The Hornets’ young frontcourt is already drawing praise, and Liam McNeeley didn’t hold back after seeing Hannes Steinbach in action.
Charlotte used the 14th overall pick on Steinbach this offseason, adding another piece to a roster that keeps leaning into youth. The rookie arrived with a strong résumé from Washington, where he put together a freshman season built on production across the board: 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. He also shot 57.7 percent from the field and 34 percent from three.
Then came his first Summer League outing, and Steinbach backed it up with a stat line that fit the profile. He finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, a steal, and two blocks while going 4-7 from the floor in 22 minutes.
McNeeley noticed the work on the glass immediately.
"That boy can rebound," McNeeley said. "He got so many offensive rebounds and got his hands on so many long rebounds and stuff... he just makes the game easier.
He gets us extra possessions. He was great today.
I'm really proud of him."
That kind of impact could matter quickly in Charlotte. Steinbach already looks like the type who can help with rebounding and rim protection, which gives him a real chance to crack the rotation in year one. He’ll be competing for minutes with Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner, two other young centers the Hornets have in the mix.
Diabaté appeared in 73 games and averaged 7.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and a block per game while shooting 63.1 percent. Kalkbrenner also got rookie minutes, posting 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game on 75.3 percent shooting.
Steinbach is just one part of a busy offseason for Charlotte. The team also traded LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks. In another move, the Hornets sent Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns.
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Hornets Just Sent A Surprising Message About Kon Knueppel
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It was a quiet but notable developmental move for a player the organization clearly believes has more going on upstairs than the average newcomer. Charlotte has not explained the decision, which only adds to the intrigue, but the setup gave Knueppel a rare chance to absorb the game from the bench and study the kind of details young players usually miss. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Trade Delay Is Holding Up More Than Fans Realized
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The ripple effects have reached beyond Charlotte, too. The Suns are waiting on the completion of the Hornets Bridges-related trade before they can finalize Luke Kennards signing because of salary-cap rules, while other teams are still navigating their own delayed business, including the Clippers Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto. Even around the edges, the offseason is still being shaped by timing, cap math and a few transactions that are not quite done yet. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Just Got An Encouraging First Look At Liam McNeeley
Charlottes Summer League opener offered an early glimpse of what Liam McNeeley can bring to the Hornets, and it came in a win. After a sluggish start against Orlando, Charlotte settled in and leaned on McNeeleys scoring to take control in an 86-74 victory, with the forward finishing as the teams leading scorer and giving the offense the kind of lift the Hornets were hoping to see from him right away.
The supporting cast did its part, too, as Hannes Steinbach added a strong all-around showing and Ryan Kalkbrenner chipped in with a productive night on the boards. Charlottes ability to recover after the rough opening stretch was encouraging on its own, but the bigger takeaway was how quickly McNeeley looked comfortable carrying the offense once the game opened up. [Read more 🡒]