With all the injuries the Charlotte Hornets have had to deal with this early in the 2024-25 campaign, there should be no way up for the organization in that regard. Otherwise, the worst case scenario for the Hornets will come to pass.
On Friday, the shorthanded squad gave the New York Knicks, one of the preseason favorites to come out on top of the Eastern Conference, a heart attack. Fans probably didn't expect a LaMelo Ball-less crew to lose by just a single point to the Knicks. The fact that Brandon Miller had a wildly inefficient outing made it more impressive.
Charlotte's depth surprisingly made a difference, as many of its youngsters stepped up to the plate to help the team go neck-and-neck with New York.
Healthy Hornets have several players who deserve playing time
Rookies Tidjane Salaun and KJ Simpson were outstanding, with the former draining four shots from long distance and exuding infectious confidence and energy. Simpson vindicated himself after his first two NBA games were uneventful. The point guard scored 11 while displaying solid defense at the point of attack.
Moussa Diabate was his usual disruptive self on the glass (11 rebounds) and surprisingly got involved on offense. He drained multiple field goals for the first time in seven matches, going 3-4 from the field to put up six points.
Nick Smith Jr., who appeared in 15.3 minutes per contest last season before finding himself at the end of the Hornets' bench this year, also contributed eight markers and two 3-pointers.
All four of them got some burn on Friday, mainly because Charlotte had to go into the battle versus the Knicks without Ball, Tre Mann, Miles Bridges, Grant Williams, Nick Richards, and Mark Williams. If the team hadn't missed so many bodies, chances are the youngsters mentioned above would have played spot minutes or not at all.
However, their performances beg the question of whether they should really be playing behind other Hornets players. They each bring their own strengths, and coach Charles Lee has surely taken notice. Salaun and Diabate, specifically, have been manna from heaven for the significantly depleted frontcourt.
With the injured players' return probably not happening anytime soon, Salaun, Diabate, Simpson, and Smith Jr. should look to capitalize on the opportunity that has been presented to them. After that, they can just entrust their fates to Lee, as all they can do is give the coaching staff enough reason to trust them to perform well on the hardwood floor.