Second-year Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels, fresh off a recent assignment with the club’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, may be able to stick with Charlotte’s rotation thanks to his improving defense, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
The 6’10” McDaniels’s wingspan and positional fluidity will be key in helping him abet Charlotte on defense. “Knowing my rotations, and being in the right spots,” McDaniels said of the solution to finessing his skillset guarding the opposition. “Being the best defender (possible) is going to keep me in the league for a long time.”
There’s more out of Charlotte:
- In another piece, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer weighs the pros and cons of a possible Hornets trade for Hawks restricted free agent-to-be John Collins. The talented power forward/center, who will probably command a significant salary in the offseason, could be one of the best players on the freshly-exciting Charlotte. He is averaging 17.6 PPG and 7.5 RPG while posting a stellar slash line of .538/.383/.849 for a middling Atlanta club.
- Even if the Hornets opt to not trade for John Collins, it’s clear that they need some level of upgrade at the center position, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Their vulnerabilities protecting the paint were exposed most recently in a 130-121 loss to the Warriors Friday. Even if Charlotte has to sacrifice a young prospect like Devonte’ Graham or Malik Monk, Bonnell posits, it may be worth it for the upgrade at the five.
- Hobbled by injuries, the Hornets got some welcome availability news today, announcing that guard Caleb Martin is out of the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and can suit up against the Kings tonight, the team announced on Twitter.
