Here's Who's Playing for the Hornets in Summer League

We’re just eight days away from the Charlotte Hornets' first NBA Summer League game of the annual Vegas Classic on July 9th versus Orlando… and the Hornets have finally given us a confirmed roster for the tournament:

The Guards:

Christian Anderson Jr., G, Texas Tech
Kylan Boswell, G, Illinois
Terrell Brown Jr., G, Washington
Sion James, G, Duke
Max Mackinnon, G, Louisiana State
Latrell Wrightsell Jr., G, Alabama

Position Group Takeaway:

It's just nice to know that the Hornets will have another Summer League outing where they field an ACTUALLY competent point guard for their team via Christian Anderson Jr. ...

The Forwards:

Michael Ajayi, F, Butler
Wyatt Fricks, F, Marshall
Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet/France
Liam McNeeley, F, Connecticut (Listed by Hornets PR Release as a F)
Cameron Matthews, F, Mississippi State

Position Group Takeaway:

More on Liam below, but my main takeaway from this group is Tidjane Salaun and how this is HIS group this year -- it's time he really shows us a massive jump in play on-court.

The Centers:

Josiah Allick, C, Nebraska
Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton
Hannes Steinbach, C/F, Washington/Germany

Position Group Takeaway:

Kalkbrenner will be the starter, but I believe Hannes' dual positioning here is to see what Steinbach can look like at the four spot next to Ryan in likely closing lineups during this tournament.

Immediate Takeaways From Official Roster Release:

My first note is that, to my extreme surprise, PJ Hall is not listed on this Hornets Summer League Roster. Yes, I wrote a profile about PJ, so I’m a tad biased. But it does feel strange that Charlotte decided to leave out one of the two confirmed two-way players they have on the main roster at this point. Strange occurrence, and absolutely something to monitor.

UPDATE: Hall's ankle is not quite 100%, per a family source, which is why he is absent from the roster.

My next gut reaction is that the Hornets listed McNeeley as a F on the main roster, and not a guard. You have to read into stuff like this, because while I think most around the Hornets felt Liam was more of a Wing anyway, it really is a surprise to see him listed as an outright Forward.

Rookie and 14th overall pick Hannes Steinbach has the dual listing of F/C, so it's clear the dual positional listing was an OPTION… Liam was just designated as a Forward, regardless. I think that’s incredibly interesting, and it’s another wrinkle you should look out for when Charlotte suits up for their first Vegas Classic Game in eight days.

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