Who says preseason doesn't matter? Certainly not here at Charlotte Hornets On SI.
Two games into their preseason slate, Charlotte has turned in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-type performances as a team. And while preseason results don't count toward the standings, as Hornets head coach Charles Lee frequently says, "Everything matters." That's especially true for this new-look Charlotte squad in the post-LaMelo Ball era, with several players already seeing their stock rise or fall through the opening pair of games.
Stock up: Brandon Miller
Coming off a compromised offseason recovering from shoulder surgery, Brandon Miller was excellent in his preseason debut against Milwaukee. He was easily the best player on the floor, regardless of which lineups either team deployed.
Notably, Miller was reading the game very well offensively, making quick, decisive decisions with the basketball when Milwaukee was in its drop coverage. He also had some dynamic moments with his crossover, movement shooting, and ability to use his shoulder to bump defenders, create separation, and shoot over them off the bounce. He was just a total difference-maker for Charlotte's offense.
Overall, the fourth-year forward looked spry and springy, moving with confidence and showing no apparent limitations from his previous injuries. He was also active defensively in the gaps, playing with competitive joy that contributed to an impressive two-way performance.
The limitations in Miller's game are still there, no question, with his inconsistency as a finishing threat at the rim and some untimely turnovers. But Miller played with complete control as the focal point of Charlotte's attack in his new, expanded role.
Stock down: Tidjane Salaün
No Hornets player has logged more minutes through the first two preseason games than Tidjane Salaün, and the results have been objectively disappointing, particularly on the offensive end.
The third-year Frenchman is shooting just 20% from the field and 20% from three. While it's a small sample size, this preseason is a critical opportunity in Salaün's young career to make his case for rotation minutes come the regular season, while also playing for his future in Charlotte, with the early November deadline approaching for the Hornets to exercise his $10.4 million team option for 2027-28.
With plenty of time now spent in Lee's system, Salaün just has too many out-of-control drives, slow reads, defensive miscommunications, and overall lapses in attention to detail for the coaching staff's liking. The rawness that remains at this stage of his development does little to inspire confidence in his stock trending upward.
While Salaün didn't have a strong two-way analytical profile with the main club last season, he did shoot roughly 43% from three and 70% at the rim, providing some solid offensive production in a simplified role despite being a defensive liability. His strengths as a player now appear to have shifted more toward the defensive end, based on what he's shown in Summer League and now in preseason.
Tidjane has had some encouraging moments guarding bigger players in the post, demonstrating good verticality and showing significant improvement from his first two seasons in containing the basketball on the perimeter and playing sound team defense. His defensive rebounding also remains a valuable asset.
Offensively, however, his process isn't polished enough on a possession-by-possession basis to warrant regular-season rotation minutes at the moment.
I still like Salaün's chances of carving out a long NBA career given his youth, motor, and competitiveness, which he has consistently brought to the floor. Based on what he's shown so far, though, his developmental timeline might not align with where Charlotte is headed in the near future.
Stock up: Naz Reid
Reid is going to be fun to watch in this offensive system all year. His combination of size, skill, shooting, and passing at the four gives Charlotte something the organization has never really had from a big man before.
There's so much variety in how he's been utilized offensively through two preseason games, whether he's ghosting or popping into open space as a screener, catching and shooting with his quick release, attacking closeouts, operating as a high-post playmaker, or punishing mismatches when teams switch. His skill set opens up Charlotte's half-court offense in an important way.
It hasn't all been perfect, though. Defensively, Reid isn't a plus defender. He struggled guarding Julius Randle in the preseason opener, isn't the quickest laterally as a very large human being, and has been late on some closeouts.
That said, playing him alongside Moussa Diabaté or Ryan Kalkbrenner could give Charlotte a workable enough defensive backline to keep his limitations on that end from outweighing the value he provides on offense.
Stock up: Liam McNeeley
The 21-year-old swingman has carried over his stellar Summer League performance and high-level three-point shooting into Charlotte's preseason, connecting on 50% of his attempts from beyond the arc on seven attempts per game through two contests.
After a slow start in the first half against Brooklyn, McNeeley responded with 14 points in the second half before following that up with a highly impactful 11-point, five-assist showing against Milwaukee.
He has looked increasingly comfortable with the ball in his hands, showing some promising live-dribble playmaking chops and operating effectively in Charlotte's dribble handoff game. McNeeley has also done a nice job using his shot fake to create advantages and generate open looks for his teammates, while holding his own defensively.
The Richardson, Texas, native is proving himself to be a high-feel, highly malleable player with the potential to become a quality NBA reserve if given the opportunity once the regular season comes around.
With a fully healthy Hornets roster, McNeeley is likely behind players like Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and Sion James in the pecking order. But he's certainly making that decision difficult for Lee and his staff.
Ultimately, the preseason is about giving young players the opportunity to make an impression, and the former first-round pick is doing just that.
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