When the Charlotte Hornets' roster was starting to take shape this summer, many folks were quick to posit that center would be the team's Achilles' heel. However, two weeks of preseason action have appeared to nip that notion in the bud. The position the Hornets may have to worry about, though, is power forward.
The big man corps, consisting of Moussa Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Mason Plumlee, had fans and analysts wondering if Charlotte plans on mailing it in this season. Positioning itself to secure a top draft pick in 2026 sounds like a logical strategy. However, years of losing may have already taken its toll on the franchise and its supporters, and another campaign of deliberately collecting losses could push players, particularly the longer-tenured ones, and fans over the edge.
Perhaps some of the reactions surrounding the Hornets' center rotation have been overblown. The preseason showed that Diabate and Kalkbrenner could be ahead of schedule in their development.
Those who watched "Moose" last season know how tenacious a rebounder he is. He seems to have improved in cleaning the glass, as evidenced by his preseason performance, but what was more impressive was his progress in other areas. He made the right defensive reads, hustled on both ends of the floor, dove for loose balls, and was a great connector on offense.
Meanwhile, Kalkbrenner was as good as advertised on defense, although he might struggle when matched up against more agile or more perimeter-oriented opponents. Still, the rookie demonstrated sound fundamentals and high defensive IQ that should compensate for his lack of lateral quickness.
Plumlee has looked every bit a third-string five, but there really isn't that much of an expectation from the veteran, so he'll probably be just fine.
Hornets' power forward situation is more of a question mark
While Charlotte has promising depth at the big man position, it's hard to say the same thing about its state of affairs at power forward. Miles Bridges is definitely an adequate placeholder in the starting lineup, and he seems like he's in the best shape in a long while. However, the jury's out on whether he is the sustainable solution as the starting power forward.
What might be a looming issue, though, is the Hornets' scarcity of options when Bridges is on the bench.
Grant Williams should be suitable for the job because of his two-way prowess, toughness, and leadership. However, it's unclear how long he still needs to recover from his injury completely. Moreover, the fact that Williams missed training camp and the preseason does not bode well for his chances of being a reliable rotation piece this season.
Tidjane Saluan, therefore, has to step up. Unfortunately for Charlotte, he still looks like a project player entering his second year in the NBA. There were times when he was arguably one of the team's best defenders during the preseason, but his offense remains nowhere near the level he needs it to be to become a serviceable player for the Hornets.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Charles Lee go the small-ball route and use the versatile McNeeley as a de facto power forward. Only time will tell, though, if the rookie is up to the task.
Having said all that, the Hornets could have a major conundrum in their hands once the regular season begins. It might require a ton of resourcefulness from the coaching staff to deal with, unless the front office opts to upgrade the roster in the following months.