In the first post-all-star break edition of the NBA power rankings, which was released on Monday, the Charlotte Hornets jumped a massive 2 spots, from 29th to 27th. They begin this ascent following their season’s first three-game winning streak.
The Hornets had been trailing the Wizards and Pistons, but this week John Schuhmann, who puts up the weekly rankings for NBA.com, shot the Hornets to victory. It’s good to see the club rise above the Eastern Conference cellar and to receive some recognition for their recent play.
The fact that Charlotte is on their first three-game winning streak of the season and is only winning consecutive games twice, speaks something about how bad their season has been. Although ranking 27th may not seem like much, it is a slight increase.
I could even see the club moving up and above 25th-place Memphis and 26th-place Portland in not too long with a few more victories and competitive play.The Hornets could have already passed the Blazers given their current six-game losing streak. Despite having a small roster, the Grizzlies never give up and continue to win games; yet, prior to their current two-game winning streak, they had lost eight straight.The Hornets would be facing teams like the Raptors (ranked 24th), Nets (ranked 23rd), and Hawks (ranked 22nd) who are all fighting for a berth in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament if they were to catch those two.
The Hornets are now ranked 28th, 29th, and 30th, respectively, with the San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons, who have been there for the majority of the season, the only teams behind them. Detroit’s 8-46 record is the poorest in the league.
