The Hornets return Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo at center, but it's clear that is a fluid situation after the team drafted -6-foot-11 Vernon Carey and 7-foot Nick Richards in the second round. That could leave Rozier as the odd man out in the backcourt, which might not sit too well with the highly competitive point guard as the season wears on.

There is little doubt Ball will eventually play significant minutes and it's hard to imagine the Hornets shunting the growth of Graham, who was probably their best player last season. There has been a lot of talk about Rozier's role with the Hornets since the team added Ball. It will open a lot of shots for everybody.'' If I'm off the ball, on the ball - we have a lot of playmakers. And he's just fine with that, saying ''not having all of attention on me will help everybody. But Graham knows he may get fewer touches this year with the addition of Hayward and Ball. He was the focal point of the offense and regularly the go-to option down the stretch. Point guard Devonte Graham was one of the NBA's biggest surprises last season, averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 37.3% from beyond the 3-point arc. With the smaller group we can switch everything and be a better defensive group.'' ''I feel like I am a lot quicker than most of the centers in this league. ''I feel like I definitely have a mismatch,'' Washington said. Washington spent two weeks inside the team's bubble this summer playing center. Washington ''a lot'' at the center position this season and Miles Bridges as his strong forward as the league moves toward a small ball approach. Som other things to watch this season with the Hornets:īorrego plans to use 6-6 P.J. We want to be long, we want to be versatile.'' To me those are things that win in today's league. ''You look at where we were two years ago to where we're at today, we've added tremendous length, playmaking, basketball IQ. ''I give (general manager) Mitch Kupchak and our group a ton of credit,'' Borrego said. Washington, Miles Bridges and Malik Monk. Last season he averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Celtics before being derailed by an ankle injury in the postseason.īall is considered a crafty passer with a high basketball IQ, although his jump shot might need some tweaking.īorrego thinks they will mesh well with a young, but developing roster that includes Devonte Graham, P.J. Hayward, a 10-year veteran, brings some needed veteran experience to a fairly young roster.

Charlotte hornets roster needs