Hornets.com Feature

Winning plays don’t always make the highlight reels, or even show up in the final box score at all. Often times, they happen so quickly that it’s hard to recognize their importance until after the game is over. At some point this season, every rotational player on the Hornets has made at least one of these pivotal, unsung, heads-up winning plays. Here’s the best from each one, with a notable catch: none of them are made shots (although some certainly led to them).

This one is a sequence of winning plays. With the Hornets trailing 122-121 in the closing seconds of their season opener, Gordon Hayward missed a go-ahead layup, then ripped away the rebound from Chris Duarte underneath the Indiana basket. PJ Washington scooped up the loose ball and facing away from the rim, quickly forced up a backwards shot that probably had little chance of going in. Washington drew a shooting foul on Torrey Craig, hit both free throws and then locked down Domantas Sabonis in isolation at the buzzer to seal the 23-point comeback.

Charlotte is holding a 90-86 lead with under eight minutes remaining at the Barclays Center. Looking to cut the Nets’ deficit to one possession, James Harden charges through Cody Martin on a drive to the basket, signaling an offensive foul. After an Ish Smith jumper, Harden tries a similar approach with the exact same result, giving the nine-time All-Star his fifth infraction and a seat on the bench. By the time Harden returns, it’s too late as the Hornets closed out the 111-95 win with a 21-9 run.

While this play didn’t come at the end of a game, in hindsight, it’s importance can’t be overlooked. Memphis was in the midst of erasing a 14-point first-half deficit with a 28-6 stretch between the second and third quarters. With Jaren Jackson Jr. on a fast break and the Grizzlies leading 70-62 about seven minutes into the second half, Miles Bridges chased down his former college teammate and swatted away what looked to be an easy layup. Kelly Oubre Jr. quickly canned a transition 3-pointer as Charlotte retook momentum with a 27-10 run in the 118-110 win.

Ahead by two in the closing moments, Terry Rozier attempts to advance the ball into Golden State territory following a pair of missed potential game-tying free throws by Kevon Looney. Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala trap Rozier in the backcourt before he can get across, leading to a jumpball with 20 seconds remaining. Squaring down with Green at center court, Rozier overcomes the five-inch difference and perfectly times the ball flick back to Jalen McDaniels. McDaniels snags the loose ball and then passes to Rozier, who burns nine precious seconds of game clock before he’s eventually fouled. He drains both free throws and the Hornets win, 106-102.

Maybe the play of the season thus far for this category. Leading 105-103 with 35 seconds to go, LaMelo Ball fails to connect with Miles Bridges on an alley-oop dunk, sending the ball catapulting off the basket into Montrezl Harrell’s hands. A split second later, Ball pops it loose from Harrell and Cody Martin gains possession (note: Martin actually got credit for the steal here). The ball eventually finds its way to Terry Rozier, who milks another 20 seconds off the game clock before connecting on a dagger 3-pointer in the team’s 109-103 win.

Down five players because of Health and Safety Protocols, the Hornets needed every winning play they could muster in this homestand finale. With Charlotte leading by three and 2:24 remaining, Oubre pokes the ball away from De’Aaron Fox – who already had 27 points and 10 in the four quarter – on a crossover, leading to a pair of eventual Gordon Hayward free throws. The Hornets won 124-123 after Fox missed two costly free throws with two seconds left, proving that every possession in a one-point victory certainly matters in the end.

In this very same game with the Hornets now holding a one-point lead and less than 40 seconds remaining, Terence Davis strips Miles Bridges on a drive, causing the ball to bounce into the left corner. Gordon Hayward beats the speedy De’Aaron Fox to retain possession, lines up shot to induce the Sacramento double team, then hits Cody Martin with a pass up near the 3-point break. Martin drains a pivotal catch-and-shoot triple to put the Hornets up two in what became an eventual victory.

Down 19 points late in the third quarter, this was another game that the Hornets had virtually zero margin of error down the stretch. Tied at 101 with 3:40 to go, Nikola Jokić spins around PJ Washington down near the left block, but Washington quickly recovers to deny the layup attempt. Jalen McDaniels flies in from nowhere to rip the rebound away from Jokić, then throws the ball off the reigning MVP’s leg to give possession to Charlotte. Washington would sink a go-ahead 3-pointer at the other end and the Hornets went on to win, 115-107.

