It is far from breaking news that the 2024-25 season will be one of transition for the Charlotte Hornets. With a new general manager in Jeff Peterson and new head coach in Charles Lee, we have just gotten a first look at the habits and lines of thinking from the team’s new leadership during the preseason.
Now as we embark on the season with an Oct. 23 opener in Houston, we’ve seen plenty to be intrigued by throughout the preseason, including better than expected performances from rookie Tidjane Salaün and recent acquisition Tre Mann.
For Peterson, that’s the type of growth that he and the team’s coaches will be prioritizing and looking to cultivate all season long.
“We take pride in player development,” Peterson said during Media Day on Oct. 1. “Guys have got to get better. I don’t care if it’s Tidjane or Taj Gibson. There’s something they can get better at and we can all get better at, so we’re really excited about that. We just want to focus on what
we can control. We’re very process-oriented and our belief is that the result will take care of itself, but we’ve got to control what we can on a daily basis.”
As for Lee, he addressed some of the lessons he took from his previous two jobs in Milwaukee and Boston, both of which included championship seasons.
He insisted that the top thing he learned during those seasons was that you can’t get bored with the process.
“Falling in love with the everyday grind and embracing some of the challenges an NBA season brings about,” Lee told reporters. “A lot of people will face some of the adversity that comes with injuries or not shooting the ball well and they’ll take the easy route out and come up with excuses. With all of the changes that have gone on here, we are resilient. We’re going to figure it out, and we’re going to have the mindset that we’re not going to make excuses and we’re just going to continue to make progress, whether it’s small wins or big wins. We will take any win, any step we can take in the right direction.”
Lee expressed his goal to emphasize defense and 3-point shooting, something that we saw play out during a preseason in which nearly half of the Hornets’ shots were from 3-point range. That was the recipe in Boston, where Lee won his most recent NBA title as an assistant head coach.
But even with new blood in the front office and on the sidelines, a team is nothing without its players. Considering that many consider the Hornets to be one of the bottom-feeders in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets have a couple of marquee names and plenty of true talent on the roster.
In the end, whatever results we see will come at the hands of the 18 guys on the roster. So let’s talk about what we should expect.
LaMelo Ball has to stay on the court
It all starts with Ball. Since receiving a five-year contract extension last June, he’s been getting paid like a superstar, so it’s time to step up and start to lead like one, too.
A big part of that equation includes staying on the court, which he hasn’t been able to do thanks to injuries. He played just 22 games last year before yet another ankle injury sidelined him.
Peterson called Ball one of the best playmakers in the NBA, adding that he needs to step up on the defensive end more often this year.
Lee said he’s impressed with the joy that Ball brings to the court, and the goal this year will be to help him capitalize on that passion by building the proper habits.
“He has this infectious personality when he comes into a building,” the new head coach said. “Even the way he plays the game of basketball, he brings everyone together with his playmaking, so now we just have to make sure those efforts competitively are happening defensively and offensively on a night in and night out basis.”
As for Ball’s expectation for himself, he was straightforward and succinct on Media Day: “Pretty much to go out there and stay healthy.”
Of course, his health is the most important element, but there has to be more. Does his game elevate the team and make other players better? That’s what a max contract player should do.
I need to see more from him this season. I hoped to hear him say that he wants to be an All-Star and that the team is ready to surprise everyone this year. He will need to challenge himself and be held accountable for those challenges if he is to take his game to the next level.
Brandon Miller has to show his rookie season was just the beginning
Brandon Miller is the key to me for just how good the Hornets can be this year. When the crowd booed Charlotte’s No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, I said it was the right move and that proved to be true.
Miller became the fifth rookie in NBA history to average at least 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers per game in a single season, joining the legendary likes of Anthony Edwards, Luka Dončić, Steph Curry and Allen Iverson.
Miller is just beginning to touch his potential, and I believe he’ll reach All-NBA at some point. Peterson agrees, emphasizing the fact that Miller does too.
“We have expectations for Brandon, but more importantly, he has expectations for himself,” the GM said. “He’s so competitive … He’s a very good player now (but) he has got a lot of room for improvement. The sky’s the limit for him. I don’t necessarily want to put a limit or a cap on him. He’s going to be as good as he wants to be.”
