3 burning questions on the eve of Charlotte Hornets media day

Rejoice, Carolina Panthers fans. Basketball season is nigh.

Two months have elapsed since the Charlotte Hornets lifted the NBA Summer League trophy in Las Vegas and the band is back together as Charles Lee and company set their sights on the 2025-26 NBA season. On Monday, September 29th, the players, coaches, and local media will convene in Uptown to share thoughts ahead of a pivotal campaign in the Queen City.

Here are three things I'm hoping to find out on Monday.

What is the plan at center?

Miles Plumlee. Moussa Diabate. Ryan Kalkbrenner.

Three centers. Three completely different basketball players.

As of now, it seems as if Diabate is in pole position to get the start on opening night against Brooklyn. The energetic big man showed flashes of brilliance in his minutes last season, and as the only incumbent center on the roster, Diabate has a leg up on Plumlee and Kalkbrenner.

However, pole position doesn't always convert to victory.

There is a chance that Lee will value Plumlee's larger frame and the steady play that the veteran can provide as an anchor on both ends of the floor. There is also a chance that Lee will start Kalkbrenner to get a read on the talented rookie's prospects early in his NBA career.

Three names are written into the Hornets' starting five with permanent ink: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges. It's game on for the other two with all eyes on the center position.

What does Peterson need to see to 'cash in' his chips?

Peterson's comments in Hornets Reel Access got some serious burn this summer.

In summary, Charlotte's lead decision maker preached patience in the team's rebuild, but hedged that statement with reassurance that when the moment is right to make a franchise-altering move for an All Star-caliber talent, Peterson will strike.

Well, when will that moment be?

I'm curious to know what milestones or markers Peterson will need to see in order to swing that move. Is it a win total? Is it the ascension or re-ascension of Miller or Ball to the All-Star game? Is it rapid development of one of the four rookies?

Peterson will likely play his cards close to his chest on Monday, but there is hope that his poker face cracks a bit when asked about the franchise's future.

Will we see Liam McNeeley early in the season?

McNeeley put on a show in Vegas, quickly proving that his potential outweighs his draft capital (29th overall).

The former top-ten high school recruit was tailormade for the modern NBA with his slick combination of shooting, playmaking, and rebounding, but the path to McNeeley playing minutes from the jump of his NBA career is littered with talented obstacles.

His best position is at small forward where he'll be battling Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, and Josh Green (when healthy) for minutes. Unless, Lee and his staff see Knueppel as the back-up shooting guard and Charlotte decides to run out a bench unit that includes Tre Mann, Kon Knueppel, McNeeley, Tidjane Salaun, and one of the three centers.

The Hornets have long-needed a player like McNeeley (and Knueppel, for that matter) to run the wing alongside their mercurial point guard. LaMelo can get the best out of players that stretch defenses to their limits with knockdown three-point shooting, and both McNeeley and Knueppel can be trusted to get the ball back to LaMelo when the defense bends to their spacing.

The NBA is a sink-or-swim league for young players, but in order to find out if they can tread water, they have to be thrown into the pool. Ideally McNeeley will get serious minutes early in the season alongside some of Charlotte's key veterans to prove that his Summer League performance can translate to the regular season.

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