Charlotte Hornets Summer League Takeaways: McNeeley's Breakout, Anderson Jr.'s Development and More

The Charlotte Hornets have been eliminated from (Summer League) playoff contention.

With back-to-back losses, the Hornets' will fall short in their attempt to go back-to-back in Vegas. That doesn't mean the scrimmage exercise hasn't been useful, though. Let's dive in to a number of takeaways from the Hornets' time in Vegas.

Liam McNeeley is Making the Leap

It's hard to overstate just how good Liam McNeeley has been through three Summer Leagues games.

The second-year wing has unveiled a full duffle bag of skills. In Thursday night's win over the Magic, McNeeley torched Orlando's defense as a spot-up shooter, knocking down seven of eight three-point attempts. He nailed 40% in a small sample size as a rookie in Charlotte, and it's been encouraging to see him continue that trend in Vegas.

As a driver, McNeeley has shown some high-level craft by varying his pickup points, throwing ball fakes to deke defenders, and finishing with both hands off either foot. He's combined that high level of skill with some encouraging moments of physicality, proving that he is comfortable playing through contact.

Maybe my favorite play from Summer League so far.

Nice two-man game with Steinbach and McNeeley.

McNeeley with the snake dribble and Steinbach with the Gortat screen to open it up. Beauty. pic.twitter.com/QZL74MuFNN
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) July 13, 2026

McNeeley has been an elite free throw grifter in Vegas, which is not nothing for a Hornets team that has struggled to get to the line in recent years.

Whether off-ball or on-ball, McNeeley has thrived in Charlotte's three Summer League contests. His passing and defense have taken a backseat to the three-level scoring package, but those deserve a shout too.

Charlotte has a deep stable of wings after Jeff Peterson's flurry of offseason moves, so it will be difficult for McNeeley to crack the rotation as things stand. If he continues to play like this, though, Charles Lee will have no choice but to give him a shot over guys like Royce O'Neale, Grayson Allen, and Dorian Finney-Smith.

Who's Playing Backup Point Guard?

Things haven't looked great for Charlotte's primary ball handlers in Vegas.

Sion James has struggled to create good looks for his teammates. Opposing ball pressure has put a ton of strain on his rudimentary handle, rendering him unable to get Charlotte into their sets in a timely manner. James has been awesome on the glass, off the ball, and on defense where his physicality shines...but he's not a point guard.

Which is okay. These Summer League reps are low stakes, making it the perfect environment to stress test James' skills. He's a valuable rotation player in the NBA as a high-level connector, and he'll continue to return plus value compared to his draft spot by doing all of the little things that impact winning.

His primary point guard counterpart, Christian Anderson Jr., has been up-and-down in his action.

The negatives are exactly what draft analysts expected. Anderson's slight frame has made it difficult for the rookie point guard to score inside the arc. And like Sion, he's struggled to withstand ball pressure as opposing teams have feasted on their mistakes.

I'm not too worried about that, though. The learning curve for a point guard in the NBA is notoriously steep, and Anderson's incremental improvements from game-to-game give me belief that he will be just fine.

In Sunday's loss to the Celtics, Anderson had a moment of pick-and-roll brilliance that looked like he was back at Texas Tech. He received a screen from Sion James and both Boston defenders followed Anderson who strung out the two Celtics far enough to create a passing window before zipping a right-handed dime to James who finished through traffic.

Anderson handles the ball pressure really well here. Strings out the second defender and throws a bullet to Sion in the short roll.

Great finish by Sion too. pic.twitter.com/svMF5IiPfs
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) July 13, 2026

The rookie guard has thrown a couple of high-level one-handed skip passes that didn't amount to much off of the initial catch, and I can't help but wonder if the perception around him would be a bit different if those turned into assists. He has some juice as a passer.

Against Boston, Anderson knocked down three of his eight three-point attempts, showing comfortability rising and firing both off the catch and off the dribble. He has no issue getting threes up, a positive sign for the role he's going to be asked to play in the NBA next season.

He's also been great on defense. Yes, he'll always be at a disadvantage due to his low BMI, but Anderson has proven adept at slithering through opposing screens and leveraging his 6'6" wingspan to make things uncomfortable for opposing ball handlers. It hasn't been perfect, but I've been really impressed by his one-on-one coverage skills.

