The Charlotte Hornets have inched up one spot in ESPN’s latest NBA power rankings, moving from 29th to 28th. The team currently has a 9-28 record for the 2024-25 season, sitting in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, and has a 2-3 record in January.

Their upcoming games include a road trip to Chicago on January 17th, a one-game homestand against the Dallas Mavericks on January 20th, and the out to Memphis on the 22nd before a nine-game homestand riding into the All-Star break.

Third-year center Mark Williams recently demonstrated his impact with an impressive performance against the Phoenix Suns, scoring 24 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and going 9-12 (75%) from the field despite the team’s 120-113 road loss. Last night, he posted 31 points and 13 boards in the win over Utah.

Since returning from injury in December, the 23-year-old has averaged 14.2 points per game, 8.6 rebounds, and is shooting 65.6 percent from the field.

The Hornets have won two of their last three games and nearly had a season sweep of the Suns, demonstrating that they are capable of achieving positive results even during this rebuilding phase.

Charlotte recently had back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers postponed due to the recent effects of the wildfires in Southern California.

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Spread & over/under predictions: Charlotte Hornets at Utah Jazz