Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets found their franchise face in LaMelo Ball last season.

Now we'll get to see if they're capable of meeting rising expectations.

The Hornets were a surprising feel-good story for much of the 2020-21 campaign, establishing themselves as a clear playoff contender until injuries to Ball and Gordon Hayward derailed their trajectory. They still squeaked into the play-in tournament but didn't put up much of a fight in a 144-117 blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Charlotte had a solid offseason, inking Kelly Oubre Jr. to a two-year contract, trading for Mason Plumlee and knocking the draft out of the park with the selections of James Bouknight, Kai Jones and JT Thor. Bouknight will replace a departing Devonte Graham, who netted a first-round pick in a sign-and-trade, while Plumlee slides in as a Cody Zeller replacement.

Jones and Thor are high-upside wild cards at the two big-man spots where the Hornets desperately needed to fill a hole.

All told, the Hornets look like a team with a cogent, consistent plan on how to build their roster. Here's a look at what to expect this season. 

     

2021-22 Charlotte Hornets Season Details

Season Opener: vs. Indiana Pacers (Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET)

Championship Odds: +12000 (FanDuel)

Schedule: NBA.com

            

Top Matchups

Chicago Bulls (Nov. 29 at Bulls)

Few things get social media in a bigger uproar than a matchup of the Ball brothers. Lonzo headed to his third team in five NBA seasons this offseason, inking a four-year, $85 million contract with the Bulls and becoming playoff race rivals with LaMelo in the process.

Lonzo should see an increase in his on-ball role in Chicago after moving off the ball in half-court sets last season. The Pelicans preferred to run the offense through Zion Williamson, whereas the eldest Ball should take the lead ball-handling duties in Chicago. It'll be a timeshare with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine also needing touches, though.

These teams are also playing on the same general tier in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls likely fashion themselves a 4-5 contender after a splashy offseason, but their roster fit and defense still leave something to be desired.

It's possible these teams will wind up seeing one another in a play-in game at the end of the season.

      

Minnesota Timberwolves (Nov. 26 vs. Timberwolves)

While Anthony Edwards came on strong late in the season, many feel the Wolves made a mistake drafting him over Ball a year ago. 

The Wolves will seek to prove the doubters wrong in 2021-22.

Much of that will hinge on D'Angelo Russell, the player who cost them the seventh pick in July's draft and the guy they felt could handle the franchise point guard spot over Ball a year ago. Russell missed most of last season due to injuries and didn't look like an All-Star-caliber player when he was in the lineup.

If Ball takes another leap this season—and has a huge game against Minnesota—it's going to create even more questions. 

      

Season Forecast

The Hornets' season depends on how big of a leap Ball takes in his second year. They were an exceedingly watchable team in 2020-21, and a solid playoff squad before injuries took hold.

A full season with a healthy Hayward and an ascending Ball could have them competing as high as the No. 5 seed.

That said, we're talking about a best-case scenario there. It's far more likely Ball takes an incremental leap, and Hayward misses time, leading to them settling in that 8-10 seed range.

This is still a team very much on the rise. Just don't expect it to happen all at once. 

Record Prediction: 41-41

     

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The Charlotte Hornets have reached an agreement with guard Terry Rozier on a four-year, $97 million maximum contract extension through the 2025-26 NBA season.

Aaron Turner, Rozier's agent, confirmed the deal to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic. 

Rozier is set to enter the final season of his previous three-year, $56.7 million contract. His new deal will kick in beginning with the 2022-23 campaign.

The 27-year-old University of Louisville product is coming off a season where he averaged a career-high 20.4 points across 69 appearances for the Hornets. He also put up 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 3.2 threes and 1.3 steals per game.

Charlotte ended the 2020-21 season on an ill-timed losing streak, including a blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers in the play-in tournament, but Rozier said during his exit interview that it didn't dampen the team's bright future.

"Ending the season how we ended it with six straight losses is never fun, but we're building something and we're looking forward to what's ahead," Rozier told reporters. "I'm happy to be here. I like this organization a lot and I love this city a lot. I'm just looking to grow and get better with my guys around me."

The Hornets continued to add to their core of Rozier, LaMelo Ball, P.J. Washington, Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges in the offseason. They signed forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who should provide a much-needed two-way boost on the wing, and they selected guard James Bouknight with the 11th overall pick in the draft.

Charlotte will continue to lean heavily on the scoring ability of Rozier, who always showed the potential to become a lethal scorer during his four seasons with the Boston Celtics but didn't capitalize on it until he stepped into a bigger role with the Hornets following the July 2019 trade.

While the Ohio native could still benefit from becoming a more efficient shooter, his 45 percent shooting from the field last season did mark a 4 percent increase from his career average. He also shot a rock-solid 38.9 percent from three-point range.