This victory over the Nuggets wouldn’t have happened without the play of veteran guard Ish Smith either. With the Hornets leading 110-107 at the under-minute mark, Jokić tries again to post PJ Washington, but as he raises up the ball, Smith strips it away and grabs possession (note: this looks like a steal in real time, although the 6-1 Smith was actually awarded a block). Ten seconds later, Washington finds a wide-open Smith in the left corner for a rare 3-pointer to close the door on Denver.

Charlotte led by 15 at the 5:18 mark of the fourth quarter, before Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending NBA Champions came roaring back to make things interesting. Following a 13-4 Bucks run that cut the Hornets’ advantage to six, LaMelo Ball misfired on a 3-pointer and the defensive rebound was gobbled up by Bobby Portis. Mason Plumlee snuck up behind Portis to pry away the ball, which was then quickly picked up by Miles Bridges. While the Hornets didn’t end up scoring on this possession, they burned about 15 seconds off the clock to further dim Milwaukee’s comeback hopes in the 114-106 Charlotte win.

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The Winningest Winning Plays of the Hornets’ Season (So Far)

Following a 103-99 home win over Milwaukee on Monday night, the Hornets have officially reached the midway point of their 2021-22 NBA schedule. A 22-19 record has Charlotte sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, although just four games back of the two seed as of Tuesday morning. Here’s a look at why the team is where it is right now:

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Where the Hornets Stand at Halfway Point of 2021-22 Season

It’s a four-point Hornets lead with just under eight minutes remaining in the team’s third outing of the season on a Sunday evening in Brooklyn. PJ Washington is guarding the Nets’ James Harden just above the three-point arc. As the lane clears out, Harden drives to the right looking to cut the deficit down to one possession. Keeping a watchful eye on his own man near the left post, Cody Martin quickly sets his feet just in front of the restricted circle a second or two before the former MVP comes barreling into him for an offensive foul.

Following a jumper by Ish Smith at the other end, Harden starts from the same spot, trying to get past Washington again. He drives straight towards the basket, eyeing teammate Bruce Brown underneath the goal for a dump-off pass. Just after Harden makes the dish, he rams into the stationary Martin again. The jolt sends the Charlotte wing tumbling backwards, as the referee signals yet another charge.

Harden then heads to the bench with his fourth and fifth infractions. Moments later, Smith finds Martin on a perfect cut to the basket for a two-handed dunk to stretch the visitors’ advantage to eight, helping set in motion an eventual 111-95 victory.

“Those are momentum killers for other teams,” says Martin, when asked about taking charges. “I understand my job when I’m out there on the floor and that there’s other ways to gain possessions. It doesn’t matter how you do it, as long as it gets done. It gives us a break without having to take a timeout. It allows us to walk back and catch our breath. I try to look for opportunities to do that anytime throughout the game, regardless if we’re up or down. Those are winning plays that I’ve always done throughout my career.”

A charge occurs when an offensive player makes significant contact with a defensive player that has an established position, provided the latter is outside of the restricted circle. If the defensive player is not in the proper position – his feet or torso are moving – it’s a blocking foul. Through Sunday’s action, Martin is tied for second in the NBA in charges drawn this season with seven, a number already halfway to his career high of 14 set as a rookie.

Last year, Terry Rozier and Caleb Martin led the Hornets with 12 charges drawn; Blake Griffin, Montrezl Harrell and Kemba Walker were tops in the league with 22 apiece. And since the NBA began tracking hustle stats six years ago, Walker also owns the highest single-season charge total in franchise history with 28 set during the 2016-17 campaign.

“Those must have been on the ball. I don’t take charges like that,” says a surprised Rozier, when informed of his team-high total last season. “I don’t know where you got that number from. I’m going to talk some stuff to Cody now because he’s the charge master. When we’re competing in practice, it’s game point, he takes a charge and we all get angry at him like, ‘How do you do that?’ But when you get out there on the court, he’s hunting charges and does that at a high level. It’s always helpful for our team. It turns us in the right direction.”

