Hornets and Heartbreak - The Charlotte Hornets Podcast

Mark Biernacki and Tim Rogers
  • 4.8 (55)
  • Basketball
  • Updated Biweekly

A Charlotte Hornets podcast hosted by two lifelong fans since 2020. We deliver brutally honest analysis, game breakdowns, and weekly reactions to everything Hornets basketball. New episodes every Wednesday Morning.  If you're a Charlotte Hornets fan looking for real, unfiltered Hornets talk, this podcast is for you.

Episodes

  1. Apr 16

    EP 170: THE HORNETS BEAT THE HEAT AND ADVANCE!!

    Hornets and Heartbreak - The Charlotte Hornets Podcast

    32 min

  2. Apr 14

    EP 169: The 2026 Horney Awards Show

    one of the most fun Hornets seasons we’ve ever had. We open with a play-in preview against the Miami Heat. Miami took the season series 3-1, has the more proven playoff infrastructure, and has broken Hornets fans’ hearts before. But does Charlotte have the better roster this time around? And with both of us heading to the game, how are we feeling about the matchup? Then, we give out awards for MVP, Most Improved, Best Newcomer, Most Heartbreaking, Best Moment, Love of the Week, and Heartbreak of the Week. We talk LaMelo Ball’s superstar season, Brandon Miller’s efficiency jump, Moussa Diabate’s impact, Kalk’s ridiculous finishing and shot blocking, Kon Kneuppel’s huge year despite his recent shooting slump, and why Tre Mann and Tidjane Salaün left us feeling the most conflicted. New episodes every Wednesday.

    52 min

  3. Mar 31

    EP 168: Too many Threes, Too Much LaMelo?

    We break down what, if anything, has gone wrong for the Hornets lately, starting with a closer look at Charlotte’s heavy reliance on the three-point shot. Even though the Hornets rank near the top of the league in both three-point attempts and makes, we explain how that kind of shot profile can create more variance and make the offense feel unstable when the looks stop falling. We also dig into LaMelo Ball’s recent play, focusing on shot selection and overall offensive balance. The  Hornets have generally been better when he takes fewer shots, and over the last 12 games his shot attempts have gone up while his assists have dipped. It is not a panic segment, especially with Charlotte still going 7-5 over that stretch, but it is a real conversation about whether the offense has gotten a little too LaMelo-heavy. We also touch on the growing number of people on the LaMelo bandwagon. Later, we check in on the standings, with the Hornets sitting at 39-36 alongside the Heat while the Magic continue to stumble as well. Charlotte has had some tough losses, but so have everyone else in the race, and the 8 seed is still right there for the taking. To close the show, we hand out Love of the Week to Liam McNeeley after his 10 points in 11 minutes and make the case that the calls for more of his minutes may have been right all along. We also give Love of the Week to Kon Knueppel for his performance in the Knicks game, which might have been his best game of the year. Follow us on Instagram and X @hornetspodcast  New Episodes Every Wednesday

    33 min

  4. Mar 25

    EP 167: Are These the Best Hornets Vibes Ever?

    Mark and Tim are back to talk about one of the most fun stretches of Hornets basketball in years, opening with Charlotte blowing out the Kings. They get into the Hornets’ recent surge, the standings-watch angle with teams around them slipping, and discuss realistic outcomes for the last ten games.  Later, they dive into the main segment by ranking the best late-March vibes teams in Hornets history, comparing this current squad to some of the franchise’s most beloved teams, including the 2021-2022 LaMelo Ball all-star team, the 2013-14 Al Jefferson run and the 2015-16 Kemba Walker-led team. They also talk through just how impressive Charlotte’s point differential has been and what makes this group feel worthy of being mentioned alongside some of the best-feeling Hornets teams ever. To close the show, Mark and Tim hit a handful of Hornets notes and side topics, including LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller making team history with Player of the Week honors in the same season, a look back at past Hornets weekly award winners, thoughts on Liam McNeeley and Sion James, and one more confused discussion about the Xavier Tillman move. Follow us on Instagram and X @hornetspodcast New episodes every Wednesday

    44 min

  5. Mar 19

    EP 166: Listener Mailbag! How can the Hornets get Better?

    Mark records this one solo and breaks down the Hornets’ fun win over the Heat, including a vintage LaMelo Ball performance with 30 points and 13 assists and more encouraging signs from Charlotte’s young core. He also digs into a big-picture roster question: are the Hornets set at center with Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner, and is power forward the spot that needs more attention moving forward? Later, Mark answers listener questions on possible rotation changes, why Sion James may be the weak link in the current 10-man group, and whether players like Liam McNeeley may deserve a bigger opportunity. He also gets into the always-heated Brandon Miller vs. Scoot Henderson debate, including how many first-round picks Portland would have to attach to Scoot in a hypothetical Miller trade. To close the show, Mark shares a new Love of the Week and Heartbreak of the Week, reacts to poll results from Hornets fans, and heads to Media Corner with stories from Serbian basketball culture, a Red Star vs. Partizan rivalry moment, and a great Belgrade pickup story that somehow turns into a Kemba Walker and Vasilije Micić crossover. Follow us on Instagram and X @hornetspodcast New episodes every Wednesday

    26 min

  6. Mar 11

    EP 165: What’s Gone Wrong in These Hornets Losses

    We react to the Hornets’ incredible comeback win over the Trail Blazers and break down the biggest takeaways from the game. We also revisit the two losses from the past week, focusing on LaMelo Ball’s inconsistency, Miles Bridges’ shooting slump, and a question that might spark some debate: are we really sure Coby White is better than Collin Sexton? Tune in for all that and more. Check us out on Instagram and Twitter @hornetspodcast Tune in every Wednesday!

    36 min

  7. Mar 4

    EP 164: Breaking Down the Wildest Hornets Stats of the Season

    The Hornets are back to .500 in March for the first time since 2022 In this episode, we break down the past 3 games including Brandon Miller vs. Scoot Henderson and last night's win against Dallas. Then we dive into the craziest Hornets stats of the season — from wild shooting numbers to lineup data and league-wide rankings that show just how unusual this team’s season has been. To support the shot, follow us on X and Twitter @hornetspodcast, or leave us a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

    35 min

  8. Feb 25

    EP 163: The Case for Kon Knueppel Over Cooper Flagg

    In this episode, we break down the Hornets’ last four games, including major third-quarter swings, LaMelo Ball’s hot shooting stretch, and what these performances might mean going forward. Then, we shift to the rookie conversation and evaluate Kon Knueppel’s case compared to Cooper Flagg. We look at Kon’s scoring, efficiency, and historical impact and why he deserves the Rookie of the Year award. Follow us on Instagram and X @hornetspodcast New episodes every Wednesday

    35 min

  9. Feb 18

    EP 162: Ranking the Biggest Improvers on the Charlotte Hornets

    In this episode, we rank the biggest individual improvements from last season and debate who’s taken the biggest leap. Is Brandon Miller ahead of schedule?Is Moussa Diabate already the best Hornets center of the past decade? Has Miles Bridges quietly elevated his game?And is LaMelo Ball actually playing better, even if the stats say otherwise?Follow us on Instagram and X @hornetspodcast New episodes every Wednesday

    47 min
  • 9 Episodes

4.8
out of 5
55 Ratings

About

A Charlotte Hornets podcast hosted by two lifelong fans since 2020. We deliver brutally honest analysis, game breakdowns, and weekly reactions to everything Hornets basketball. New episodes every Wednesday Morning.  If you're a Charlotte Hornets fan looking for real, unfiltered Hornets talk, this podcast is for you.

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