Naz Reid did not waste any time making his point in a Charlotte Hornets jersey.
In his formal debut on Wed., Oct. 21, Reid stepped right into a leading role and helped the Hornets knock off the Brooklyn Nets 110-103 to open the season. The performance was the kind Charlotte was betting on when it brought him in, and it gave immediate fuel to the long-running belief that he should have been starting years ago.
Reid finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and two offensive boards, a stat line that showed just how much ground he can cover on both ends. He was involved as a scorer and a creator, working with and without the ball while giving Charlotte the shot-making presence it needed when the game tightened up.
Moussa Diabate supplied energy and Brandon Miller got off to a strong start, but the Hornets ultimately needed someone who could take control and generate offense on his own terms. Reid filled that role and made the new-look roster look much more dangerous in the process.
The move to Charlotte comes after seven seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Hornets quickly slotted him in as a starting big following a 2026 offseason trade. Reid, 27, has already built a résumé that points to bigger usage. He won the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year award and was a key part of Minnesota’s two trips to the Conference Finals.
From 2023-24 through 2025-26, Reid averaged 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 offensive boards, 0.9 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 25.9 minutes per game. On a per-36 basis, those numbers jump to 19.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 offensive boards, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals.
Even with that level of production, he started only 34 of 238 games in that stretch. In Minnesota, he fit around Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Karl-Anthony Towns, adjusting his game to complement theirs.
In Charlotte, the fit looks different. He now has the chance to play in a role that matches his full skill set.
And in that first game, the difference showed. The Hornets have often leaned heavily on long jumpers, but Reid brings a more varied attack, getting to the midrange and the rim with volume. Against Brooklyn, that versatility helped carry Charlotte to a win and gave an early glimpse of what this version of the offense can look like.
With LaMelo Ball no longer on the team, Charlotte is in a new era. Reid, though, wasted no time proving he belongs right at the center of it.
In Other News...
Brandon Miller Now Carries A Bigger Hornets Expectation Than Ever
Brandon Millers rise in Charlotte took another step before the season even settled in, with the young wing locking in a five-year rookie-scale extension that signals just how central he has become to the Hornets plans. In the opener against the Brooklyn Nets, Miller backed up that status with 18 points and a team-high 35:39 on the floor, a reminder that Charlotte is asking him to shoulder real responsibility on both ends while the franchise tries to move into the playoff picture.
Miller has already framed his job in broader terms than scoring, and the early signs suggest the Hornets want him to be much more than a featured offensive option. His value to Charlotte now stretches into the daily grind of matching up defensively, handling tougher assignments and making the kind of winning plays that can change the shape of a young roster, even as the larger question of how far this group can go remains unanswered. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Kalkbrenners Hornets Role Suddenly Looks More Important
Ryan Kalkbrenners spot in the Hornets center rotation already looked useful, and the opener in Brooklyn only sharpened that view. The second-year big man came off the bench for nearly 14 minutes and gave Charlotte real value on the defensive end, using his size and activity to help steady the paint while the Hornets opened the season with a win.
What stood out was not just the box score, but the way his presence fit into a game Charlotte needed to control with effort and positioning. He chipped in across the board, and coach Charles Lee still had room to point out there are details to clean up even after a victory, which is why Kalkbrenners role feels like one worth watching closely as the rotation settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Dennis Schrder Is Already Giving The Hornets Something They Needed
Dennis Schrder did not need much time to show Charlotte why the Hornets brought him in. Starting at point guard in a 110-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets, he scored 19 points and settled into a role that has already made the offense look more organized and steadier in key moments. Since arriving in a trade with Cleveland, he has quickly earned trust inside the locker room, and that was obvious in how Charlotte leaned on him from the opening tip.
What has stood out most so far is the way Schrder has fit beyond the box score. Coach Charles Lee praised his leadership and basketball IQ, pointing to the kind of presence that can help set the tone for a young roster. The Hornets were looking for more than just another ballhandler, and early signs suggest they may have found someone who can help steer the group in the right direction when games tighten up. [Read more 🡒]