The Hornets are betting his marked improvement over the last two seasons will continue, which could turn his new extension into a bargain amid the peak of his career.

As a high-level basketball player who turned pro at the age of 16, LaMelo Ball apparently isn't too upset about missing out on the college experience. 

In an interview with Tyler R. Tynes of GQ, Ball explained why he is "not trippin' off school" as a young man.

"We not dumb," he said. "We know how to learn. We don't need school. And school not even teachin' you s--t—what the f--k is school?"

Alongside his brother, LiAngelo, LaMelo signed a professional contract to play for Prienu Vytautas in Lithuania in 2017. 

LaMelo Ball, 16 will be the youngest basketball player from the United States to ever play Professionally Overseas. pic.twitter.com/r7lXyYUpwv

— Big Baller Brand (@bigballerbrand) December 12, 2017

Signing that deal ended Ball's chances of playing college basketball, where he had been committed to UCLA.  

Lonzo Ball, LaMelo's older brother, played the 2016-17 season for the Bruins before going to the NBA. 

LaMelo Ball only played in eight games with Prienu Vytautas before returning to the United States. He was limited by back pain, but his father, LaVar, was also critical of the coaching staff for not playing his son enough. 

After spending time in the Junior Basketball Association created by his father and playing 12 games with the Illawarra Hawks in the National Basketball League in Australia, Ball was the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. 

That whirlwind journey paid off, as Ball was named NBA Rookie of the Year last season. The 19-year-old averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 51 appearances during the 2020-21 campaign. 

Fresh off being named NBA Rookie of the Year last season, LaMelo Ball has his sights set on even bigger things going forward. 

Speaking to Tyler R. Tynes of GQ, the Charlotte Hornets star said winning a championship with the franchise is "definitely the plan."

"I want to be here for a long time," he added. "I love the game. I love being around it. This is what I wanted to do with my life."

Ball was taken by the Hornets with the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He was coming off a disappointing stint with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League in Australia during the 2019-20 season. 

A foot injury limited Ball to 12 games with the Hawks before he returned to the United States in January 2020 to prepare for the NBA. He averaged 17 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per contest with a 37.5 field-goal percentage. 

At the time of last year's draft, the Hornets looked like a rudderless ship. Their only star, Kemba Walker, left to join the Boston Celtics in the summer of 2019 in a sign-and-trade deal. 

Charlotte finished the 2019-20 season with a 23-42 overall record and an offense that ranked 29th with a 106.3 rating and last with 102.9 points per game. 

After drafting Ball and acquiring Gordon Hayward in a sign-and trade with the Celtics as a free agent, the Hornets improved to a respectable 33-39 last season. 

The Hornets made the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the first game. Despite not making the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, they did take positive steps forward in 2020-21. 

Ball is the biggest reason for optimism in Charlotte. The 19-year-old averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game in 51 appearances as a rookie.    

LiAngelo Ball has had a very nice Summer League in Las Vegas. But on Monday night, he came back down to Earth a bit. 

Ball scored just six points as his Charlotte Hornets were blown out by the Chicago Bulls, 99-74. 

Gelo with the fastbreak flush💥 pic.twitter.com/VeY08b9OE1

— ESPN (@espn) August 17, 2021

While Ball finished 3-of-13 from the field (0-of-5 from three) with a rebound and two steals, Chicago's Ayo Dosunmu (19 points), Jerome Robinson (13 points, five assists) and Tyler Bey (13 points, 11 rebounds) were all excellent. Kai Jones (16 points, nine rebounds) led the way for Charlotte. 

If nothing else, there was no shortage of highlights in this contest:

It was an #SCtop10 highlight reel all night 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KVyowbImwd

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 17, 2021

Through his first four games, Ball averaged 10.5 points per game in summer league. He sank five three-pointers in his Vegas debut, and there was a palpable buzz when he was on the court. 

16 PTS, 5 3PM 🎯

LiAngelo Ball got it done from deep in his @hornets #NBASummer debut! pic.twitter.com/s5QXHvnfuT

— NBA (@NBA) August 9, 2021

🚨 COUNT IT 🚨

LiAngelo Ball beats the buzzer from distance on ESPNU! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/umo730e7rS

— NBA (@NBA) August 12, 2021

Spoke w/#Hornets assistant coach Jay Triano, who said this of @LiAngeloBall: “Great kid. Love him. He was at the facility practicing everyday for two months to play in the Summer League. Shows a ton of character. He can shoot it, great feel, knack for scoring.”

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 15, 2021

LiAngelo Ball is proving to us that he’s worth a league opportunity…that’s it. That’s all.

I’ve seen both of Giannis’ brothers get looks and they’re not anything remotely close to as skilled as Gelo. That’s it. That’s all.

— Ry (@JustRyCole) August 15, 2021

Shooters are valuable in the NBA in the pace-and-space era, but Monday night was a reminder of the biggest question Ball poses for NBA teams: If that shot isn't falling, what else does he offer? 

