The Charlotte Hornets have actually been good this season. Normally by March, we’ve dissected and digested every mock draft and are looking for any avenue of player development in the hopes that one day the team will be good. Well the team is good now, so we’ve kind of collectively forgotten about the lottery and the developmental prospects.
While this heavenly turnaround has been happening, the Hornets G League affiliate has quietly turned into a juggernaut. The Greensboro Swarm are 21-9 in the regular season with the best point differential in the G League. They are the first and so far only team to clinch a postseason berth. Between the regular season and the tip-off tournament, they have the third best offensive ratin, sixth best defensive rating, and second best net rating in the league. They are dominant on the boards, just like the big boy club. They lead the G League in rebound percentage.
Unsurprisingly, the NBA players that have been sent down on assignment have generally led the team when they’re there, but Keyontae Johnson actually leads the team in scoring. He’s been a part of the organization for a while, first signing on during the 2024 preseason. Tidjane Salaun, Liam McNeeley, Antonio Reeves, PJ Hall, and Tosan Evbuomwan have all averaged at least 16 points per game in their appearances. Jaylen Sims, whose been with the Swarm since 2022 and is the team’s all time leading scorer, averaged 16.9 points per game alongside Johnson as one of the regular players.
While having a winning G League title on its own isn’t exactly high on any organization’s priority list, it’s definitely better than having a terrible G League team. It’s the second straight year that the Swarm have been competitive, which coincides with the arrival of new ownership and the new front office. Prior to that, the Swarm had one mediocre season and the rest terrible seasons in their eight seasons of existence. It’s emblematic of an organizational shift and the genuine commitment the people have in charge to winning in every which way they can.
We’d become used to summer league teams that were punishing watches and [Swarm teams that had no promising prospects or signs of potential](https://atthehive.com/2023/12/08/the-greensboro-swarm-are-a-representation-of-the-failings-of-the-charlotte-hornets-front-office/). Those pieces of organizational development were clearly afterthoughts and received little to no attention beyond the bare minimum. Now they’re a seen as a key part of the team’s development, and that investment is paying off immediately. We already have the Summer League champions. Now the Swarm are a threat to win the G League title. And after that? The Charlotte Hornets have no choice but to become NBA champions.
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