Lamela’s ball was the driving force behind Charlotte’s fifth-ranked offense in the NBA last season, so how Hornets intend to replace him after the trade to minnesota in the summer? Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports addresses the matter, writing that the effort will be collective and the club will not be asking one particular player to replicate what Ball did.
Kobe White projects to be Charlotte’s starting point guard, and while he’s not a playmaker like Ball, he’s a talented shooter who puts more pressure on the rim than LaMela, O’Connor notes.
Hornets will also rely on wings Brandon Miller and Mog Knueppel to take a step forward in 2026/27. As detailed by O’Connor, Miller struggled with his health through his first three NBA seasons and struggled to create his own shot, ranking 61st out of 66 players (minimum 100 possessions) in isolation scoring efficiency last season. Improvement in this area will be crucial for Miller when the ball is no longer there for him to get open looks.
O’Connor also notes that the purchase of the floor is stretched by a large person Naz Reed trading the ball will change the “geometry” of the Hornets’ lineups, allowing the team to field five-man units made up entirely of shooters.
We have more from the Southeast:
- Charlotte purchased Ryan Nembhard from Atlanta in a trade earlier this week, but reporting after this transaction suggested the second-year guard could be undone. While Heat could use another ball holder in their backcourt, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) is skeptical that the 5’11” Nembhard will appeal to a Miami front office that typically tries to avoid undersized players.
- The Heat could benefit from what the NBA has been doing lately raised the projected salary cap for 2027/28 from US$174 million to US$176 million, in line with Barry Jackson of The Miami Heraldwhich details how this added cap flexibility can help the club’s point guard change his contract Davion Mitchell next summer, while using most or all of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to add another rotation player.
- New Osceola magic head coach Ronnie Burrellwho was named the 2023 NBA G-League Coach of the Year with the Long Island Nets, said Wednesday that he wanted to return to the NBA this season after spending the past three years as an NBA assistant coach, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Burrell told reporters that he returns to the G League as a “better version” of himself and is excited to “use” some of what he’s learned over the past three seasons. “I like it. It suits me.” Burrell said of coaching in the G League. “It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done as a coach. So I’m happy to be back and (I’m) very grateful.”
