5 Things we learned from Hornets opening Summer League game

#5 Bryce McGowens leaves it all on the floor for the Hornets

He may not have shot the ball well, but Bryce McGowens played his heart out against the San Antonio Spurs. Charlotte’s second-year forward operated at pace, forced his will onto his defender, and often looked like breaking out of his shooting struggles throughout his 18 minutes on the floor.

Unfortunately, that scoring slump continued throughout the night, with McGowens going 3-of-10 from the field and 1-of-3 from deep. Still, McGowens didn’t let his struggles change his approach to the game, and it was clear he wanted to make a positive impact on his team. That’s what Summer League is about – you take the things you’ve been working on during the offseason and look to implement them in real-game situations while trying to prove you deserve a closer look during training camp.

Last season, a rookie McGowens played in 46 regular-season games for Charlotte, and he looked every bit of a player with experience playing at the highest level on Monday night. A poor shooting performance won’t have harmed McGowen’s stock too much with the coaching staff, and his overall play was indicative of a player who is hungry and willing to put in the extra mile to help his team.

McGowens played with heart and hustle…if the second-year forward can parlay some of that energy into a more consistent shooting night, he could be primed for a big Summer League tournament once the Hornets make their way to Las Vegas.