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Sion James has been everything the Charlotte Hornets need and more

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 11:12 AM ET

When the Charlotte Hornets made four selections in the 2025 NBA Draft, three players garnered the majority of the headlines.

Kon Knueppel, the highly touted fourth overall pick who entered the national hoops consciousness playing alongside Cooper Flagg at Duke; Liam McNeeley, the former top-ten high school recruit who starred at a blue blood program in UConn; and Ryan Kalkbrenner, the four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year who many believed would play a factor in Charlotte's center rotation on day one.

Buried on the marquee was the selection of Sion James at number 33 overall. The 22-year-old, fifth-year senior who made his mark on defense in college wasn't the sexiest draft selection, but the style James plays can be the backbone of a championship-level defense and the Hornets have quickly reaped the benefits of using that second-round pick on James.

In just two games in the NBA, Sion James has proven that he belongs. The rookie swingman didn't play a ton of minutes in the preseason, and in retrospect, that decision looks like Charles Lee was just playing his cards close to his chest, waiting to reveal his ace in the hole.

James is already an impact defender on a team that doesn't employ many, if any, true stoppers.

What Charlotte has in terms of offensive firepower in their back court, they lack on the other end of the floor. None of LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Kon Knueppel, or Tre Mann can be relied on to slow down opposing guards while still carrying their load on offense, which is why Sion has been a god send to Charlotte early in the season.

Sion James continues to impress.

Charles Lee and the Hornets coaching staff entrusting him with these minutes is a testament to his work ethic and intangibles on both sides of the ball.

At a certain point, always being in the right place is no longer luck, but a skill.
— Jeremy Grandison (@JeremyGrandiso1) October 26, 2025

Sion's ability to mirror guards is exactly what these Hornets need him to do. He plays with impressive physicality, hitting opposing ball handlers first within the roles of engagement on the perimeter. Any scoring punch James provides Charlotte is a boost to an already talented unit, but James has proven ready to contribute on offense too.

He is far from flashy when Charlotte possesses the ball, but James is adept at keeping the train moving with quick decisions with the ball. All he needs to do is finish the plays created for him, which he did wonderfully in Saturday night's loss to the Sixers.

Two games is far too small of a sample size to project this level of statistical impact long term, but Charlotte's net rating is already +11.9 when Sion is on the court. Sion James it the type of winning player that the Oklahoma City Thunder's bench is filled with, and through games, it looks like Charlotte found another long-term contributor in the second-round of this year's draft.