The Charlotte Hornets are suddenly in the mix for a spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, and their resurgence in the standings have been a collective effort from the stars to the coaching staff. On the court, however, LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller have been leading the charge for the Hornets.

Since January 3rd, the Hornets have won the most games in the NBA at 18 and have been the fourth winningest team in the NBA with their 18-8 record, trailing only the Detroit Pistons (18-5), San Antonio Spurs (18-7), and Cleveland Cavaliers (17-7).

Since the start of January, LaMelo Ball (99), Kon Knueppel (92), and Brandon Miller (90) rank first, second, and third in total three-pointers made in the NBA, signifying just how dominant the three players have been for the Hornets.

Additionally, the Charlotte Hornets are 17-2 this season with this starting five of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate. In the 270 minutes these five players have shared the floor this season, the Hornets have a 137.0 offensive rating and a 106.5 defensive rating, meaning they've outscored opponents by 30.5 points per 100 possessions.

This includes wins over Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Denver Nuggets. Charlotte is also presently the last team to beat the Spurs, who went 11-0 in the month of February.

Article Continues Below

The Hornets' only two losses with this starting five have come against the Detroit Pistons by six points and the LA Clippers by eight points.

Entering March, the Hornets have the 12th toughest remaining strength of schedule with an average opponent winning percentage of .502. Some of their most difficult games remaining include three games against the Boston Celtics, two games against the New York Knicks, one game against the Detroit Pistons, and one game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Brnadon Miller is the Hornets scoring leader, averaging 20.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from three.

Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists for Charlotte while shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from three, and 89.8 percent from the free throw line.

LaMelo Ball is also averaging 19.4 points to go along with his 4.8 rebounds and team-high 73 assists per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three.