Liam McNeeley has probably already caught the fancy of plenty of Charlotte Hornets fans, especially after a fantastic showing in Summer League. Grant Williams may have given the Hornets faithful another reason to like McNeeley.
In an interview with Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer, Williams talked about the annual basketball camp he holds in the city where he grew up. As it turned out, McNeeley volunteered to join this summer, an offer the veteran readily accepted.
The gesture had Williams thinking that the rookie is "really excited" to be a part of the Hornets organization. Hopefully, that is the case, as McNeeley looks primed to provide meaningful contribution to the team as early as his maiden season in the NBA.
Also, Williams sees his new teammate as instrumental to Charlotte's ambition to enact an "environmental shift," further highlighting the front office's desire to add players who are not just talented but also possess outstanding character.
Hornets may have found needed culture setters
Perhaps this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the two. The 2019 late first-round pick could serve as the perfect guide for McNeeley, who might not be able to play that much early despite having the skills that Charlotte is in desperate need of. McNeeley's ability to make it splash from long range and impact the game in other areas should give the squad good reason to put him on the floor.
However, even if the University of Connecticut product doesn't get the playing time he probably deserves because of a crowded rotation, he can still give Buzz City a needed boost by helping the young front office cultivate a winning culture. For the longest time, the Hornets have been synonymous with losing, something they are definitely looking to put in the past.
Establishing the right culture is paramount to creating a contender. To accomplish that, there have to be players who can serve as the leading voices in the locker rooms, which Williams is largely expected to be, and other guys who may not be as vocal but are willing to buy into the top brass's programs and encourage others to do so as well. Williams appears to believe McNeeley could be among those who can aid the Hornets' plans of bringing about "organizational change."
Of course, we could just be reading too much into Grant's plaudits for the 19-year-old rookie. However, given the agony the franchise and its fans have experienced in the past decades, one cannot fault them for finding glimmers of hope even in the seemingly mundane.