The Hornets have simply been the hottest team in the NBA since the calendar hit 2026, and there’s no sign of slowing down anytime soon. The Hornets have a 21-9 record since January first of this year.

The latest win was maybe the best win any team has had this season, landing in Boston at 5:00am, and then on the same night beating the Celtics 118-89 at TD Garden. It was a flawless performance; the Hornets led from bell to bell and never let the Celtics get any sort of rhythm going.

The most impressive part of Charlotte’s dominant victory was how disciplined and aggressive the Hornets were on defense; they made everyone’s life, except Derick White’s, extremely difficult on offense. The Hornets won the steals battle by far, recording 10 steals to the Celtics’ one.

What Has Made Charlotte So Impressive During This Stretch?

The offensive explosion has made all the headlines, with a league-leading offensive rating of 120.8 since New Year's Day. But one aspect that most thought wouldn’t come along so quickly was the defense and rebounding.

Starting with the boards, the Hornets have the No. 1 defensive rebounding percentage and the No. 2 offensive rebounding percentage, translation, the Hornets are the best rebounding team in the NBA in 2026. Another sentence no one would have taken seriously in December.

This rebound that Charlotte has made has been extraordinary: starting the season 4-14, with one of the worst defenses in the NBA, and now having a top-five defense in the NBA. In 2026, the Hornets have wins over the OKC Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and more teams who are firmly in the playoffs.

Charles Lee Deserves Some Coach Of the Year Consideration

Normally, with such a drastic turnaround like this, Charles Lee would maybe be a lock for Coach of the Year, but other coaches like Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff and San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson will also warrant heavy consideration due to their success.

Lee’s case is there, though; even other coaches around the league think so, including the Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who said he thinks Lee should be the Coach of the Year before Dallas lost to Charlotte on the road.

The wins are one thing, but the culture that Charles Lee has instilled in this Hornets team is special. There's a different energy when watching them, not only on the court but in the locker room and in how they speak after games.

There’s a perfect mixture of maturity and the same joy and freedom that Charlotte plays with on a nightly basis. It’s also super impressive to see this shift when the Hornets are still the youngest team in the NBA.

2026 has been a dream that Hornets fans have waited for since the 1990s, and with 19 games left in the season, there’s still even more room to grow and move up in the standings. Charlotte still has a legit chance to reach as high as the six seed in the Eastern Conference.

Final Thoughts

2026 has been a dream that Hornets fans have waited for since the 1990s, and with 19 games left in the season, there’s still even more room to grow, and room to move up in the standings. Charlotte still has a legit chance to reach as high as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.