The middle Ball brother isn't a natural playmaker. He isn't a plus defender like Lonzo, or a walking highlight reel like LaMelo. He isn't the sort of player who is going to consistently get his own shot off the dribble against top perimeter defenders. 

Has he earned himself a two-way contract or a spot in the G League with his performance in Las Vegas? Almost assuredly. But his long-term upside will be capped until he adds another dimension to his game. 

Members of the Charlotte Hornets front office reportedly "love" LiAngelo Ball amid a strong performance for the team at the Las Vegas Summer League, per Jordan Schultz of ESPN.

"Great kid. Love him," assistant coach Jay Triano said of Ball, per Schultz. "He was at the facility practicing every day for two months to play in the Summer League. Shows a ton of character. He can shoot it, great feel, knack for scoring."

Ball is hoping to earn a roster spot in either the NBA or G League heading into the 2021-22 season.

The 22-year-old has fared well in summer league, averaging 10.5 points in four games. He scored 16 in his debut, showcasing his skill from the outside:

LIANGELO BALL 4-POINT PLAY 🔥🔥 https://t.co/PGnVmE3u4r

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 9, 2021

The 6'5" forward has shot 41.7 percent from three-point range, adding 1.5 steals per game during his limited playing time. 

It was Ball's first extended significant action since going undrafted in 2018. Though he signed a G League contract with the Oklahoma City Blue in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the season before he ever got playing time. He also signed a training camp contract with the Detroit Pistons in early December 2020 but was waived just 11 days later.

Charlotte could sign him to play alongside younger brother LaMelo, who won the NBA's Rookie of the Year award last season. His older brother, Lonzo, joined the Chicago Bulls this offseason on a four-year, $85 million contract.

The Hornets already have solid depth at guard between LaMelo, Terry Rozier, Ish Smith and first-round pick James Bouknight, but the middle Ball brother might have done enough to become a part of the team's future plans.  

LiAngelo Ball's quest to earn a spot on the Charlotte Hornets alongside his brother LaMelo continued with an eight-point effort off the bench on Saturday as the Toronto Raptors picked up an 80-79 victory at the Las Vegas Summer League. 

Ball went 3-of-8 from the field with two three-pointers, one steal and one rebound in 17 minutes as the Hornets dropped their fourth straight exhibition contest.

🗣 "Rise and fire!"

LiAngelo Ball drains the deep triple 🎯

Fourth-quarter #NBASummer action 🔜 on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/hpN6QFVVDC

— NBA (@NBA) August 15, 2021

STRONG finish by @LiAngeloBall! 😤 #AllFly pic.twitter.com/9hdmzMCRrW

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) August 15, 2021

It's the second straight contest Ball finished with eight points after he scored 16 on 10 field goal attempts in his Summer League debut. Yet the 22-year-old more than held his own against a large Raptors lineup featuring No. 4 overall pick Scottie Barnes, who finished with a game-high 23-points, five rebounds and four assists. 

Scottie Barnes finishes the breakaway jam to tie it up with 20 seconds to go on NBA TV! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/pZlNp4zBYl

— NBA (@NBA) August 15, 2021

Scottie hoopin'

21 Pts | 5 Reb | 3 Ast pic.twitter.com/GcCDKTpMk1

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) August 15, 2021

Barnes played 30 minutes and got a bit more run with his frontcourt mate in Precious Achiuwa, who came over from the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry. 

Achiuwa went 8-of-14 from the field with 18 points and six boards in the win. But it was Barnes who notched a huge dunk with 20 seconds remaining in regulation to knot the game at 79. Dalano Banton (seven points) would go onto seal the win two seconds later by stealing the inbounds pass and immediately drawing a foul. After missing the first free throw, the point guard drained his second to help secure the win. 

  

LiAngelo Ball had his first off game of the NBA Summer League season on Thursday in the Charlotte Hornets' 106-105 loss against the San Antonio Spurs. 

Tre Jones played the role of hero for the Spurs with the go-ahead layup with 1.6 seconds remaining. The Duke product scored a game-high 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting, adding nine assists and eight rebounds in 29 minutes. 

Tre Jones for the LEAD!

Spurs up 1 with 1.6 left. pic.twitter.com/E1bfVBNQeX

— NBA Summer League (@NBASummerLeague) August 12, 2021

Hornets rookie James Bouknight had a fantastic bounce-back performance after being held in check by Davion Mitchell on Monday. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft had 23 points on 11-of-23 shooting and eight assists with zero turnovers. 

Ball was held to eight points on 3-of-9 shooting in 12 minutes. He entered today averaging 13 points in the first two games, including going 5-of-8 from three-point range against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Even though Ball didn't have his most efficient scoring day, he did provide one of the game's best highlights. 'Gelo made a 38-foot three-pointer off an inbounds pass with 0.6 seconds before halftime. 

