Charles Lee pondered his answer for a split second.
With a little more than two weeks of preparation for the 2025-26 season behind him, the Charlotte Hornets coach had to think about what stood out to him most since they officially rolled the basketballs out for practice earlier this month in South Carolina.
“Man, there’s so many things to choose from,” Lee said Friday night. “I would say our overall togetherness. I’ve been really happy with the response that we’ve had in every preseason game, every practice. We’ve been trying to throw a lot at the guys from a schematic standpoint. We’ve also tried to create some adversity for them and we’ve obviously had some adversity at games.
“Their overall response together and the communication level that we’ve had in every game has been really good for a young team, a group that obviously has some new players joining it — whether it be from the draft or free agency or trades. I think that the group is really going together at a pretty quick pace.”
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after making a three-point basket during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Vincent Carchietta USA TODAY NETWORK
Now that the Hornets’ preseason is finally over following Friday night’s 113-108 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Lee & Co. can really get down to business. And that’s ramping it up a notch or two as they prepare for their regular-season opener against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday in a fully-renovated Spectrum Center.
The clock is already ticking, and the enthusiasm hasn’t waned a bit.
“We’re excited every day,” Lee said. “Every preseason game, every practice, the level of commitment to really getting better every day from the group has been at a really high level. So, I’m excited to prepare, but I’m also excited to get back in front of our Spectrum Center fans and play inside the Hive.”
Here are three things we learned in the Hornets’ five preseason games:
LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller are healthy
Although LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller sat out against the Knicks, joining Tre Mann, Grant Williams and Josh Green in street clothes, there’s no reason to sound the alarm.
The Hornets’ duo is perfectly fine. They were just resting in advance of the season opener.
How Ball’s ankles and Miller’s right wrist looked were two of the biggest questions surrounding the team entering the preseason. Now, the real query is: When will Ball nutmeg someone again?
His move of putting the ball through a Memphis defender’s leg during the Hornets’ victory over the Grizzlies on Wednesday and sustaining his dribble, only to toss a perfect alley-oop to Miller underhanded with an almost effortless flick of the wrist, went viral on social media after it happened.
Even Lee got caught off guard by the playground-style execution.
“I feel like I‘ve seen maybe a couple of Rucker (Park) highlights of that before or Harlem Globetrotters or something, but Melo never [ceases] to surprise.
“When you are that talented and you have such great instincts, things kind of come to you easy on the floor. Just glad that we converted that one.
“It’s been a point of emphasis for our team, is trying to convert our fast-break situations a little better. And I felt that we did do that last game. So, just proud that we are actually making progress in that area.”
Center spot may be fluid
Besides the health of Ball and Miller, the other question mark the Hornets faced heading into training camp at The Citadel focused on the center position.
As in who’s getting the starting nod?
But Lee hasn’t divulged the specifics on what he’s thinking there yet. And it’s hard to get an exterior read on the situation since Mason Plumlee missed the first three days of training camp practices along with media day because of a team-excused absence for personal reasons.
That gave Ryan Kalkbrenner an opportunity, and he ran with it. He threw his 7–foot-1 frame around early and often, leading to unsolicited praise from Miller during the third day of practice at The Citadel.
Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate goes to the basket during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Vincent Carchietta USA TODAY NETWORK
Judging by his frequent insertion with the starting five, presumably Kalkbrenner has a slight edge over Plumlee and Moussa Diabaté for the game-opening nod. Plumlee and Diabaté are each also vouching for that spot, and the three view the competition as a positive.
“Yeah, it’s something on every team, every season,” Plumlee said. “I think you just make your case when you’re on the floor. You make your case in practice, and then it’s ultimately up to the coaches to decide who gives your team the best chance to win.”
The rooks are all right
Speaking of Kalkbrenner, of course he represents just one-fourth of the Hornets’ crop of recent draftees that got the excitement level raised a notch or two thanks to winning the franchise’s first summer league championship.
Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley and Sion James have shown glimpses of how they can help the Hornets when counted on in their initial season as pros. Knueppel joined Kalkbrenner in the starting unit on a couple of occasions and Lee indicated he’s told Knueppel, Collin Sexton and Mann to be prepared to team alongside Ball in the backcourt to begin games.
McNeeley has the makings of a do-it-all player: grabbing a rebound here, hitting a jumper there, defending opponents at his tower above or hovering over his 6-foot-7, 210-pound frame.
Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard/forward Mikal Bridges during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Vincent Carchietta USA TODAY NETWORK
James is built like a racehorse and his defensive ability is his calling card. He plays point guard and the Hornets think enough of him to waive veteran Spencer Dinwiddie.
Collectively, they’ve left good impressions on their new teammates.
“Oh yeah, each rookie has come in and been allowing the coaches to coach them, and allowing us to coach them as well and lead them and help them out,” Sexton said. “I feel like at times you need to lean on your vets and then sometimes you’ve got to lean on your coaches.
“So, I feel like they’ve been listening and responding to sometimes when all of us get on them or a coach gets on them and we’re right there with them. So, I feel like they’ve been better and better each week as camp has been going on in the preseason as well, and the sky’s the limit for those guys.”
This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
Roderick Boone
The Charlotte Observer
Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he’s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” endlessly.
Support my work with a digital subscription
