Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee is among those who are excited about Tre Mann's comeback from his injury. Based on his recent statement about the young guard, he could be planning to reinstate Mann to his role from last season as a heavy-minutes piece off the bench. That could also mean that Collin Sexton indeed has the pole position in the battle for one of the starting spots.
Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer recently interviewed Lee, where he praised Mann for helping the Hornets "get off to a good start" on both ends of the court in the 2024-25 campaign, his infectious work ethic, and being a great teammate overall. The 40-year-old coach also stated how he is looking forward to seeing Mann back on the floor.
Lee may not have directly stated it, but his statement makes it look like he is going to view the combo guard as an integral piece of the rotation once the regular season starts. Come to think about it, it makes sense, especially with how Mann had been performing before a mysterious back injury took him out after 13 appearances last year.
Charlotte's first five matches of last season saw him put up 21.0 points per game with a 47-44-100 shooting line and generate early Sixth Man of the Year buzz. So, it's not hard to see why Lee could decide to restore Mann's workload and minutes.
Hornets might have to stagger the playing times of Tre Mann and Collin Sexton
A hitch regarding that idea, though, is that if the coaching staff ends up placing Sexton on the bench, he and Mann would have to share the bulk of their playing time together. While the pairing could be a potent offensive duo, the Hornets' defense might suffer because both of them are undersized and not exactly plus-defenders.
Furthermore, Spencer Dinwiddie is expected to be the Hornets' backup playmaker. So, having Mann and Sexton suit up as reserves would necessitate the squad to be creative with their substitution patterns to avoid fielding a combination of those three players.
The most logical approach then would be to have Sexton on the floor during the opening buzzer alongside LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and whoever Lee deems best to start at center. That way, either Kon Knueppel or Mann would be one of the first bench guys to be subbed in.
The thing is, Knueppel should eventually be promoted to the starting lineup. Whether that happens later in the 2025-26 campaign or afterward remains to be seen. So, Charlotte might have to deal with both Mann and Sexton having to play off the bench one day, unless either or both of them are traded. But until that time comes, it's arguably better for the Hornets to stagger their minutes.