After the Charlotte Hornets extended their winning streak to six following a 118-89 victory against the Boston Celtics, head coach Charles Lee may have reminded Philadelphia 76ers fans of their old “trust the process” slogan. Injuries have been a consistent hurdle for the Hornets, which has limited their growth in the past. With a young team like Charlotte's, one could draw some parallels to the young, promising 76ers of nearly a decade ago.

Lee says health restricted the Hornets' potential, which is now blooming this season, amid the team's playoff potential that has bumped its record beyond .500 to 32-31, he said, per the Charlotte Observer's Roderick Boone.

“It’s been cool to have a healthy roster,” Lee said. “That has definitely played into some of the shifts that we’ve had going along. But I think that our guys have just embraced the process even more. It started in the offseason. I thought everyone elevated their work habits, their work standards, and their togetherness in how we can elevate each other. We’ve gotten stronger through all of it.”

For Hornets center Moussa Diabate, beating the Celtics, who are second in the Eastern Conference standings, is an impressive accomplishment for a young team, but it's also a testament to how much the Hornets have improved.

“They [Celtics] are a great team, we also believe we are a great team,” Diabate said, per Boone. “At the end of the day, we are not trying to focus too much on them. Obviously, we want to win the game, but it’s going to take care of itself if we focus on what we have to do. For us, it’s a great thing, it’s a great message to the league as well — understand that the Hornets are here.”

Amidst a six-game winning streak, Charles Lee and the Hornets have won seven of their last 10 games.

ESPN analyst's warning about the Hornets' recent surge

Hornets head coach Charles Lee huddles his team during an official review during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Spectrum Center
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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One could argue this is the most exciting time to be a Hornets fan since the 1990s, as head coach Charles Lee has led his team to a 32-31 record that few expected ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. With only 19 games left in the regular season, the Hornets are surging at an ideal time, which could make them a tough first-round opponent in the playoffs, as Alan Hahn pointed out, per ESPN's Get Up.

“A dragon slayer hiding in plain sight. They're in the play-in right now. They're the 9th seed. They're finally at .500 for the first time, I think, since Grandmama and Muggsy Bogues. We have not seen them play like this for a long time, but they are that team with this offense, and a defense, by the way, that over these 20 games is top 3,” Hahn said.

The Hornets' well-balanced attack on both ends of the floor makes them a difficult matchup for top Eastern Conference teams.

“They’re not only playing great offense, they’re playing great defense too,” Hahn added. “They are that team that, if you're a contender, if you're a high seed, a number 1, number 2, or number 3, and you have to face them in the first round, you don't want to because they are the unknown and they can also play free.”

The Hornets will look to extend their winning streak to seven when they host the Heat on Friday.