Mar 28, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) controls the ball against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Charlote Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. has a couple of words for critics

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 5:28 PM ET

The Charlotte Hornets have a lot of young guards on their roster right now, including Nick Smith Jr. He was one of the young players who were able to get a lot of playing time last season.

Once LaMelo Ball went down, that opened up more playing time for Smith Jr. He played in 60 games, averaging 22.8 minutes per game, but next season, his role could diminish - that's if he's still on the roster.

Charlotte has brought in several new guards this offseason, such as Collin Sexton, Pat Connaughton, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Kon Knueppel. They all could cut into his playing time or perhaps trigger a trade.b

Still, Smith Jr. is very confident in his abilities. He posted a message on social media to all of his critics and haters.

stay sleep… https://t.co/IhEpacPKer
— Nick Smith Jr (@lif3nick) July 7, 2025

Smith Jr. believes that he is only going to get better as the years pass. He has struggled with his shot in his first two years, though, only hitting 39.1 percent of his attempts.

If he wants to find more playing time, he is going to have to find a way to be more efficient on the offensive end of the court. He can create his own shot, but they haven't been falling yet.

The Hornets are trying to get into a position where they are not playing meaningless basketball later in the year on an annual basis. Smith wants to let everyone know that he is part of that brighter future.

The former 2023 first-round draft pick is confident that he belongs in Charlotte's rotation heading into next season.