Christian Anderson did not need long to announce himself in Charlotte’s preseason debut against Boston.
A little more than six minutes after checking in at TD Garden, the Hornets’ 2026 first-round pick had already flashed the kind of poise that gets noticed fast. He entered with 6:48 left in the first quarter as the first man off Charlotte’s bench, knocked down an 18-foot jumper to snap a three-and-a-half minute field goal drought, then followed with his first 3-pointer. Before the opening quarter ended, he buried another.
By the time the horn sounded, Anderson had eight points on a flawless 3-for-3 start, including both triples. He finished with 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting in Charlotte’s 114-93 loss to the Celtics, but the scoreline wasn’t the main takeaway from his night. The rookie’s first run in an NBA game gave the Hornets one of the clearest bright spots of the evening.
His showing lined up with the confidence head coach Charles Lee has already built around him in camp.
"He's been really impressive throughout training camp," Lee said before Wednesday's game.
"Defensively, he's been a pest in practice, trying to impact the ball early and do as much as he can, knowing he's giving up a bit of size," Lee continued.
Lee has also liked what he’s seen on the other end of the floor, especially how Anderson is learning to steer an NBA offense from the point guard spot.
"Offensively, every day, he finds ways to be a little more aggressive. As the point guard of the team, he understands that being aggressive doesn't mean you have to score every time, but you have to do enough to make the defense respect you."
There’s also a built-in comfort level with Dennis Schröder, a 14 year NBA veteran who spent time with Anderson on the German national team. Lee said Schröder’s presence can sharpen not just Anderson, but the whole group.
"To have a guy come in in his 14th year and still pick up full court every day at practice, the competitive fire is still there," Lee said. "I think just his overall approach is impactful for Christian and everyone."
"But then, on the court, there's been a couple of moments where there's been some German conversation going on that I think is referring to basketball," Lee continued.
Anderson had missed Charlotte’s previous two games, when second-year guard Sion James handled the lead-guard duties off the bench. Wednesday changed that, and changed it quickly. In his first look, Anderson showed touch, confidence and enough edge to explain why Lee was willing to give him the first crack off the bench.
One preseason outing doesn’t define anything. But it did give the Hornets a glimpse of what Anderson can bring, and what his next step has to be now: turning that opening burst into steady production as his NBA career gets rolling.
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Christian Anderson Jr. finally got on the floor for his Charlotte Hornets preseason debut after sitting out two games with an ankle injury, and he wasted little time reminding everyone why he was such a significant first-round addition. The No. 18 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft finished with 10 points, hit two 3-pointers and added two steals in a loss to the Boston Celtics, a showing that fit neatly with the two-way reputation he built during a notable college run at Texas Tech.
The Hornets were already short on guard help, so Andersons return arrived at a useful moment for a backcourt trying to sort itself out. He said he wants to contribute on both offense and defense, and the outing backed that up, with his energy on the perimeter and willingness to make plays showing up even in a preseason setting. [Read more 🡒]
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Gordon and Wrightsell both arrive with G League experience, which fits the purpose of these transactions as much as the names themselves do. Charlotte is not alone in taking this route, either, with teams like the Rockets, Hawks, Jazz and Nets using similar waiver-and-signings to line up their preseason paperwork and keep roster flexibility intact while the deeper competition for jobs plays out. [Read more 🡒]