The Charlotte Hornets took down the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night, earning their first win to begin the 2026-27 NBA season. Prior to the game, Hornets head coach Charles Lee talked about his rookies (Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr.) and their development throughout summer league and during the preseason.
"They pick up things really well. When you come in and have that humility to you, where you understand that you're a good player, but you still can learn things."
"Christian, obviously during summer league, I thought that he was already showing his defensive prowess. As good as an offensive presence as he was in college, I thought that the defense showed in summer league, and now with more and more reps, he's actually finding more and more confidence offensively too." Quotes were provided via Sharif Phillips-Keaton of the Nets Wire.
Of the two, Anderson Jr. was the only one to make his debut against Brooklyn, with the injury to starting point guard Coby White. Although the Texas Tech alum was kept off the score sheet, he recorded two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 13 minutes, finishing with a positive plus-minus.
Looking ahead, the Hornets will host back-to-back home games Friday and Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Charles Lee praises Charlotte's rookies for their offseason development