4 Questions the Charlotte Hornets Must Answer During Las Vegas Summer League

Charlotte Hornets basketball is (kind of?) back tomorrow night.

The best way to get people to forget about the LaMelo Ball trade, if even only for a few days, will be a solid showing for the team in Las Vegas at Summer League. Charlotte has a deep and talented roster that should fare well in the desert depending on how many games their veterans play.

Here are a few questions I hope to have answered over the course of Vegas Summer League.

How Does Point Sion Look?

Frankly I was a tad surprised that Sion James was on the Hornets' Summer League roster, but a recent media availability with the squad's head coach Blaine Mueller cleared it up for me.

"I'm really excited for Sion," said Mueller when asked about early practice standouts. "His role changes quite a bit. We know what he is defensively and how good and versatile he can be. But for him offensively, that side of the floor, certainly in a Hornets uniform with those other guys out there playing 82 games, he's a connector. He's a guy that's catch-and-shoot, catch-and-drive, keep the ball moving, offensive rebound, and go on the other end of the floor and guard."

It felt like Mueller could speak all day about the impact James has on the game in his current role with the senior Hornets, but my ears perked up when he started discussing what his role on the Summer League squad would be.

"And with this summer league group, him being a primary ball handler, being a guy initiating offense, using his IQ, his intelligence to put his teammates in spots, whether its [maximizing] their abilities or a matchup or a coverage that he sees. He's an incredibly bright player. So really seeing him in that space as a guy to bring the ball up, initiate offense, and then much like Liam he's going to get to play a little bit more out of those pick-and-roll and dribble hand-off situations."

As of now, with more moves likely to come, Sion is slotted to be Charlotte's third point guard when the regular season opens (unless Tre Mann makes a major comeback). The Hornets struggled mightily when they handed James the keys to the offense in his rookie season, so his development as a primary handler will be the number one thing I'm focusing on when the Hornets tip-off in Vegas.

How Will Tidjane Look on Defense in Year Three?

For many, the Tidjane ship has sailed.

Entering year three, the former sixth overall pick in the NBA Draft has yet to make an impact at the NBA level. He's bounced back-and-forth between Charlotte and Greensboro, and when he's played with the senior Hornets, Salaün has looked outmatched against NBA competition outside of the moments when his jumper is falling. We know that Tidjane can get hot and rain threes, ask the Toronto Raptors, but the full package is still leaving something to be desired.

The biggest concern with Salaün has always been on the defensive end. He has every tool necessary to be a switchable demon on the money-making end of the floor, but his awareness and feel have capped his impact. When asked about the growth he's seen from Tidjane over the last year, Mueller pointed to the third-year forward's defensive acumen.

"Tidjane, particularly on the defensive end, like using his size and length and athleticism and being able to execute different coverages. Obviously you can cross match him all over the place, that's something we do with both the Hornets and the Swarm that takes a lot, but his ability and physical tools and being able to then execute that on the mental side as well from possession to possession and match up to match up."

Still just 20-years-old, Salaün is far from a finished product. Ideally he will come out and dominate in Vegas and continue his upward trajectory from unheralded lottery pick to rotation-worthy big man this coming season.

Can Liam McNeeley Carve Out a Role?

McNeeley has become the forgotten man of the Hornets' impressive 2025 NBA Draft class.

After leading the Swarm to their first G-League title, McNeeley is back with the Hornets looking to earn minutes on the wing in Charlotte. His job got more difficult this summer after Jeff Peterson swung deals for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and Dorian Finney-Smith, but the Hornets' roster is far from a finished product and McNeeley has the opportunity to state his case for regular season minutes this week in Vegas.

He does all of the things you want a low-usage connective wing to do. McNeeley is a knockdown shooter, a physical driver who can attack a closeout, a heady passer who keeps the ball moving, and an adequate defender who will continue to make more of an impact as his body fills out.

In Vegas, McNeeley will have the opportunity to show that he can be more than just a connector, though. Head coach Blaine Mueller commented that McNeeley will have plenty of opportunities to initiate offense alongside Sion James and Christian Anderson this summer, and if he proves capable, it wouldn't be shocking to see McNeeley do the same thing in Charlotte later this year.

How Will the Rookies Fare?

Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson should look great in a Summer League setting.

Anderson is a point guard's point guard with parking lot range that should expand opposing defenses who are playing basic coverages in the glorified scrimmages. His perimeter-oriented game should allow his German teammate Steinbach to do what he does best: vacuum up offensive boards and create second and third possessions for his teammates.

Everyone in the organization who has spoken about the pair of rookies has applauded their IQ and pro-ready work ethic, both of which should be on full display in Vegas. If Charlotte winds up defending their Summer League title, Anderson and Steinbach will be major reasons why they do.

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