You know what today is? It’s the start of Charlotte Hornets training camp. That sure snuck up on us. In preparation for camp, the Hornets officially announced the slew of signings that had reported on for the last few weeks (Frank Ntilikina, RJ Hunter, Theo Maledon, and Edmond Sumner.) With that, we have the full training camp/preseason roster.
Your training camp crew this year ✌️ #LetsFly35
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 2, 2023
There aren’t any names on the list that are surprising. They’re all part of the active roster or recently signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the team. The one note is that despite being listed on the roster, Kai Jones won’t be with the team for training camp or the foreseeable future as he deals with what the team is calling “personal reasons.”
Now that we know the roster, here are some storylines to keep up with in camp and in the upcoming preseason games that start next week.
Which fringe NBA guard will stick?
The Hornets needed lead guard depth behind LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. Theo Maledon played well in the role last year, and he’s back on a two-way. To complement that trio, the Hornets went out and signed Edmond Sumner, Frank Ntilikina, and I guess RJ Hunter. One of those three is probably going to be the third point guard going into the season. That group doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence, but neither did Dennis Smith Jr. last year, and he turned out pretty good. The Hornets will hope they can catch lightning in a bottle somewhere.
How ready is Brandon Miller to contribute?
Brandon Miller had an okay but somewhat underwhelming summer league. He’s had a couple of months to get some extra work in and get prepared for the season. Typically the second overall pick is expected to step in and make an almost immediate impact. He’ll probably need some time to get into a rhythm, but you’d like to see him show early signs of promise either in the preseason games or in reports out of camp.
How does Miles Bridges look after a year away from the game?
Miles Bridges missed all of the 2022-23 season in the wake of his arrest for felony domestic violence. He’s apparently been working throughout his time away, but workouts aren’t NBA basketball. He was trending towards all star status the last time he was on the court. The Hornets need him to be one of their best players if they want any chance of success this season, but that’s not an easy ask for a player that hasn’t played a competitive game in 18 months.
Is Cody Martin healthy?
The first year of Cody Martin’s new four year contract was a lost season. He dealt with a quad/knee issue in camp last year and only played 56 seconds in the season opener before getting shut down for a few months. He ended up appearing in six games in the middle of the campaign before eventually getting shut down for the season. He’s the Hornets best perimeter defender and his energy helped the Hornets win a handful of games in 2021-22. His knee/quadriceps tendinopathy has now had close to a year to resolve itself. Hopefully he’s all systems go this time around.
