling toward the bottom of most power rankings on the internet, including ESPN's. This week, the Hornets check in at No. 27, sitting ahead of only the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, and Washington Wizards.

"A humbling, hard-to-believe stat for Charlotte: It has lost twice in the past two weeks to the Wizards, who have one of the worst point differentials in modern NBA history and have gone 1-23 against the rest of the league since the start of November. The struggling Hornets haven't had their preferred starting five together more than twice all season. But the bright side: It gives coach Charles Lee something to aspire to in 2025 as the team seeks a sense of continuity." - Chris Herring

The Hornets' health is, once again, the main storyline for the third consecutive year. Between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller missing time here and there, Mark Williams just getting back into the fold, Nick Richards missing several games, Grant Williams being ruled out for the year, and Tre Mann being out since late November, Charlotte just hasn't stood much of a chance, even with a manageable schedule.

If the Hornets don't start winning a few games here and there, their attention will completely turn from trying to make the play-in tournament to where they could be slotted in the 2025 NBA Draft.

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