Brandon Miller’s return from offseason shoulder surgery still doesn’t have a clear timetable, and that leaves Charlotte with a simple question before opening night: who steps into the starting five if he isn’t ready?
When Miller is back, he’s expected to slot in with Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Naz Reid, and Moussa Diabate. But if the Hornets need a stand-in early, there are a few names in the mix.
Grayson Allen brings the kind of shooting Charlotte can lean on if it needs another secondary creator. He’s not Miller in terms of athleticism, shot creation, or two-way upside, but he does give the Hornets a deadeye jumper and enough ability to drive and pass to matter in their up-tempo half-court offense.
Sion James feels like the cleanest fit. He already started games for Charlotte last season, and his steady work on both ends has clearly earned trust with Charles Lee. Of the options here, he’s the best defender, and that matters for a team that already has enough offense to keep things moving.
Liam McNeeley is the biggest unknown, and also the least likely of the group to get the nod on opening night. He turned heads in Summer League with a promising offensive package that was sharpened in Greensboro last year, but he still has a lot to prove before he’s talked about as a rotation piece, much less a starter. A strong preseason could change that conversation.
Royce O’Neale would have been an obvious answer in his prime. Even with the gains he showed as a shooter and passer in Phoenix last year, his defensive value has started to fade with age, which makes it hard to justify giving him starter-level minutes now.
That’s why James stands out as the best answer if Miller is out. Charlotte already has enough scoring around him, with White, Knueppel, and Reid all able to dribble, pass, and shoot. Add Diabate’s work on the glass, and James can lean into what he does best: connect the pieces on offense and take the toughest defensive assignment on the other end.
Allen and O’Neale make more sense as floor-spacers off the bench, especially with Dennis Schröder’s shooting issues in mind. McNeeley, for now, still has to earn his way into the picture.
In Other News...
LaVar Ball Just Reignited The Hornets Debate Over LaMelo
LaMelo Balls departure has already become the kind of move that keeps getting reopened in Charlotte, especially when his father has plenty to say about it. The Hornets sent LaMelo to Minnesota in a four-team deal that brought back multiple draft picks and players, and the reaction only added another layer to a trade that was always going to be judged through the lens of what it means for the franchise long term.
LaVar Ball wasted little time criticizing Charlotte after the move, questioning where the Hornets go from here without his son in the middle of it all. On the other side, president Jeff Peterson made clear he was comfortable with the deal and pointed to the talent already on the roster as part of the reason the team felt it could move on, leaving the debate over the Hornets direction very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Connaughtons Hornets Role Suddenly Feels Worth Watching
Pat Connaughton spent this week in Manhattan working with young players at the NBPA x Five-Star Basketball Camp, a four-day event that ran Monday through Thursday for boys and girls ages 9 through 17. For the Hornets, it was another reminder that Connaughton is bringing more than just veteran depth to Charlotte. He has long been tied into the players side of the business too, including his appointment to the NBPAs THINK450 board of directors in October 2023, when he became the first player to hold a seat.
All of which makes his place on the roster worth following closely as Charlotte sorts through its options before the season begins. Connaughtons career has already covered multiple stops and plenty of experience, and the Hornets are looking at him as part of a crowded mix of standard-contract players. Whether his role ends up being on the court, in the locker room or somewhere in between, there is a real reason to keep an eye on how this one develops. [Read more 🡒]