gold star for USAHOF

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023-24 revision of our top 50 Charlotte Hornets.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Basketball Association.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Charlotte had another awful year and was nowhere close to playoff consideration.  As this is a very young organization, there were multiple elevations and one new entrant. 

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Kenba Walker
2. Gerald Wallace
3. Larry Johnson
4. Muggsy Bogues
5. Dell Curry

You can find the entire list here.

Terry Rozier, who was traded to the Miami Heat during the season, played 30 Games for Charlotte.  There was a chasm between his #17 rank and #16, and he did not do enough to advance from that rank.

LaMelo Ball, who played less than 30 Games last year, still managed to climb up five spots to #18.  This is a testament to Ball’s skills and the lack of overall talent this Hornets incarnation has had.

The returning Miles Bridges moved up four spots to #21.

P.J. Washington, who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks during the season, went up one spot to #40.

Gordon Hayward, who retired after the season (and was also traded during the year to the Oklahoma City Thunder) advanced one rank to #45.

The new entrant is Center Nick Richards, who debuts at #48.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

The path for LaMelo Ball to the NBA might be a template for others to follow, though few people have a father like LaVar Ball.

The youngest Ball brothers forewent college, playing overseas and ationally in his father’s developmental league, honing his skills and parlaying that to a Third Overall Pick in the 2020 Draft.  Many predicted that LaMelo would become the best in the family, and early in his career, that appears to be the case.

Ball started the 2020-21 Season on the bench, but the Hornets gave him more time and the starting position at Point Guard by mid-season.  Ball won the Rookie of the Year, averaging 15.7 Points and 6.1 Assists per Game.  He progressed as a sophomore, representing Charlotte in the All-Star Game, averaging 20.1 Points per Game and finishing in the top in Assists (7.6) and Steals (1.6) per Game.  Ball was injured for most of the 2022-23 Season, and last year, but was electric when he played.

If the Hornets can hold on to Ball for a decade, he should make the top of this list; that is providing he stays healthy.