The Charlotte Hornets opened media day on Monday at Spectrum Center with a clear message: this group spent the offseason together, and that work showed up in the details.
Coby White said this is the first team he’s been on where most of the roster made a point to stay in the city during the summer. Beyond that, the group also found time to connect in other ways, including player-led workouts in Miami, golf outings and appearances at each other’s events.
“This is probably my first time ever being around a team that we had 11 or 12 guys here throughout the majority of the summer since, like, July,” White said. “Then obviously doing stuff like the player-led workouts in Miami.
I think bonding off the court is a big thing.”
Jeff Peterson was first to speak on media day, and he pointed to Brandon Miller’s progress as one of the bright spots of the offseason. He said he expects Miller to take part in training camp and be ready for the season opener.
There was also a significant injury update involving Kon Knueppel, who the team recently said suffered a hamstring injury. Knueppel said Wednesday, September 30, will be three weeks since the injury happened during live play with the team. He described the recovery process as a gradual build back toward full activity.
“I’m progressing really. I’m not dealing with any pain now. It’s just like working the strength back, working my way up and going through the steps of starting to run, starting to jog, getting back to playing five on five, playing against contact, just ramping myself up,” Knueppel explained.
He also detailed the play when it happened, saying, “Just got a rebound, defensive rebound, and went coast to coast with it. Just felt my hamstring pull up on me.
Kinda felt like a cramp. Then I was like, "I…”
Newly acquired Naz Reid also had plenty to say about his first stretch with the Hornets. He said head coach Charles Lee and the organization have welcomed him from the start, and that the off-court bonding has helped make the transition smoother. Reid added that he wants to show more of what he can do this season while also helping the younger players and bringing his playoff experience and basketball knowledge to the group.
“He’s been embracing me since the moment that I got here,” Reid said, as Coach Lee welcomed him to the team. “It’s been a really good experience, and some of the bonding stuff off the floor it’s kind of helped a lot with the transition for me. Them being patient and kind of making me comfortable more to where I can kind of become myself.”
After media day, the Hornets headed to Charleston for training camp, which runs from September 29 through October 2. Charlotte’s preseason begins on October 6, and the regular season starts on the road in Brooklyn against the Nets on October 21.
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