Charlotte Hornets positives from Summer League
After four straight losses in Summer League play, the Charlotte Hornets are bottom-five (among 30 teams) in points, assists and field-goal percentage. Despite the lackluster performance, Charlotte can draw some positives from its showing.
Brandon Miller has upside. In his three Summer League games, the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft averaged 17.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists and consistently looked like the most talented player on the floor (even when facing the No. 1 overall pick). His shooting splits were less than ideal, but that's nothing new for young players in Summer League play.
During his 26-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers, his college coach, Nate Oats, referred to Miller as a two-guard next to LaMelo Ball. That's a big contrast to the stretch-four position that he's been put in so far during Summer League.
"It's a big backcourt." said Oats, "LaMelo's obviously got a lot of size at point guard, Brandon's got a ton of size at two-guard. They could be great defensively."
James Bouknight might get cut. The third-year player has struggled. While he did play his best game on Thursday, scoring 28 points, Bouknight's shooting percentage and shot selection are cause for concern.
Drafted by Charlotte No. 11 in 2021, Bouknight is a ball-dominant, volume-shooting guard. The offense has stagnated stagnated due to his ill-advised shot-taking. His off-court issues may be even more reason to move off from the streaky shooter.
Nick Smith Jr. can be a reliable part of the rotation this season. He scored a franchise-high 33 points for the Summer League against the Portland Trail Blazers, Smith Jr. is clearly more of a shooting guard/secondary ball-handler, but with a solid mid-range game and natural offensive prowess, the rookie out of UCLA could have a C.J. McCollum-like ceiling.
James Nnaji is raw but shows potential as a rebounder and rim protector. The 6-foot-11 center, who played for FC Barcelona of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague, is still new to the sport. The Nigerian native played soccer growing up and didn't start playing basketball until he was 15, learning the game from YouTube compilations of standout NBA big men.
With Kai Jones shut down for the rest of the summer, Nnaji has set fortress-like screens during the Summer League and has had the opportunity to show off his dominance on the glass.
Selected at pick No. 31 in the second round last month, Nnaju is clearly a project, but a shot-blocking rebounder is a valuable asset, especially considering he won't even turn 19 until August.
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