Charlotte Hornets Training Camp Preview
We're just less than a week away from the Hornets training camp. The Hornets roster still has plenty of questions around it that will have to be addressed eventually. Within the last two weeks the Hornets signed Jalen Crutcher, Isaiah Whaley (UConn), Jaylen Sims (UNC Wilmington), and Anthony Duruiji (Florida) to Exhibit 10 contracts & former lottery-pick, Dennis Smith Jr to a non-guaranteed one year deal. The Hornets are now up to 19 players entering training camp leaving one open roster spot which will likely stay vacant for Miles Bridges.
Below is the Hornets Projected Depth Chart for the 2022-23 Season.
| PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LaMelo Ball | Terry Rozier | Gordon Hayward | PJ Washington | Mason Plumlee |
Dennis Smith Jr | Cody Martin | Kelly Oubre | Jalen McDaniels | Mark Williams |
James Bouknight | Cody Martin | JT Thor | PJ Washington | |
*Bryce McGowens | Kai Jones | Nick Richards | ||
Kai Jones |
The Hornets clearly have a logjam of similar talent particularly in their frontcourt which we're going to see play out during the training camp and over the course of the regular season.
Battle for the Backup Power Forward Spot
The Hornets starting PF entering the season is clearly PJ Washington but once you go down the depth chart it gets cloudy. Jalen McDaniels is entering his contract season coming off a year where he averaged 6.2 points & 3.1 rebounds on a career-high 38% from 3. He’s the early favorite to win the backup PF spot with his defensive versatility & perimeter shooting but JT Thor could give him some competition. Thor played the most minutes out of the 2021 rookies (262 Min) because he was too impactful on the defensive end for James Borrego to ignore. JT Thor just recently turned 20 and is a interesting prospect for Charlotte. With his 7’3 wingspan at 6’9 he’s disruptive on the defense as a helper & weak-side rim protector. Although Thor has a nice form we’ve yet to see it translate on the floor as he shot 26% from 3 last season on 27 attempts. Jump-shooting may be what gives the edge to McDaniels as the backup PF to start the season. I expect that spot to be a competitive competition between Thor and McDaniels throughout the season.
Logjam at Center
Ever since Al Jefferson left Charlotte to join the Pacers in the summer of 2016 the Hornets have had a glaring whole at their center position. Unfortunately the Hornets still don’t have an above average center on their roster but what they do have is a plethora of bigs around the same level. Mason Plumlee, Nick Richards, Mark Williams, and Kai Jones are all 7-footers seeking playing time which is going to force Steve Clifford and his staff to make some difficult decisions.
Mason Plumlee was the Hornet’s starting center and will likely remain the starting center to start the season due to his veteran presence. Plumlee had an underwhelming season averaging 6.5 points per game with mediocre defense. It’s been made clear that Plumlee doesn’t provide enough rim protection to be an anchor for Charlotte which is why they drafted Mark Williams.
Mark Williams drafted 15th overall in the past draft may still be raw offensively but he projects toward being a defensive force. His ability to stay vertical matched with his size & length stood out in summer league. He may not start right away, but its clear that Charlotte hopes for him to be their long-term center. I wouldn’t be surprised if he controls the starting position by Game 40.
Back in the 2021 Draft, Mitch Kupchak made one of his most aggressive moves as Charlotte’s GM by trading back in the first round to acquire Kai Jones. Jones played his entire rookie year in the G-League putting up impressive numbers averaging 18.3 points & 11 rebounds. However, Jones still has a lot to learn as far as processing the game & still struggles with some of the concerns about him coming out of Texas. In summer league Charlotte attempted playing him at the 4, but Kai’s shooting and decision making was too poor to have success. It’s clear that right now the 5 is the most optimal position for Jones, he had success playing the five for the Bahamas & when they switched him to the 5 in SL. As the 19th pick in the 2021 Draft you’d like to see Jones get some minutes in his sophomore year.
A surprising move by many, the Hornets decided to retain Nick Richards despite drafting Mark Williams. Nick Richards was selected 42nd in the 2020 Draft and has had difficultly sticking in Charlotte’s rotation. But Charlotte has been impressed with the development he’s made every summer. With a new coach in Steve Clifford he could carve a spot at a center slot that’s pretty much a open competition.
Will James Bouknight have a breakout?
James Bouknight, the 11th pick in the 2021 Draft, only played 262 minutes for Charlotte last season. Going back and forth between the G-League and the NBA the average fan doesn't know much about him, some even writing him off as a bust already. But Bouknight has shown flashes for Charlotte. Specifically when he erupted for 24 points on 64.2% shooting with 6 3PM. He also averaged 21/6/5 in the G-League as the No. 1 option showing some shot creation ability. Unfortunately, Bouknight couldn’t play in Summer League because of a injury on pinky finger. Training camp will be Bouknight’s first chance to make a strong impression on Steve Clifford and the new coaching staff. He’ll have to show that he can flow within a team offense because thats what Clifford is looking for.
“There’s a number of guys who have bright futures. A lot of that will be played out and we will see… There’s guys (in the NBA) that put up numbers but the team doesn’t function well when they’re playing. That’s the part that will keep saying.” - Steve Clifford
