Hornets vs. Trail Blazers Summer League Action

The outcomes of the summer league games pale in comparison to the individual performances. For the record, the Charlotte Hornets trailed early and went between a double-digit deficit and a single possession game.

The Portland Trail Blazers had much more experienced players on their summer league roster, featuring Michael Beasley and Kenneth Faried. They also had George King and Antonio Blakeney, who combined to score 44 points on 15-out-18 from the field. That is hard to beat. The Hornets loss their first summer league game to the Blazers 93-86. According to a source from SBNATION, these are some observations from the game.

1. James Bouknight looks like he is going to fit in well with the Hornets. Even though it took him some time to establish himself, he plays with a flare and a swagger that will benefit him as he gets use to the NBA game. He finished with one dime, but he made some good passes in the paint. Bouknight led the Hornets in scoring with 19 points.

2. Kai Jones has undeniable talent and athleticism, but he needs to be sure of himself when it comes to decision making on the court. Jones had some thunderous jams, but a couple of them came after some indecision in the low post, which caused 3-second violations. Jones finished the game with a double-double, while demonstrating his ball handling skills on the perimeter.

3. Scottie Lewis was active on the defensive end of the court, especially before he suffered an ankle injury. He had too many turnovers on the offensive end.

4. The Hornets did not receive a lot of production from their 2020 second round draft picks. Vernon Carey and Nick Richards were silent last night for the most part. This should not happen to second year players, even though they did not get much playing time last season. Grant Riller was able to beat his man off the initial dribble, but once he got to the basket, he was unable to finish the play.

5. LiAngelo Ball was the second leading scorer on the Hornets with 16 points. All of his points came from 3-point range and he had a 4-point play as well. Ball has a quick release on his jump shot and he tries hard at both ends of the court. He earned some minutes in crunch time on Sunday. The Hornets may use him more frequently going forward.