All of that being said...I don't believe Charlotte's primary backup point guard is in Vegas. I think we'll either see the Hornets dust off Tre Mann in the preseason, hand those duties to Grayson Allen (who did function as a pseudo-point guard in Phoenix last season in lineups when he shared the back court with Devin Booker), or target a veteran in the trade market between now and October.

Sound familiar? After three months of high-level starting and backup point guard play post Coby White trade, the Hornets are back to where they've been for the majority of the decade: attempting to peace meal reserve ball handling together with some uninspiring options.

Sion James will play a role in Charlotte, and Anderson Jr. could very well develop into the Hornets' long-term backup point, but neither are ready to carry that burden right now.

Michael Ajayi is a Dude

Josh Hart's three point, 15 rebound, six assist, four steal performance in game one of the NBA Finals fundamentally changed how I feel about players of his archetype. In the right system with shooting at the other four positions, players like Hart who hustle, crash the glass with reckless abandon, keep the ball moving on offense, and defend at a high level, can play a role on a great team.

I'm not saying that Michael Ajayi will ever reach those heights, but I am saying there is a role for him in an NBA organization.

Michael Ajayi is doing a lot of the things you want a low-usage role player to do. Already a fan of his game.
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) July 10, 2026

He has been awesome through three games in Vegas. Ajayi was a high-usage option in his final college season at Butler University, and it has been impressive to see how he has scaled down his role to provide value on the margins.

Whether it's on-ball defense, physical rebounding, smart passing, or second and third efforts to pursue a loose ball, Ajayi has been awesome for the Summer League Hornets. The rookie on a two-way contract drips Hornets DNA like sweat, and it is clear why Jeff Peterson and company targeted him as a priority two-way signing after the draft.

Hannes Steinbach is As Advertised

After a dominant start to his Summer League team that I detailed here, Steinbach has been relatively anonymous in Charlotte's two losses.

The pros for Steinbach have been clear: his motor runs hot, he has unbelievable mitts, and he's a great athlete with the ball in his hands for a player of his size. However, what has impressed me the most is his feel as a passer.

The Hornets have run a ton of split action which boils down to a player passing the ball into the post and then two perimeter players, including the entry passer, setting screens for each other. Steinbach has made a couple of slick bounce passes that led to layups, threes, or free throws out of these sets as Charlotte looks to maximize his well-rounded skill set.

The Hornets have ran a ton of split action in Summer League, using Steinbach and Kalkbrenner as the fulcrum of it.

I’ve been impressed with how they’ve both read it well and made the correct pass out of it. pic.twitter.com/EJWKzDgsfy
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) July 13, 2026

I've been impressed with his defense as well. Steinbach doesn't offer much as a rim deterrent, but his mobility and wingspan have made him viable as a defender on the perimeter, so he can play alongside a true rim protecting center.

Lineups with Steinbach and Kalkbrenner on the floor together have looked good. The rookie's ability to rebound, dribble, pass, cut, and finish around the rim make him a solid power forward option to play alongside a more traditional center. If he can shoot it, which we haven't seen him do in Vegas yet, Steinbach should play a big role on day one.

Quick Thoughts on Salaun and Kalkbrenner

Tidjane Salaun has been just fine in Summer League.

The roller coaster that has been the Tidjane experience in his first two NBA seasons has settled into a more steady ride in his third go at playing Summer League basketball. He's been great on defense, trading the out-of-control footwork for a more confident, conservative approach on the perimeter that has accentuated his out-of-this-world physical tools.

On offense, Tidjane has shot threes and attacked the basket with straight line drives that he's finished or been fouled on.

Any star-level outcomes for Tidjane are out the window at this point, which is okay. He's tracking to become a useful three-and-D role player which would be a positive development at this point in his NBA career. Remember - Salaun still can't legally drink in the United States. Patience is a virtue and one you should still exercise when considering his long-term development.

Kalkbrenner has been exactly what he was in the regular season. A high-level rim protector on defense who is a dominant screener and adequate play-finisher on offense. He's had some rough moments in Vegas, but I'm not raising any red flags based on his performances at Summer League.

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