I asked Miller if stepping out of his rookie role and into his second season means learning to be more of a leader.
“I think that was one of the things I had to learn last year, being a young leader,” he responded. “I have my teammates to back me up to help me be a young leader. I know they’re going to have my back. I’m going to have theirs of course.”
When I hear those words from Miller, I don’t question them. I think he’s the best player on the Hornets, even if he doesn’t know it yet.
Charlotte is a deeper team this year
On paper, the Charlotte Hornets are a much better team than they were heading into last season. The trades they made at last year’s deadline — adding Charlotte natives Grant Williams and Seth Curry as well as Tre Mann and Vasilije Micic — give them much more depth.
Mann has looked great in the preseason. He’s aggressively looking for his shot and attacking the basket.
Entering his fourth year in The League, Mann doesn’t look afraid out there, and based on what he told us on Media Day, has something to prove this year.
“I think I played okay last year after the trade deadline, but I don’t think I truly showed what I’m capable of,” he said. “I think with this training camp, I can go out there and show what I’m truly capable of and bring it into the season.”
First mission accomplished, as Mann averaged 29 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per 36 minutes during the preseason, shooting 60% from the field and 47.1% from 3-point range.
Charlotte has a packed backcourt with Ball, Mann, Micic, Curry, new offseason pick-up Josh Green, and Nick Smith Jr.
Miller might also play shooting guard, though I see him as more of a wing. It’s going to be a fight to get minutes for some of this group.
In the frontcourt, aside from Miller, you have Miles Bridges, Williams, Cody Martin, Taj Gibson and Salaün. The men in the middle are Nick Richards and Mark Williams, who missed the preseason with a strained tendon in his left foot.
Williams’ health will be key if the Hornets are to play the kind of defense Lee wants to see this year.
Was Tidjane Salaün a coup for the Hornets?
Peterson was high on Salaün when he selected him on draft night in June. Before preseason started, Peterson praised his work ethic in the weight room and on the court.
“That’s the beautiful thing about him; you don’t have to ask him to go to the gym and put the time in,” the GM said. He’s very coachable and he’s detail-oriented … I think he’s going to be good. It will take some time. Everyone’s developmental curve is different, so it might take rookies a little extra time, but he has all the ingredients to be a really good player.”
Peterson is higher on Salaun than I am. He’s been effective from the 3-point line in the preseason, but I question his athleticism and other aspects of his game. His ball handling needs a lot of work.
Coaches have touted his defensive potential, but he averaged just 0.2 blocks per game last season in France, continuing with the same rate in five preseason games. When I asked him about it, he acknowledged that previously he had been simply contesting shots by raising his arms while he is now learning to block more proactively by using his length.
For Peterson’s part, he’s been impressed with Salaun’s play. “Every single play, he’s an urgent competitor, especially on the defensive end. He’s flying around, he’s athletic, so he can alter shots. He’s getting loose possessions, creating deflections.”
I’m hoping the Hornets didn’t make a mistake in passing up Matas Buzelis, whom the Chicago Bulls drafted at No. 11. I watched Buzelis play in the Vegas Summer League and have seen highlights of him in the preseason; he appears far more athletic and like the player Peterson is describing. It will be interesting to see how their careers progress.
What does the future hold?
For the Hornets, the question now is whether the future is more important than the present. Just how important is winning this year? They’ve indicated that they’re looking for progress and will savor the “little wins.”
Too many wins, however, and they’ll be pushed out of the lottery, which means they’ll have to hand over their protected first-round pick to San Antonio next year in a draft that’s considered loaded near the top.
We could see the selling off of veterans at the deadline depending on where the team is at that point, and health remains a major issue with this roster that makes everything much more difficult to predict or plan for.
In the end, this team should improve on last year’s 21-61 record, but just how much depends on a number of factors. I think they will miss the playoffs and keep that first-round pick.
While Peterson and Lee will be checking for continued growth throughout the season, insisting that’s the top priority, there’s always that potential for a surprise run, and I don’t think anyone would complain if the growth were to bring success earlier than planned.
