LaMelo Ball, P. J Washington, Terry Rozier, Mark Williams, and Gordon Hayward start for the Charlotte Hornets against the Atlanta Hawks. This regular season opener sees the No. 2 draft pick, Brandon Miller, not finding a place in the starting five. Rather, the Hornets are showing faith in their veteran who played only 50 games last season.
This off-season, there were many debates within the NBA community regarding LaMelo Ball’s talent being wasted with the Hornets. And it had a lot to do with his teammates. Will this be the season they finally figure it out, or is it going to be the repeat of last year?
A new season or the same old, same old.
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Gordon Hayward is starting this season without any injuries. This, by itself, has become a great boost for this Hornets’ team that has been lacking a veteran voice. Hayward’s trade to Charlotte from Boston was expected to bring a turnaround to this bottom-feeding team. But his struggle with injuries had prevented him from contributing to that front. With some great young talents around him, Hayward could make a positive impact. And Brandon Miller should be able to learn from him before taking his spot.
Gordon in his BAG ? @gordonhayward | #LetsFly35 pic.twitter.com/Z24aTZqCIC
? Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 26, 2023
In the preseason. Miller averaged over 26 minutes and had an average score of over 8 points in his 4 appearances. He is yet to have a double-digit game. His top highlight of those games would be his thunderous dunk against the Wizards. The Hornets have a lot of faith in him and will be relying more on him as the season progresses.
A lot rides on LaMelo Ball who has signed his rookie max extension. He is a great facilitator, and if he gets enough shooting around him, he will be a very special player. In this game against the Hawks, Terry Rozier is the primary guard on Trae Young. while Mark Williams is expected to continue his last season form. P. J Washington had a stupendous preseason with his couple of 30-point games. He will be the primary focus on the scoring front.
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The Young Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets have some special talents in the team. LaMelo Ball is a type of guard who can even make an average player look like a star. Yet, he finds himself in total dysfunction in his Hornets unit. It is high time that the front office steps in and does something about it.
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Miles Bridges, who is still serving a suspension, will make his return this season. This will bring more stability to this team, and hopefully, the Hornets rookie, Brandon Miller, does not get entangled in any more legal problems too. The Hornets have enough talent to be the OKC of the East.
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