Martin’s charge-taking mastery really started gaining steam at North Carolina State University, where the now 26-year-old watched defenders like Cat Barber utilize this tactic. “As a defender, I took pride in defending and getting stops, so to me, it didn’t matter how I got them,” he says. “Honestly, I started learning different ways to get stops other than just stopping the person from making the shot. That’s when I started incorporating taking charges.”

He adds, “A lot of it is mental – the timing of it, when to do it. The physical stuff is a lot of technique, being able to take the hit and fall because some people fall back on their wrists and can really hurt their hands. I think when I was younger, playing football taught me how to fall. It’s definitely a skill for sure because I’ve played with a lot of people that just don’t know how to take charges. Some of that stuff is people being afraid to get hurt. If you know how to adjust, take the hit and fall backwards safely, it’s really not bad.”

“He was taught that long before we got him here,” says Head Coach James Borrego. “Somewhere early in his career, it could have been a middle school coach, high school coach or maybe his college coach, he’s willing to sacrifice his body to step in there and take a charge. It’s a very unselfish and sacrificial play that leads to momentum for our team.”

As for the most painful charge Martin’s ever taken? “Probably Giannis [Antetokounmpo] for sure. He has to be at the top of the list,” he recalls, referencing a game last season when the running-at-full-speed Greek Freak and his chiseled left forearm plowed straight through Martin’s left shoulder, knocking him straight back to the baseline.

Knowing how to draw charges isn’t always about getting the call every single time either, Martin says. There’s also an element of deception mixed with, at times, gamesmanship. “Sometimes, I try to do it, but know I can’t [get there],” he explains. “So, I’ll try and fake it to make the offensive player adjust his momentum to the rim. Whether it’s off-ball charges or on-ball charges, you can still get hit enough for it to be a charge, but you learn how to sell it.”

Few plays in basketball have the capability of swinging momentum like that of taking a charge, and there’s much more to it than just running into a ball-handler’s path hoping to get trampled. Cody Martin sums it up best when he says, “It’s about understanding that getting stops is getting stops, no matter how you do it.”

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Who’s in Charge? The Answer is Cody Martin

Monk Credits Recent Play to Increased Maturity and Dedication On and Off the Court

Midway through his fourth NBA season, Malik Monk closed out the Charlotte Hornets’ first-half schedule playing the best, most consistent basketball of his professional career thus far.

Over the team’s six-game road trip, Monk averaged 22 points, four rebounds and two assists, while shooting 50% and 40% from the field and three, respectively. Only two other NBA players – Utah’s Jordan Clarkson and Detroit’s Josh Jackson – had higher scoring averages off the bench in the month of February than the Hornets guard (16.6 points; mini. 10 games played).

For the past several weeks, the team has dealt with nightly absences for one reason or another, most especially to the backcourt. The spark Monk has provided off the bench lately has been invaluable to a Hornets squad looking to persevere through the adversity. “With Devonte’ out, somebody has to step up in every game,” he said. “Whoever is stepping up, we’re going to find who it is. That’s us being a team and that’s us maturing, too.”

What’s even more remarkable about Monk’s production this year is that he hardly played the first month of the season after missing most of a condensed training camp because of Health and Safety Protocols. He busted out for a career-high 36 points and nine three-pointers in an overtime road win over Miami on Feb. 1 and since then, hasn’t looked back.

Monk is currently putting up career highs in scoring (13.5 points), rebounding (2.9), field-goal (46.2%) and three-point percentage (43.9%; 16th best in NBA). The most specific area of improvement has been his above-the-break three-point efficiency, which has jumped from 30% on three attempts per game to over 41% on four-and-a-half tries a contest. Increased patience and discipline have been the two greatest contributors to his game, Monk said.

“I just grew up if I’m being honest. I started taking film seriously, I started taking everything serious. A couple years ago, I might not touch the ball for four or five possessions and then I’d shoot a bad shot. Now, I’m getting to the rim or finding somebody and the ball will come back to me if I make the right play. Every game I get on the court, my confidence just builds. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder. It’s going to take time, but I just have to keep getting better.”

