The Charlotte Hornets have done splendidly in the first two games of the preseason.
The team lost against the New York Knicks in the opener, although it was just three free throws away from stealing the win. Still, there were plenty of positive takeaways from that contest, especially considering it was the Hornets' first game together in a long while.
On Tuesday, they faced off against the Miami Heat, pulling out a 111-108 victory. Hornets rookie Tidjane Salaun's jumper with 59.1 seconds left gave the squad a one-point lead that it held onto until the final buzzer.
The Hornets' best players in the first two preseason games
Of course, winning is just one motivation driving Charlotte this preseason. More important for the franchise is to continue seeing its players improve and to find out which combinations of lineup work out well.
So far, three players have stood out for the team, including a surprising youngster who many felt wasn't ready for the big league.
Tidjane Salaun
When the Hornets drafted Salaun with the No. 6 pick this summer, it signaled that they were planning on extending their rebuild by at least one more year. After all, the 19-year-old Frenchman was seen as a raw player, while other seemingly NBA-ready prospects who were projected to be able to immediately help teams that drafted them were available.
For instance, Rob Dillingham was selected two picks later than Salaun and performed outstandingly in his first preseason match for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Interestingly, Salaun has defied expectations, especially after a middling Summer League performance. He has been one of Charlotte's best players early in the preseason. Against the Knicks, he scored 11 on 4-for-8 shooting from the field and 3-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. The big man then proved it wasn't a fluke by putting up 15 points and four 3-pointers two days later versus Miami. He also fell two rebounds short of a double-double.
He has looked comfortable letting it fly from deep, hitting pull-up shots and catch-and-shoots. If the teenager can maintain his pace from long range, the Hornets might need to consider slotting him into the rotation.
Earlier in the offseason, Salaun showed he was ready to be a contributor for Charlotte in the 2024-25 campaign by detailing how playing in the NBA seems easier than in Europe. Through two preseason appearances, he has walked the talk and has made a strong case to get significant minutes once the regular season starts.
Tre Mann
In 2021, the Oklahoma City Thunder selected Tre Mann with the 18th overall pick, a move that panned out well for both parties because the team found a diamond in the rough.
After playing significant minutes and being a part-time starter during his rookie campaign, he got slowly eased out of the Thunder's rotation. The 2023-24 season saw him play in just 9.2 minutes per game in an OKC uniform before a fateful trade to the Charlotte Hornets gave him an opportunity to strut his stuff. He then averaged 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per contest in 28 starts for the Hornets.
Mann has picked up where he left off in the preseason. Against the New York Knicks on Sunday, he scored 15 off the bench on 6-for-8 shooting while also logging four assists and a couple of defensive stats.
He followed that up with a 14-point performance against the Miami Heat, drawing comparisons to legendary shooting guard Allen Iverson because of his shifty ball-handling, creative finishes, and personal style and fashion.
The Hornets may have found themselves a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year contender, who also has the potential to one day challenge for a starting spot if he can improve his defense and prove to be a great fit with the franchise's cornerstones.
LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball's return from another injury-induced lengthy layoff has been one of the most anticipated storylines of the Charlotte Hornets' preseason. However, it appears he is nearing peak physical health and has shown barely any rust in his first NBA games in a long while.
He suited up for 19 minutes against the New York Knicks, managing to register 18 points, four 3-pointers, and seven assists. Ball's efficiency wasn't quite where he likely hoped it would be, as he shot just 42.9% from the field and turned the rock over four times. Still, he looked like the best player in a Hornets uniform not named Tre Mann.
The 2022 All-Star reserve provided fans with an encore in Charlotte's second preseason match by lighting up the Miami Heat with 24 points (with six 3-pointers) and a game-high +19 in 23 minutes. Beyond his scoring production, Ball also turned heads when he recorded 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists in his first 11 minutes of action.
Perhaps what the Hornets organization and its fans should be most thrilled about the 2021 Rookie of the Year so far is his commitment to playing defense. After he embraced the challenge of defending Jalen Brunson on Sunday, he also displayed several great defensive possessions against the Heat, including when he put the clamps on Jimmy Butler in the first quarter.
Ball has demonstrated that he is still atop the Hornets' hierarchy, even if some folks believe Brandon Miller will soon take over and grab the keys to the franchise.