The Hornets May Have Found Exactly What They Needed in Grayson Allen

I wasn't sure what the Hornets were going to get from Grayson Allen when they traded for him this summer. I knew he could shoot. Everybody knew that. I just didn't know how much he would actually give Charlotte coming off the bench.

I'm starting to get a pretty good idea. Allen scored a season-high 27 points against Philadelphia on Saturday night and made seven threes. He only took 12 shots to get there. After watching the Hornets miss just about everything in Washington the night before, this was quite a change.

Allen Was Fun to Watch Saturday

Oct 30, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Grayson Allen (8) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) in the second half in an NBA Cup game at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I'll admit I didn't pay much attention to Allen when the Hornets made the Miles Bridges trade. I saw the first-round pick, and that's where my attention went. I knew Allen could shoot, but I didn't spend much time thinking about what he'd look like in Charlotte.

I was paying attention Saturday. Allen made nine of his 12 shots and seven of his 10 threes. The last one came with 3:41 left and gave Charlotte a 101-94 lead. I thought that was probably going to do it.

Obviously I was wrong. Philadelphia came back and won, and that took some of the fun out of what Allen had done. Still, 27 points off the bench is hard for me to ignore.

What a Difference a Night Makes

Maybe Allen's game stood out more to me because of what I watched Friday in Washington. That was one of the worst shooting nights I've seen from Charlotte in a long time. The Hornets scored 79 points and shot 29.7%.

Then Allen came out Saturday and made seven threes.

I don't need him doing that every night. If he gives Charlotte 10 or 15 points most nights and every once in a while gets hot like this, I'll take it.

He came into the game averaging 13.5 points. Saturday he had 27. I wasn't expecting that when Charlotte made the trade.

I'm Looking at That Trade a Little Differently Now

Miles Brdiges — Oct 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Miles Bridges (22) controls the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I still would've told you the first-round pick was the part of the Bridges trade I cared about most. Ask me again in a couple of years, and that might still be my answer. That's usually how I look at trades when a future first is involved.

Allen is making me pay more attention to what Charlotte got for right now. I've already seen him come off the bench and help, and Saturday he almost helped steal a game the Hornets ended up losing.

It's one game, so I'm not going crazy with it. I just know I'm more interested in Allen now than I was when the trade happened.

I'm not expecting seven threes again Monday night. That's asking a little much. But I am starting to think Allen could end up being a bigger part of that trade than I originally thought.

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