Ball Adds 2nd Rookie of the Month Award, Rising Stars Designation to Growing Resume

LaMelo Ball’s trophy case continues to expand after he garnered another pair of accolades this week with a second consecutive NBA Rookie of the Month Award in addition to being named an NBA Rising Star.

Coming off a month in which he averaged 20.1 points on 45% shooting, 6.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 13 games started, Ball is the first Charlotte player since Raymond Felton in 2005-06 and fourth overall to be named Rookie of the Month on multiple occasions.

“He’s special. We have a star in the making,” said teammate Terry Rozier after Ball became the third-youngest player in NBA history to record a 30-5-5 game on Monday night, behind only LeBron James and Kevin Durant. “I would tell people to just enjoy it because you’re not going to see too many people like him. He’s a special talent and a great person. He deserves everything that’s coming his way. You aren’t going to see too many guys like this ever.”

Perhaps the biggest improvement to Ball’s game this month has been his three-point shooting: he shot under 30% from deep across 20 games in December and January and then finished at 41% in February on 6.6 attempts per game. His free-throw percentage also increased from 76% to 86% and the nightly turnovers rose a mere 0.8 despite playing nine more minutes per game with a much heavier usage rate.

“He’s just understanding the game,” added Rozier. “I would say that he was always a step ahead for his age, but when you get in the league, you really see what it can do for you. His mind is all the way slowed down and that’s why he’s having the success he’s been having versus earlier in the season. He’s getting more minutes, so he’s showing what he can do.”

Ball is almost halfway to joining an exclusive list of players in recent memory to sweep the NBA’s Rookie of the Month awards since it was divided into separate conferences in 2001. Luka Dončić (2018-19), Karl-Anthony Towns (2015-16), Damian Lillard (2012-13), Blake Griffin (2010-11), Chris Paul (2005-06), LeBron James (2003-04) and Carmelo Anthony (2003-04) all pulled off this feat, with all but Anthony also eventually winning Rookie of the Year.

It goes without saying, but Ball continues to be absolutely everything the organization could have envisioned and more when he was taken third overall back in November’s NBA Draft. And the current trajectory indicates there is still plenty more to come from the 19-year-old sensation.

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Malik Monk Details Breakout Season, More NBA Recognition for LaMelo Ball

The best teams in the NBA experience the most sustained success because they continue to get better as the season transpires, year after year after year. This ongoing improvement isn’t confined to just younger players with seemingly the most room to grow though, but comes from everybody on the roster regardless of age, experience or skillset.

In the two-and-a-half years since President of Basketball Operations and GM Mitch Kupchak and Head Coach James Borrego took the reins of the Charlotte Hornets organization, internal development has and continues to be the top priority. It’s certainly hard to disagree with that notion, particularly after witnessing so many players performing their best under this umbrella.

“[Development] is our bread and butter,” said Borrego. “Our job here and my focus when I took this job was on internal development and I’m fairly pleased. Everybody in our program for the most part has gotten better. We’ve had career years going back to Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb [in 2018-19] and all the guys last year. Every draft pick that we’ve brought in here has gotten better every single year. It’s our lifeblood and I’m proud of it.”

He added, “It’s not by accident. We work at it. It’s a credit to our guys that they’re invested in it, they trust it. They trust the G League process as well. Our staff does as good a job as anybody preparing these guys, working with them every single day. Our assistant coaches are a big part of this. It’s a combination of everybody and more than anything, it’s our culture. It’s what we do and what we’re about. We’re about development as coaches, as players, as an organization. To me, that’s what defines success.”

Younger players normally have more room to grow physically and mentally upon entering the NBA, although improvement doesn’t natural transpire with experience. Likewise, development isn’t accelerated by just dumping heavy minutes on rookies and hoping for the best. A major part of the process is determining the proper role for a player and then inserting that player into said role in order to maximize individual and team success. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, that player needs to fully embrace the designated role as well.

