Swarm and Sting
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Charlotte Hornets Summer League evaluations

By William Clark

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 8: Dwayne Bacon #7 of the Charlotte Hornets high fives teammates during the game against the Miami Heat on July 8, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 8: Dwayne Bacon #7 of the Charlotte Hornets high fives teammates during the game against the Miami Heat on July 8, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 8: Devonte’ Graham #4 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball against the Miami Heat on July 8, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 8: Devonte’ Graham #4 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball against the Miami Heat on July 8, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Although the Charlotte Hornets’ summer league didn’t go as planned, there was plenty to take away from the starting lineups’ performances in Las Vegas.

The Charlotte Hornets finished the Las Vegas Summer League with a 3-2 record and made it to the second round of the playoff bracket where they eventually lost to the Toronto Raptors by just three points in overtime. Even though they didn’t win the tournament, the starting five of Devonte’ Graham, Malik Monk, Dwayne Bacon, Miles Bridges, and Willy Hernangomez impressed.

Charlotte had to deal with a number of injuries to key players but in the few games that they did play, they showed a lot of promise. Here’s a look at each of those players and how they performed during the summer league:

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PG: Devonte’ Graham

Stats: 3 games, 10.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, 2.7 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 37% FG

Strength: Offense Presence

Graham was solid in the summer league and performed better than many people expected. He had a good amount of minutes and showed why he was the best Point Guard on the Summer League Roster.

In his three games, Graham averaged 10 Points, three Rebounds, and six assists. These stats may not seem exceptional, but he played better than what the stats show. Four seasons at Kansas under the outstanding Coach Bill Self will be helpful later on. Graham may not be on the roster this season but I think he will earn a spot on the roster in years to come.

Weakness: Rebounding

Even though Graham is 6’2 and 185 he still needs to improve athleticism. This is not a bad height and weight for an NBA Point Guard, but this isn’t all there is to being a good at the next level. With decent height, Graham might want to improve his vertical so his rebounding can improve. He is a very skilled scorer and passer, there just needs to be improvement on the glass. If he can get his vertical higher then Devonte’ Graham will be a way better all-around player.

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