Grading the Summer League Performances of the 2026 Charlotte Hornets Rookies

After an impressive 2025 Summer League that saw the Charlotte Hornets fly home as champions, the 2026 Summer League Hornets had a different story of their own.

After winning their first game over the Orlando Magic by double-digits, the Hornets lost their final four games, leaving Las Vegas as 1-4 instead of with jewlery this season. What did come, though, is a chance to look at both the draft picks of previous years, and this season.

Notably, the 14th overall pick in Hannes Steinbach and the 18th overall pick in Christian Anderson. The two each played well, but what would their grades look like for Summer League?

Hannes Steinbach: A

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the fourteenth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Washington forward Hannes Steinbach after he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Summer League Statline: 15.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 60.4% FG

While Steinbach's statline already looks intriguing, it only gets better from here. In his final two games of the Summer League, the 14th overall pick averaged 24.5 points, 13 rebounds, 1.5 assists, a steal, and shot 62.5% from the field.

Steinbach was impressive for a variety of reasons, most notably being his offensive rebounding and rim pressure. Steinbach was arguably the draft's best offensive rebounder, and showed his dominance on the glass early and often throughout the Summer League. He averaged 3.4 offensive rebounds a night, and in his fourth game was able to haul in seven of them.

His rim pressure, where he ranked in the 52nd percentile amongst NBA players at his position's last season in college, looked much more polished and refined than it had when he last played for Washington. Overall, Steinbach shot 60.4% from the field, a number that would be an improvement from his freshman collegiate year.

Steinbach's offensive rebound abilities should excite Hornets fans. During a league-dominant run last season that saw the Hornets fall just one game short of the playoffs, they ran through an offense that saw lineups typically consisting of four elite three-point shooters and an elite offensive rebounder. This system has become spread out throughout the league, but primarily came from the Boston Celtics, who won their 2024 title using this method.

Of course, Hornets head coach Charles Lee was an assistant coach for the Celtics during that run. Steinbach gives the Hornets another elite offensive rebounder that these lineups can benefit from, and his minutes with four excellent shooters will be an exciting watch.

Christian Anderson: C

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the eighteenth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson Jr. after he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Summer League Statline: 10.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.2 APG, 31.5% FG

Doubling down on the philosophy mentioned above, Christian Anderson was viewed as one of the draft's best three-point shooters headed in.

At a glance, though, his Summer League was a disappointment. He struggled with his jumpshot, shooting just 31.5% from the field and 21.2% from three. Over the course of the five games, Anderson shot 50% from the field or better just once, and was 7-33 from behind the arc.

While his shooting splits were a disappointment, Anderson's playmaking abilities caught the attention of many. The Texas Tech star was in the 97th percentile for assists per game, recording 7.4 in his sophomore season. Those skills translated right over to the Summer League, and in his final two games he averaged 9 assists.

The Hornets left several assists on the table from Anderson in their first three games, piling up unneccessary turnovers instead. Just as there is an excitement for Steinbach grabbing offensive rebounds for Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Coby White, there is an excitement for Anderson passing to those three.

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