Amongst the team veterans, look no further than 2017 NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward (22.3 points) and Terry Rozier (20.6), who are both averaging career highs in scoring, while shooting the best they ever have from three-point range (42.2% and 44.5%, respectively). Centers Cody Zeller (11.1) and Bismack Biyombo (7.4) posted the highest scoring marks of their careers last year and are now each putting up personal highs in assists this season (2.5 and 1.3).

Devonte’ Graham thrust himself into the league’s Most Improved Player conversation as an NBA sophomore in 2019-20 (4.7 to 18.2 points per game) following a heavy dose of G League reps as a rookie. Now playing more off the ball this season in conjunction with the additions of Hayward and rookie LaMelo Ball, Graham has seen his scoring average expectedly dip, although has a positive net rating for the first time as an NBA player (team-leading 4.0 points per 100 possessions) and is posting a career-high 4.06 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Another player who’s made a jump this season has been Miles Bridges. A former lottery pick who started 25 games as a rookie and then all of last year at the three, Bridges has moved back to a reserve role as a small-ball four, where he’s spent 94% of his on-court minutes this season. Bridges is currently shooting personal bests from the field (47%), three (36%) and free-throw line (94%), while also averaging more rebounds (5.8), assists (1.9) and blocks (0.8) than he had in either of his first two seasons.

And after an up-and-down three years in Charlotte, 23-year-old Malik Monk has blossomed into a more-microwave-like scorer off the bench, leading to an efficient and career-high clip of 10.5 points across 15 appearances this season. Monk shot a combined 40% and 32% from the field and deep, respectively, from 2017-20, but is now converting 45% of his attempts and ranks an impressive second in the NBA in three-point percentage (50.0%) amongst qualified players.

One of the most challenging balancing acts for any NBA head coach is juggling player development with wins and losses. Everybody knows and recognizes it’s a results-driven business, although the two elements are more intertwined at times than meets the eye.

“I’ll always stay committed to development because that’s how you grow and that’s how you get better,” stated Borrego. “The performance will take care of itself I believe long term if you stay focused on the development and getting better. That’s any organization. Results and performance are important, but what gets you there ultimately is internal growth. Over the course of this season and into next season, the performance will take care of itself if we focus on our development and our commitment to getting better every single day.”

He added, “At the end of the day, you have to win games and part of that buy-in for your young players is performing and winning games. If we’re winning and performing, well guess what? My guys buy in more to the development program and getting better every single day. That does help. These two things go together for me, but at the core of it is development and that’s our focus every single day.”

Another major element of the developmental process is learning how to win, particularly close games. In Borrego’s first season, the Hornets finished 20th in the NBA in clutch-time win percentage (.462; 18-21), a measurement of wins and losses when the score is within five points with five-or-fewer minutes remaining. The team vaulted up to 13th in this category last season (.500; 17-17) and now sits seventh through Feb. 14 (.615; 8-5).

The 2020-21 NBA campaign has certainly been unpredictable and already unlike any other in recent memory. But one thing that remains constant is the commitment by the Charlotte Hornets to internal growth and player development and the results slowly, but surely and steadily are speaking for themselves.

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Under Hornets’ Development Program, Veterans and Younger Players Both Flourishing

Gordon Hayward Exceeding All-Star Numbers from Four Years Ago

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward has been an NBA All-Star once before and through 20 appearances this season, his numbers are nearly identical or in some cases, surpassing his marks from that breakout 2016-17 campaign with Utah.

Through Monday night’s overtime road win against the Heat, Hayward ranks 11th in the Eastern Conference in scoring (career-high 23.0 points), while shooting personal bests from the field (50.3%), three-point range (43.0% for a career-high 2.3 3PM per game) and free-throw line (85.6%). He’s also averaging 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals, while giving the Hornets a reliable go-to scoring option from virtually anywhere on the court this season.

“He should absolutely be in that [All-Star] category,” said Hornets Head Coach Borrego. “He’s been everything we could have imagined and more. Career highs across the board – scoring, shooting, fourth-quarter efficiency. And then what he’s done for our young guys, he’s raised their level and our level with his competitive spirit.”

“For me, I’ve just been trying to focus on us as much as I can,” stated Hayward. “All the individual stuff usually takes care of itself. I have to continue to get better as a player to help us win games. That’s the important thing for us. It certainly would be nice to get that nod again, but I’m just trying to focus on our team.”

