Back in the summer, the Charlotte Hornets' decision to sign Drew Peterson drew praise from some pundits. David Thorpe of TrueHoops even revealed that another team was "desperate" to acquire him, but the Hornets landed him first. As it turns out, the G League standout has yet to prove worthy of holding one of their three two-way spots.
Peterson finally made his Hornets debut on Monday, and, unfortunately, he was unable to turn in a decent, let alone an impressive, performance. In 16 minutes of action, he finished with one point, one rebound, and one assist and missed all three of his shots, two of which were from beyond the arc.
The most notable part of Peterson's evening was making a four-minute cameo in the fourth quarter while Charlotte was trying to mount a comeback. Some fans wondered why Charles Lee thought it was a good idea to give him some run at such a crucial juncture of the game. Tre Mann's early exit due to ankle soreness and the continued absence of Brandon Miller and Liam McNeeley may have left the coaching staff no choice but to put the swingman on the floor in crunch time. However, he did not make that much of an impact.
Drew Peterson needs to make the most of the opportunities he is given
At 26 years old, Peterson does not have as many chances to show that he belongs in the big league as other younger project players. So, he has to capitalize every time he gets some minutes. However, the Hornets can probably afford to give him a longer leash, especially since another of their two-way pieces, Antonio Reeves, needed two games to display his potential to carve a role in the rotation.
It remains to be seen, though, if the University of Southern California product can rebound from his tough NBA debut. His skills could be pretty useful for Charlotte. He was one of the G League's most lethal shooters in the 2024-25 regular season, hitting 4.2 3-pointers per contest on 40.4 percent shooting. He also proved to be more than just a one-dimensional player, complementing his 20.0 points with 6.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per match.
The Greensboro Swarm have had a taste of what Peterson can bring in his first appearances with the squad during the Tip-Off Tournament. Through two games, he has averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per contest, with his debut seeing him record a near-triple-double.
If Peterson wants a full-scale contract from the Hornets, he has to bring his all-around skills and penchant for making it rain from downtown every time he gets a call-up. As it stands, the team already has a surplus of shooting guards and small forwards.
In fact, the Hornets' dire need for a reliable power forward with size could make Peterson a candidate to be cut later in the season. So, he has plenty of incentives to substantiate the report that he was a highly coveted player during the offseason.