Doug Branson here, the host of the daily Locked On Hornets podcast, with your daily Locked On Hornets newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Hornets and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Nov 8, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) reacts to a call during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images|Scott Kinser/Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
🏀 The Big Picture Brandon Miller’s sophomore season hasn’t started the way Hornets fans—or I—had hoped. After showing so much promise as a rookie, his shooting percentages have plummeted to 35% from the field and 31% from three through nine games. Let’s not forget he missed time with an injury, which has likely thrown him off rhythm. I’m not hitting the panic button yet, particularly based on a return to aggressive, decisive play over the last two games.
🔥 LaMelo Ball is Balling LaMelo Ball has been nothing short of electric. His scoring output this season might be setting the stage for the best offensive campaign in Charlotte Hornets history. Yes, the turnovers are frustrating, and the defense still has room for improvement, but the numbers don’t lie—this guy is a bona fide star. Right now, I’d rank LaMelo in the top tier of NBA point guards based on his production this season. He’s leading this team, and if we can get just a little more from the supporting cast, we might start seeing results in the win column.
📉 Brandon Miller’s Slump I get it—fans are frustrated with Miller’s shooting slump and the apparent change in his shot diet. But let’s not forget, this is a young player adjusting to a new role under a new coach while coming off an injury. Yes, he’s taking more threes, and yes, he’s not getting to the mid-range spots as much as some would like, but that’s part of his development. What worries Walker more is his inability to consistently finish at the rim or create for others. Those are areas he must improve to reach the next level, but I still believe in his potential.
🧪 Developmental Focus The Nick Smith Jr. situation is another hot topic. Sending him to the G-League makes sense to me. He hasn’t been able to crack the rotation, and he needs minutes to grow. Sure, it’s not a great sign that he hasn’t seized opportunities, but the G-League isn’t a punishment—it’s a chance to get better. That said, I do worry about whether this franchise has the tools to develop guards like Smith. We’ve seen similar struggles with players like Malik Monk in the past, and the pattern can’t be ignored.
🕹 Tonight’s NBA Cup Matchup The Hornets face the Brooklyn Nets in their second NBA Cup game tonight. With Brooklyn missing key centers, the Hornets have a chance to dominate the boards. LaMelo Ball could continue his offensive tear, but the team needs Miller and the bench to step up. Cam Thomas, Brooklyn’s scoring dynamo, poses a significant challenge for the Hornets’ defense.
📈 Final Take This season was always about growth, and while the early returns have been mixed, patience is key. LaMelo Ball is already a star, and the team is betting on Brandon Miller to join him. The NBA Cup offers a small stage for them to begin rewriting the narrative—and perhaps snag a much-needed win.
Stay tuned for the Hornets’ NBA Cup recap in tomorrow’s podcast!
The Sixers are no longer just bad, they’re cornered
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center|Photo by Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Look, I held off as long as I could, told myself it was only an awkward start. I looked to silver linings, to the tendency that things going wrong for this long tend to right themselves. I looked to the surrounding conditions for clues and when none revealed themselves, I decided to stay positive but now, it’s time: time to talk about the Philadelphia 76ers.
Beyond what Sixers fans know intimately and don’t need reiterated (things are bad), the mood around the franchise is starting to feel closer to cornered than merely frustrated. Last night, after a third quarter collapse against the Heat in Miami, the Sixers held a postgame meeting that lasted over an hour. The game already had a bizarre feel to it, Philly led by 19 before being down 20, and Joel Embiid went from being listed as doubtful to starting. No one on the Sixers roster looked especially comfortable, a trend that’s emerged throughout the team’s first full month of regular season play.
Slipping now to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with a record of 2-11 I still feel the need to double check as I write this, one thing has become abundantly clear — the Sixers don’t have room to hedge.
There’s no scapegoat to pin the team’s shoddy performance on, not this early in the season. Even when healthy, and Embiid, George and Maxey are on the floor together, it’s been for naught. Both the teams wins came in arduous overtime, one without George and both without Embiid. The Sixers win against the Hornets was missing Maxey completely.
Here’s a problem I’ve wondered about since Daryl Morey landed George in what was declared an undisputed win for the franchise and the best move of the offseason — what about Philadelphia’s role players? To clear the books for cap space enough to sign George, Daryl Morey liquidated the team’s working roster — 13 of the team’s 15 man squad became free agents. Tobias Harrias and Nicolas Batum may not be spring chickens in NBA terms, but they provided the mechanical support the Sixers are now woefully lacking. This isn’t the Sixers only problem, that much has been made clear, but it’s a big one.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Rumor The NBA is considering a new format for the 2025 All-Star Game to make it more exciting and engaging for fans. (SI.com)
WEEKEND RECAP: LaMelo Ball fined, Hornets solve Giannis But Can’t Run From Cavs Bigs The Charlotte Hornets split a dramatic weekend with a thrilling win over Milwaukee and a tough loss to Cleveland but postgame comments overshadowed stellar play from LaMelo Ball. In this episode, we dissect LaMelo’s $100K fine from the NBA for his postgame comments, the importance of his and Charles Lee’s apologies, and if it signals hope that the Hornets and Ball can focus less on off court distractions and more on getting better on the court.
Tidjane Salaun benched and Vasa Micic returns in latest Hornets rotation shakeups + New TV Deal, What it means for you Walker and Doug dissect the Hornets’ latest rotation dilemmas, focusing on rookie Tidjane Salaun’s fluctuating minutes and Charles Lee’s handling of injuries. The hosts break down how Salaun’s early starting role evolved back into a bench role and analyze whether putting him in the starting lineup was premature. They also review Vasa Micic’s recent reappearance and what it signals for the team’s depth. Finally, the Hornets’ new TV deal with Amazon Prime Video stirs up more fan confusion over how to access games. Tune in for a breakdown of what’s working and what’s not in the Hornets’ evolving lineup.
