Recap/Analysis: Second year pros lead Hornets win over Knicks – At The Hive

Brandon Miller scored 23 and Nick Smith Jr. scored 24 to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a win over the New York Knicks, 94-90.

The Summary

The Hornets once again used the first quarter to jump out to a double digit lead, just like they did in their first two summer league games. Brandon Miller hit a handful of 3-pointers and Nick Smith Jr. hit a bunch of jumpers of his own. The Hornets gave back a little bit of their lead in the second quarter but still led by seven at the half.

Miller hit a couple more threes to start the second half as the Hornets raced out to a big lead. The Knicks answered with a run, but the Hornets never quite relinquished their lead. Rookie sixth overall pick Tidjane Salaün got on the board for his first points by snagging a bouncing offensive rebound and putting it back in. He followed that with an and-1 in transition on the next possession. The fourth quarter featured a lot of back and forth play, but the Hornets were able to just enough to hold on for the win.

The Good

Head coach Charles Lee sat down with the commentary crew and explained that part of Brandon Miller’s development package for the offseason was to create open threes for himself off screens. He hit a few of those and a few other shots that showed all the potential he has.

Nick Smith Jr. rediscovered his shooting touch after some really rough shooting games in the California Classic. He led the Hornets with 15 first half points. He was quiet for a good part of the second half, but he woke up for some key buckets down the stretch to help secure the win. It was a great bounce back for the rising second year pro.

Tidjane Salaün showed enough in his debut to make you excited. He was practically invisible in the first half, but he was much more aggressive in the second. He finished with eight points and seven rebounds. He attempted a couple of one dribble 3-pointers, but both missed by a decent amount. However, he’s going to be a menace without the ball on offense. He was extremely active hunting backdoor cuts and relocations. As the team grows together and he gains the trust of his teammates, he’s going to have some big nights just by finding gaps in the opposing defense and finishing the looks his teammates set him up for.

I’m becoming more and more convinced that Zavier Simpson should get some sort of contract. He’s had complete control of every game this summer league and is a perfect archetype for a depth point guard. He’s a pest defensively and plays a style that almost hides its savviness under its ruggedness. He finished with a 15 point, 10 assist double double, which puts him in the drivers seat to lead Vegas in assists just like he did in the California Classic.

The Bad

I don’t like to pick on guys that aren’t part of the roster, but Brandon Slater has been frustrating thus far. He’s been low usage, but a lot of his shot attempts have seemingly been of the “I haven’t touched the ball in a while, let me get a shot up” variety. He’s almost exclusively shot threes and is 2-of-16 from that range through four games.

What’s Next

Based on what was said on the broadcast, that’ll wrap up Brandon Miller’s summer league game action. The rest of the team will take the floor again on Tuesday against the summer Nuggets.