Observations from the Hornets’ first preseason game vs. the Brooklyn Nets
After trading LaMelo Ball away in June, the Hornets enter the 2026 NBA season looking for the new face of the franchise.
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But with Kon Knueppel, Coby White, and Brandon Miller out with minor injuries — a left hamstring strain, left calf strain, and shin contusion, respectively — Charlotte’s four preseason games will hardly answer that question.
The Hornets kicked off their season with a preseason matchup against the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night, which they lost 124-90 after trailing 56-52 at the half. The Hornets were outscored 36-21 in the third quarter and 32-17 in the fourth, when the Nets went on a 15-0 run.
“The second half, that’s just not how we want to be,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said, “no matter who’s on the floor.”
15 Charlotte players saw action, including a starting five consisting of Liam McNeeley, Naz Reid, Moussa Diabate, Grayson Allen and Dennis Schroder.
Here are three observations from Tuesday night:
The Hornets averaged 15.4 turnovers per game last season, which ranked 28th in the league. During Hornets Media Day on Sept. 28, Lee said keeping control of the ball would be a focus.
But Tuesday, his team did the opposite.
Yes, it is the preseason, when players are working to regain timing and ball-handling after the summer break, coaches are installing new playbooks, and younger players are still adjusting to the speed of the NBA.
But still, even with the preseason asterisk, the Hornets made too many mistakes.
“Was there some areas of slippage or sloppiness? For sure,” Lee said. “It wasn’t perfect.”
The Hornets recorded 13 turnovers in the second half and 25 overall, several more than the 19.2 turnovers they averaged in the 2025 preseason. More importantly, they gave up 31 points off those turnovers.
Three times during the game — early in the second quarter, late in the third, and early in the fourth — the Hornets committed three turnovers in the span of a minute. One sequence was composed entirely of turnovers by McNeeley, Charlotte’s first-round pick in 2025 out of UConn.
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“I had six turnovers,” McNeeley said. “Just can’t happen.”
With Knueppel and Ball finishing first and second in the league in 3-pointers made last season, Ball’s absence and Knueppel’s injury could have slowed down shooting beyond the arc Tuesday night.
But nothing looked out of whack, with the Hornets attempting 36 three-pointers and making 16 of them, good for 44.4%. The Hornets were second in the NBA last season with their 43.3 attempts per game, and they led the league with 16.4 makes.
McNeeley shot 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, with all three attempts in the third quarter.
“My teammates were finding me to shoot when I was open,” McNeeley said.
After trading away Ball, the Hornets brought in several new players, including Reid, Allen, Schröder, Buddy Hield, and White, among others.
At Media Day, Lee said he was excited that the team now has more proven guys to turn to, especially late in the game.
15 players scored points for the Hornets, including 14 points from McNeeley and 13 each from Reid and Allen.
Lee said Reid did a good job finding mismatches.
“I’m proud of the group for recognizing where is the mismatch,” Lee said, “and being able to see that within the plays.”
Although Lee had said the depth would allow for multiple guys to be ready for crunch time, the Hornets did not have a comeback opportunity, trailing by as much as 36 late in the fourth quarter.
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