8️⃣ BALL AT THE BUZZER‼️#AllFly pic.twitter.com/LxFux7y1Fi

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) August 12, 2021

There was initially some confusion about whether or not the basket would count because the clock didn't start, but the shot was eventually confirmed. 

YOU HAVE TO COUNT THAT, RIGHT?!

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) August 12, 2021

After joining the G League's Oklahoma City Blue as a practice player in December 2019, Ball signed with the team in early March 2020 but didn't appear in a game because the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the remainder of the season. 

Ball signed a training camp deal with the Detroit Pistons prior to the start of the 2020 campaign, but he was waived on Dec. 13 before getting into a game. 

The early returns from Ball during the summer league have been largely positive. He's facing an uphill battle to make the Hornets roster, but if he continues to play well, another club could give him a chance. 

Charlotte will be off tomorrow before playing the Toronto Raptors on Saturday at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The Spurs will wrap up their summer league schedule on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets before the playoffs begin. 

One day after dropping 16 points on the Portland Trail Blazers, LiAngelo Ball hit double digits again as the Charlotte Hornets lost 80-70 to the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Summer League.

Ball played 19:58 and finished with 10 points, five rebounds and two steals. In the event he fails to make the Hornets' opening-night roster, it won't be due to a lack of outside support. He had plenty of partisans behind him inside Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

And the "We Want Gelo" chants to get LiAngelo Ball into the game have started.

— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) August 9, 2021

The 22-year-old caught fire in the first half and didn't slow down against Portland, going 5-of-8 on three-pointers. His long-range stroke was noticeably lacking Monday as he went 1-of-4.

LiAngelo Ball is cold today. Had a wide-open look but fired up an airball. Doesn't have the same rhythm so far.

— Rod Boone (@rodboone) August 9, 2021

Ball finally connected from deep in the third quarter for his lone three-point make.

LiAngelo Ball hits from deep 💧 #NBASummer https://t.co/yULXY171En

— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 9, 2021

For NBA fans, summer league is mostly about watching the top incoming rookies and young stars who are early into their pro careers. For a lot of those taking part, the showcase is a way to earn a contract.

Ball certainly falls into that camp, and he appears to know exactly what's at stake. Even if he's unable to reunite with younger brother LaMelo in Charlotte, he might get on the radar of another team.

LiAngelo is going to get a contract. Even if it’s not with the Hornets, he plays HARD and gives a spark to the team.

— Chris Lea - Sportscaster (@ChrisLeaTV) August 9, 2021

LiAngelo is putting in work on the court 💪 pic.twitter.com/JhscVQX02O

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 9, 2021

Ball and the Hornets play again Thursday, tipping off against the San Antonio Spurs at 3 p.m. ET.

LiAngelo Ball is making the most of his opportunity with the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA summer league already.

While the Hornets lost 93-86 to the Portland Trail Blazers in their summer league opener, Ball came off the bench to finish with 16 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 16 minutes.

He shot 5-of-8 from three-point territory, while the rest of the Hornets collectively were 3-of-19 from beyond the arc.

After entering the game in the first quarter, Ball dialed up from deep at the 9:49 mark of the second frame for his first bucket of the game.

LiAngelo Ball knocks down a three-pointer for the Hornets! 👌🏼 #NBASummer https://t.co/duDkXzdA4R

— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 8, 2021

The shooting didn't stop from there.

Great ball movement by the Hornets leads to another three-pointer by LiAngelo Ball 🔥 #NBASummer https://t.co/yfkKa0bwpn

— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 8, 2021

Knock it down @LiAngeloBall! 👌 pic.twitter.com/LVjr8WLczI

— NBA Summer League (@NBASummerLeague) August 8, 2021

LIANGELO BALL 4-POINT PLAY 🔥🔥 https://t.co/PGnVmE3u4r

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 9, 2021

In the third quarter, Ball certainly earned this assist that was finished off by Nick Richards.

LiAngelo with the all-out hustle 😤 pic.twitter.com/Doxa9OPxHv

— ESPN (@espn) August 8, 2021

While his brothers, Lonzo and LaMelo, have carved out NBA careers for themselves, LiAngelo hasn't had a professional breakthrough following his abrupt departure from UCLA in 2017.

"I don’t know," Ball told the Charlotte Observer's Jonathan M. Alexander of his road so far. "I control what I can. That’s not in my hands. So every time I get the chance to play, I just go my hardest, and hopefully it’ll work out."

One strong performance in summer league doesn't guarantee Ball will make Charlotte's final roster, but it likely ensures he'll get plenty of run when the Hornets are back in action Monday against the Sacramento Kings.

His hot shooting from deep should be encouraging to the coaching staff, too, after the team finished 13th in the league in three-point percentage last season (36.9 percent).