Hayward’s first All-Star appearance took place four years ago, when he put up averages of 22.2 points on 47% shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal in 50 appearances prior to the NBA’s midseason showcase event. The Jazz were 35-22 at the time and went on to play in the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time in seven seasons. Months later, Hayward sustained the well-documented leg injury in his Boston Celtics debut and since then, has worked tirelessly to get back to the level he was at towards the end of his Jazz tenure.

“You look at what he’s been through with the injuries, you never know if you’re going to come back from something like that,” added Borrego. “The way he’s responded and put himself back in that category speaks to his character, his work ethic and to me, this would be a great reward for that.”

Hayward’s chances of making the All-Star team will continue to increase the longer he plays at this high level and the more the Hornets continue to win as a team. Others in positional contention with the 30-year-old for a spot on the Eastern Conference squad include Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, Orlando’s Nikola Vučević and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.

LaMelo Ball Becomes First Charlotte Player to Win Rookie of the Month Since 2012-13

Now roughly six weeks into his NBA career, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has just racked up his first significant honor since entering the league after he was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December and January on Tuesday afternoon.

The 19-year-old’s play has been nothing short of spectacular so far, as he currently ranks third amongst all first-year players in scoring (12.2 points on 42% shooting), second in rebounding (5.9) and steals (1.4) and first in assists (6.1). He became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double back on Jan. 9 and scored a career-high 27 points three weeks later.

“He’s a wonderful kid, a great person,” said Coach Borrego prior to Ball’s first-ever NBA start on Monday night in Miami. “Genuine, humble, hungry, coachable, joyful – all those things as a coach, I love to be around. He’s really ignited our program. He brings great joy and spirit every day in practice, shootarounds and games. And the biggest thing is his teammates love him and love playing with him.”

Ball is the first Charlotte player to be named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month since Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in November of 2012 and the eighth to do so overall. Other notable Hornets to garner this particular award include Kemba Walker, Raymond Felton, Emeka Okafor, Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson.

Charlotte was put in position to select Ball third overall back in November after jumping up five spots in the NBA Draft Lottery, a rare stroke of good fortune that looks more and more impactful each day. The highlight-generating Chino Hills, CA native has played a large role in the Hornets receiving more national attention this year, regularly appearing on SportsCenter’s Top-10 plays segment and becoming one of the most aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable teams to watch by the casual NBA observer.

Borrego added, “His spirit is infectious, his game is infectious. We’re first in the league in assist percentage and assists and he’s a big part of that. It started with our program last year when we laid a foundation and he’s continued that. He’s fearless, he’s confident, he plays with a wonderful joy. I love being around him and I love coaching him.”

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Hayward Continues to Garner All-Star Consideration, Ball Named East Rookie of the Month

Tomorrow night, rookie LaMelo Ball will face off against his older brother Lonzo for the first time on an NBA hardwood when the Hornets take on the New Orleans Pelicans down in the Big Easy. Over seven years ago, teammate Cody Zeller went through the exact same experience against his older brother, Tyler, then a second-year Cleveland Cavaliers center.

The Zeller brothers first played against each other in a regular season game on Nov. 1, 2013, which was just Cody’s second in the NBA and first in front of the hometown Charlotte crowd. He finished with nine points and five rebounds as Charlotte won its home opener with 90-84 victory over the visiting Cavaliers.

“It’s pretty unique because we don’t get to see each other a whole lot during the year,” said Zeller. “The night before, we can usually catch up and get dinner. That was always really fun, but to play on the court, that’s always a little bit different. Obviously, I want the best for him and want him to play well, but for a couple nights a year, you have to push that aside and say, ‘Alright, let’s go at it for a couple hours.’ I think it’s really cool for my parents and my family to see us both out there as well.”

Zeller adds that the brother element usually evaporates shortly after tipoff, particularly with neither big man ever in a situation where he’d be going eye-to-eye against the other. “Neither one of us are really one-on-one, isolation players,” he added. “It’s not like we’re playing one-on-one in the driveway. It’s very much a team game and both of us are role players. Once the game starts, it wasn’t too different.”

