Three guys to keep an eye on in the Hornets preseason

In October, the five preseason games for the Charlotte Hornets were announced. This indicates that it will be roughly two months before this youthful team plays. With the new coaching staff and front office leadership, there is increased optimism following a few new additions made throughout the offseason and draft. Since assuming their roles, Jeff Peterson and Charles Lee have been very busy. Naturally, the players ought to be as well. A few things to keep an eye on throughout the preseason games are listed below, particularly for young Hornets like Nick Smith Jr. and Mark Williams.

Nick Smith Jr. is the only Hornets second-year player projected to make a big difference, aside from Brandon Miller. In the 2023–24 season, he participated in 51 games and scored 5.9 points per contest on average. He was a nice scoring punch off the bench in spurts when he was part of the regular rotation. In his rookie campaign, he was able to create for himself and hit 43% from three-point range.

It is possible to penetrate defenses and penetrate into the paint. In the regular season, he might play as a sixth man if he performs well in brief preseason appearances.

Tidjane Salaun was chosen by the Hornets with the sixth overall choice in the 2024 NBA Draft. He displayed some of his versatility in Summer League. Runs the floor and may be able to guard several positions defensively. More than anything, his quickness and 6-foot-10 stature are striking. Although the outside shot still needs improvement, there may be more potential between the play in Vegas and his first preseason game.

It will help younger people develop to play with more talented players around him. Thus, he might be able to develop new aspects of his game by spending some time with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and other players. In order to obtain more possibilities, Salaun might spend some time with Greensboro in the G-League. Nevertheless, he will improve his game during the preseason before the season begins.

LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams both participated in a limited number of games during the 2023–24 campaign; Ball made appearances in 22 and Williams in 19. With Ball, at least, we had the opportunity to watch him warm up prior to games all season long. Williams, who hasn’t participated in a game since December due to a bothersome lower back ailment, can’t say the same. Thus, the most crucial thing to keep an eye on will be to see how mobile he is.

Williams will continue to be a crucial component of this youthful core. It is still crucial to have a center who can both score around the basket and patrol the paint defensively. Williams shot 63% from the field in his rookie season, so he did that pretty well. Sadly, in two seasons, he has only made 62 appearances. I’m hoping he can maintain his health for the upcoming third year.

For returning players, the preseason should be an excellent time to adjust to whatever new system Charles Lee is putting together. It will be fascinating to watch how much Ball, Miller, and some of the other players we anticipate starting get played by the first-year head coach. The guys who are vying for rotation places and who will probably see the court more are those other new additions.