Charlotte Hornets: Expectations for NBA Summer League

There is hardly any time to catch your breath as the NBA Off-season is moving very quickly. The league has ushered in a new draft class and has gotten through a week of free agency in just the past couple of weeks. Now it’s time for the Charlotte Hornets and the rest of the NBA to gear up for the NBA Summer League.

The Hornets who were already notorious for their youth have brought in even more young talent to add to their roster. This Summer League roster should excite fans as it features all four of their draft selections from this year as well as their two second-round picks from the 2020 draft. Charlotte will also be welcoming the return of Arnoldas Kulboka from overseas and will be letting LiAngelo Ball, brother of Rookie of the Year Award winner LaMelo Ball, get some minutes with the squad.

This is a very exciting time for Hornets fans as there is so much hope for the future lying in some of these players. James Bouknight has all of the potential to be Charlotte’s co-star alongside LaMelo Ball and there’s hope that Kai Jones will be the answer at center for years to come. Some fans are still clinging onto hope that the answer at center could be from the 2020 draft in Vernon Carey Jr.

Wherever your hopes lie, it’s important to approach this year’s Summer League with realistic expectations about what to expect from this year’s squad. Here are a couple of things to remember as we get ready for the tournament.

Charlotte will look to spend most of their Summer League minutes seeing what the players they’ve invested in can do.

For all of the LiAngelo Ball stans, prepare yourselves now. It’s highly unlikely that Summer League head coach Dutch Gaitley and company spend a lot of time running plays for players who they haven’t invested in.

The bulk of this tournament will likely be spent on figuring out just what their new rookies can do and how far Carey and Nick Richards have grown as they battle it out for a roster spot. There should be a lot of experimentation with Jones to see where he fits and what his role on the offensive end will be. While a lot will be asked of Bouknight including whether or not he can be the spark scorer that the team needs off the bench now that they’ve lost Devonte’ Graham and Malik Monk.

Expect to see some action for Scottie Lewis so they can gauge just how good of a shooter he is after head coach James Borrego was pleased with how well he was shooting in practice. If Lewis can provide immediate impact as a 3&D wing that would be huge for Charlotte. Kulboka, who is also on a two-way contract like Lewis will likely have his shooting ability tested as well as his numbers from overseas were very impressive. Kulboka shot 42.5% from three on 4.6 attempts per game so it will be crucial for the staff to see how that transitions to the NBA.

Ball should get his fair share of minutes but don’t expect him to be the focus of attention or even be playing late during close games unless he’s having a stellar game. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if he hardly sees many minutes at all.

The Summer League is about player development, not winning games.

Everyone wants to win but before we start calling for coaches to be fired for not winning a Summer League game, it’s important to remember that the reason they are in Las Vegas is to see what all of those players can and can’t do. Coach Gaitley said it best during his press conference.

Win or lose, Summer League will be a great chance to see all of the young talents that Charlotte has brought in and has big hopes for. You can watch the Hornets Summer League squad for the first time on August 8 at 6 p.m. EST on ESPN3 and NBATV.