Drafted 17th overall out of North Carolina in 2012, Tyler has played for seven teams over his now eight-year NBA career and most recently was in training camp with the San Antonio Spurs last month. The oldest Zeller brother, Luke, graduated from Notre Dame in 2009 and played professionally in Japan, Lithuania, the G League and with the Phoenix Suns for 16 games in 2012-13, although never crossed paths with Cody in the NBA.

To date, the Balls are the only brothers to both be top-3 picks in the NBA Draft after Lonzo went second overall to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017. When asked about the prospect of facing his brother shortly after he was drafted two months ago, LaMelo responded modestly, “Pretty much every game I go against, I just go out there and try my best. I don’t really lock on the personnel and stuff like that.”

Charlotte’s Ball is off to a strong start this season with averages of 12.1 points on 41% shooting, 5.1 rebounds and NBA rookie-leading marks of 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals. And this might not be the last inaugural brother-versus-brother NBA showdown for the Hornets this year either. Next month, Jalen McDaniels also has the chance to play for the first time at the NBA level against his younger brother, Jaden, who just started his rookie season in Minnesota.

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Cody Zeller Reflects on First NBA Encounter with Older Brother Tyler

Yes, it’s just three games into the 2020-21 NBA season for the Charlotte Hornets, but it’s still easy to be encouraged by some of the team’s early trends, particularly the chemistry between a pair of starters who first played together two years ago back in Boston.

Terry Rozier (26.7 points) and Gordon Hayward (22.7) currently lead the Hornets in scoring and are both shooting at least 50% and combing for 10 assists per contest heading into Charlotte’s Dec. 30 road game in Dallas. Of Hayward’s 7.0 assists, 2.3 of them are coming on Rozier field goals at a shooting efficiency of 53% and 50% from three (6-of-12). Likewise, nearly half (1.3) of Rozier’s nightly 3.0 dimes are coming on baskets made by Hayward.

And through Dec. 29’s slate of NBA games, just three other NBA teams had multiple players averaging at least 20.0 points on 50.0% shooting and 3.0 assists: Brooklyn (Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving), Indiana (Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, Victor Oladipo) and New York (Alec Burks, Julius Randle).

Right now, the pair has played more minutes together than any other two-man combination on the Hornets (86 minutes, which is not entirely surprising considering they are both co-starters) and the familiarity is already paying dividends for Charlotte. This pairing plus any other three-man combination is averaging team-high marks in scoring (68.0 points on 45% shooting), assists (18.0) and steals (6.0) in 28.7 minutes per contest.

“They look like they have chemistry,” said Hornets Head Coach James Borrego. “I don’t know if it’s just back to their time in Boston. I can’t really speak to that, but based on what I see, I think they play off each other well. I’m sure they understand each other’s game at a higher level than if they just came in blindly to this situation. There’s history there, there’s chemistry, there’s connection. I think that helps us right now.”

He added, “We had a good practice today (Tuesday) with those two guys playing off each other together. I like their synergy and connection and I think we saw it a number of times in Boston as well. It’s nice to have a group that’s been together before.”

“I kind of know T-Ro’s game a little bit already and that was definitely helpful with the short training camp,” said Hayward in an interview with Fox Sports Southeast following the team’s home win over Brooklyn on Sunday night. “With not very much time to know people, getting to know T-Ro wasn’t that hard.”

Hayward and Rozier were teammates in Boston from 2017-19, playing just one season together on the court with the former missing the entire 2017-18 campaign after breaking his leg in the team’s regular season opener. Rozier watched firsthand as Hayward not only missed an entire year of play, but spent the ensuing one battling back to get to where he was before the injury.

“I saw his ability to come back stronger and how he prepared,” recalled Rozier. “To be ready at this level is not easy. I was there when he went down with the injury. I watched him work every day to get himself back healthy. Now, it’s just crazy we’re both together and fully healthy. He’s ready to show everybody what he’s fully capable of and what he can do. I’m just happy to see him get through that and grow.”

And right now, the Charlotte Hornets are certainly seeing promising signs of what the reunited duo can do for the organization from both an on-court and leadership standpoint.