Hannes Steinbach recorded another double double and Tidjane Salaun chipped in 18 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Charlotte Hornets to beat the Sacramento Kings.
The Summary
The game started much like most of the Hornets’ summer league games this year. It started pretty evenly with Hannes Steinbach the source of most of the offense. He checked out of the game, and the quality of play fell off a cliff. They quickly fell behind by double figures and were behind by 12 after one. They were able to make some inroads in the second quarter however, particularly in the final few minutes. The vast majority of the Hornets production came from their active big three, and almost all of it came at the free throw line. At the half, the Hornets trailed by five.
The Hornets turned up the defensive intensity in the third quarter and were able to threaten a few times. They got within one by quarter’s end thanks to a steal and score from Christian Anderson and a driving layup from Michael Ajayi. A couple minutes into the fourth, they finally took the lead on a Hannes Steinbach three from the top of the key. They were able to hold that lead for a good chunk of the fourth, though they were never able to create any separation. That meant a small Kings run later in the fourth was enough to retake the lead. Some self inflicted wounds between missed free throws and a transition turnover killed any chance at the Hornets taking it back.
The Takeaways
By the end, Hannes Steinbach reached the level of “too good for summer league.” That’s a very good sign for a guy that was taken 14th overall. He was completely uncontainable for the second straight game. He gobbled up rebounds and was fully unstoppable when he got the ball inside. And he even stepped out and attempted a couple of threes. The first rattled in and out, and the second swished as pure as you like. It was an ideal finish for the rookie, and he looks like he’ll be a good one.
Christian Anderson looked much improved from where he started summer league. He never found his groove from three, but I’m not worried about that in a small sample. In this game though, he continued upping his aggressiveness as a ball handler. He got to the line four times (would have been 7 with normal free throw rules) because of it. He drew a lot of fouls on the floor, but that is a testament to him forcing the issue and causing problems for defenders. He added a couple of crafty finishes around the basket and some really, really nice passing. On top of all that, he played more intense defense than I’ve seen from him, and he showed an ability to get physical with point guards and disrupt the offense. I think it was a performance that’ll ease at least a few concerns about the type of player he’ll be at the professional level.
He got the ball stripped a couple too many times, but Tidjane Salaun largely looked good attacking the basket. His activity level was really good and his finishing at the rim was stellar. There’s something there. He’s not a star player by any means, but I can see a world where he’s a positive energy forward off the bench if needed.
I really like Michael Ajayi’s game. Maybe a little too trigger happy in some ways, but we’ll chalk that up to the summer league environment. His physical profile is perfect for a defensive wing, and he had another handful of standout possessions guarding on the perimeter. And he makes his presence felt crashing the glass and being a general menace. He’s definitely the Hornets’ type.
The Hornets benefited from one of the basketball own goals I’ve ever seen. Emanuel Sharp tipped away a pass about 12 feet away from the basket and it somehow rainbowed to the basket and swished through.
What’s Next
Summer League is over for the Hornets. We now hit the wasteland part of the schedule. We’ll get no basketball between now and when preseason starts at the beginning of October. Hopefully we get a transaction or two to keep us occupied in the meantime.
