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.
Brandon Miller Blossoms, But Hornets Face Tough Questions
Dec 5, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) dunks the ball as New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones/John Jones-Imagn Images
🏀 Brandon Miller Blossoms as the Lead Dog Brandon Miller is blossoming before our eyes, embracing the challenge of being the Hornets’ offensive leader in a season riddled with injuries. Against the Knicks, he delivered an electric first quarter, sinking five threes and showcasing his ability to carry the scoring load. Even as defenses adjusted, Miller countered with intelligent offensive moves and composure, proving he can thrive against elite defenders like OG Anunoby. His growth in shot creation and decision-making under pressure is the kind of progress that signals a bright future for the franchise.
🚑 Injuries Define the Season Another game, another injury. Tidjane Salaun’s early exit with a sprained ankle is just the latest blow to a team already missing LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Tre Mann. With most of their top offensive weapons sidelined, the Hornets are in survival mode—and the tank may have already begun.
💰 Disabled Player Exception: A Key Trade Asset The NBA granted the Hornets a $6.5M disabled player exception for Grant Williams. This opens doors for trade flexibility, but don’t expect a major roster upgrade soon. Instead, the team might use it strategically at the trade deadline to acquire picks and/or facilitate a bigger deal.
📬 From the Sicko Satchel
• Cody Martin trade rumors: Could Isaac Okoro still be on the table? His emerging 3-and-D game would be a fit.
• Naughty or Nice List: Charles Lee’s coaching culture gets a thumbs-up, but a certain app does not.
My Take: The Hornets Don’t Need Any Help Tanking, And Help Won’t Get Them to The Postseason There’s no sugarcoating it—the Hornets are in a tough spot. Injuries and a lack of depth make winning a distant priority. As much as I want to see postseason experience for LaMelo and Miller, this season feels like another step toward the lottery. For fans, the focus should shift to team culture, player development and how the front office handles the trade deadline. I, and I believe the front office, would love to see this team fully healthy for a stretch so that they can make the most informed decisions. Minus Grant Williams, that is still a possibility.
Dec 1, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick calls a play against the Utah Jazz during the first half at the Delta Center. | Christopher Creveling/Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
If JJ Redick had approached the season signalling a measure of outward self-awareness that he, a former player with no head coaching experience and cohost of a podcast with LeBron James, was now head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, things might be different. If Redick had acknowledged that very obvious, and unique to our contemporary basketball moment of athlete-driven media elephant in the room, things might be different. If Redick had at any point, when asked about his new role in scrums wherein he knows the clips and audio of his answers will be immediately and robustly aggregated, balanced out his self-aggrandizing basketball sicko-hood, or answers where he likened head coaching to nothing short of personal destiny, with something like, It’s a learning curve, really anything a hair more measured, things might be different.
Things would not look different. The Lakers made no real structural changes to their roster in the offseason, so the team playing bad basketball now is the same team that was playing bad basketball last season under Darvin Ham (Redick is one game off the 13-9 pace set by Ham last season), but things might be interpreted, or reasoned with, differently. That kind of grace, for a struggling franchise with major conflicting timelines and high-stakes notions like legacy on the line, goes a long way.
There is such a fine line in coaching between collaborative and domineering, confident and arrogant, and many first-time head NBA coaches have learned the hard way what it is to lose a team, and lose them quickly. Nate Bjorkgren went into the Pacers organization not just hot but by many accounts scorching, and was expeditiously fired at the end of his lone year in Indiana. Jason Kidd may have traded in his string of short-lived head coaching appointments (Nets, Bucks — and surprise! — Lakers) for his current and seemingly steady job with the Mavs, but there is no doubt a type afforded the leniency of multiple failures in the NBA, and it tends to be white, male and abidingly faultless.
To Redick’s credit, he has vocally shouldered the blame of the Lakers recent, bad losses. When the team fell to the Timberwolves 109-80 to start the month, Redick noted their lacklustre effort was “looking more and more like it’s not an aberration”, correcting himself from a late-November blown effort against the Nuggets he said was. This week’s impressive loss to the Heat resulted in a two minute explanation from Redick that skimmed the existential and was anchored in the heavy weight of realization.
What’s difficult from here — beyond how the Lakers improve when their offensive energy is sporadic at best and their approach to defence has been to literally stand back and watch — is how to move forward into the long season still ahead, with the base level of competency and pride necessary for a cohesive team to function.
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
Opponent The New York Knicks overpowered the Charlotte Hornets with a decisive 125-101 victory, demonstrating their dominance on the court. (AP News)
Biz The NBA will return to China in 2025; The first time since team executive Daryl Morey’s 2019 tweet signalled support for Hong Kong independence. (ESPN)
Feel Good Four Raptors rookies make history by playing in two games in one day. (SportsNet)
Ticket Booth
Presented by
Cavaliers @ Hornets
Saturday, Dec. 7 | 1:00PM | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC | Get Tickets
Hornets @ Pacers
Sunday, Dec. 8 | 5:00PM | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN | Get Tickets
Hornets @ Bulls
Friday, Dec. 13 | 7:00PM | United Center, Chicago, IL | Get Tickets
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Ayo Dosunmu’s Big Fantasy Basketball Night
Dec 5, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) looks to pass the ball while defended by San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter/Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks dominated the Washington Wizards, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the charge. Doncic’s 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, alongside Irving’s 25 points, highlighted their commanding performance. Despite a lackluster showing from P.J. Washington, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie delivered solid contributions. The Wizards’ decision to start Marvin Bagley over Jonas Valančiūnas was puzzling, given Bagley’s inconsistent play. Bilal Coulibaly’s struggles continue, and Jordan Poole’s shooting woes persist, though his minutes remain encouraging.
In another matchup, the Cleveland Cavaliers secured a significant win over the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic’s 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists underscored his dominance, despite heavy minutes. Michael Porter Jr.'s defensive contributions were notable, with four steals and two blocks. On the Cavaliers’ side, Caris LeVert’s 21 points and Donovan Mitchell’s 28 points, six assists, and six triples were key to their victory.
The Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Toronto Raptors, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge with 30 points, five assists, and two steals. Cason Wallace’s defensive prowess was on display, contributing two steals and four blocks. The Raptors struggled without Jakob Poeltl, highlighting their lack of depth at the center position.
Can the Hornets Solve Their Crunchtime Issues Without LaMelo Ball? Mark Williams is back, but is he ready to reclaim his role in the Hornets’ rotation? Plus, we break down Brandon Miller’s crunch-time impact, KJ Simpson’s emergence, and whether the Hornets’ late-game struggles are learning moments or red flags.
Injury Updates and Close Losses: What LaMelo Ball’s latest injury means for the Charlotte Hornets season In this jam-packed episode of Locked On Hornets, we recap the whirlwind of developments since our last recording. Injuries continue to pile up, with LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann, and Mark Williams sidelined, leaving the team struggling to find rhythm amidst frequent lineup changes. Walker Mehl and Doug Branson assess how these setbacks impact the Hornets’ trade deadline strategy and the long-term direction of the franchise. Should they prioritize development, make bold moves, or let the chips fall?
