featured-image

Buzz Words | Hornets Summer League Notebook

Matt Rochinski of hornets.com will be following the Hornets throughout the 2016 Orlando Pro Summer League and keeping fans up to day through his Buzz Words | Summer League Notebook. Keep checking back to see what the latest is as the Hornets head to Florida. For complete coverage of all teams, visit Orlando Pro Summer League Central

Friday, July 8, 10:23 a.m.

The Hornets closed out their 2016 Orlando Pro Summer League experience with a 97-92 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on July 8 at the Amway Center. Ramon Galloway led all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-4 from behind the arc, to go with five rebounds and four assists. Casey Prather paced the Mavs with 23 points and knocked down four treys.

Hornets Summer League Head Coach Patrick Ewing opted to give some of his summer reserves more time in this one and it paid off early as Charlotte jumped out to a 27-19 lead at the end of the first. Behind 19 first-half points from Galloway, the Hornets pushed the lead to 54-39 at the break and built their biggest lead, 56-39, on an alley-ooo dunk from Sam Thompson on the first possession of the third quarter. The Mavs heated up from behind the arc at that point, draining four of their 13 treys in the game in the third as they outscored Charlotte, 30-18, to cut the lead to 72-68 heading to the fourth.

Marquis Teague took over for Dallas in the final frame, scoring nine of his 11 points as the Mavs outscored Charlotte, 28-20, on the way to the win. The 97-92 dropped the Hornets to 2-3 at the 2016 Orlando Pro Summer League.

Aaron Harrison did not play in Charlotte’s final summer league game. Harrison led the Hornets with 14.3 points per game in Orlando and added 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

[[{"fid":"94817","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"160706_mavs","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"160706_mavs"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"160706_mavs","title":"160706_mavs","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

Game 4: Tobey Impresses Inside in Loss to Mavs

Wednesday, July 6, 5:11 p.m.

Mike Tobey had his second-straight impressive performance in the Orlando Pro Summer League, racking up 16 points to go with a game-high 14 rebounds for his first double-double of the summer, but it wasn’t enough as the Hornets dropped to 2-2 overall with an 84-81 loss to Dallas on July 6. 

Charlotte trailed 38-32 at halftime but Tobey’s six points in the third helped the Hornets outscore the Mavs, 24-16, in the frame and take a two-point lead into the fourth. Tobey again carried Charlotte in the fourth, finishing with eight points and six rebounds in the frame, but Darius Adams’ run of back-to-back-to-back three-pointers turned a 61-55 Hornets advantage into a 64-61 deficit midway through the fourth and Charlotte would not be able to re-take the lead. The Hornets had a chance with 18.8 seconds left before DeShaun Thomas’ errant pass intended for Brandon Paul hit the rim along the baseline, giving the ball back to Dallas. Adams connected on the next two free throws to ice the game.

Brandon Paul led five Hornets scoring in double digits with 17 points to go with nine rebounds, while Gabe York added 14 more, followed by Aaron Harrison and Thomas with 11 points apiece. Harrison added six rebounds, two assists and one block in the loss. Adams finished with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-8 from behind the arc.

[[{"fid":"94801","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"160704_thunder","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"160704_thunder"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"160704_thunder","title":"160704_thunder","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

Game 3: Paul's Double-Double Helps Charlotte to 2nd Victory

Monday, July 4, 7:53 p.m.

Aaron Harrison scored a team-high 19 points, Brandon Paul notched a double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Mike Tobey added a summer-best 14 points to go with six rebounds as the Hornets picked their second-straight win on July 4 at the Orlando Pro Summer League, 78-74, over Oklahoma City.

The Hornets defensive pressure got to Oklahoma City early in the contest as they held the Thunder without a field goal in the final 4:10 of the first frame. That scoring drought pushed a 14-10 Charlotte advantage to a 20-11 lead heading to the second quarter and the Hornets would lead the rest of the way. Tobey led the way in the frame with eight points. 

The Hornets maintained the lead over the next two quarters, but the Thunder refused to go down easy in the final frame, trimming an eight-point Charlotte lead to three points with 1:33 remaining. Harrison’s fadeaway jumper with 42.1 ticks remaining opened the gap back to five points but Oklahoma City had an answer as Scottie Wilbekin converted on a three-point play with 30.4 seconds left to trim the lead to 76-74. The margin didn’t last long as Harrison stepped up and hit two clutch free throws with 8.9 seconds on the clock to close out the game’s scoring and give Charlotte it’s second win in three games.

The Hornets will get a day off on July 5 before taking on the Dallas Mavericks at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in Orlando.

[[{"fid":"94737","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"160703_pacers_inside","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"160703_pacers_inside"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"160703_pacers_inside","title":"160703_pacers_inside","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

Game 2: Harrison Keys Hornets 1st Summer Win

Sunday, July 3, 3:08 p.m.

It took Aaron Harrison a game-and-a-half to find his groove in Orlando, but a big third quarter from the only player under contract on the Hornets roster keyed Charlotte’s 80-70 victory over Indiana on July 3 at the Orlando Pro Summer League. The victory pushed the Hornets to 1-1 overall.

After shooting 2-of-13 from the field in the Hornets opener against Orlando, Harrison connected on just 1-of-8 shots in the first half against Indiana but came out of the break on fire, hitting his first four shots from the field. He finished the frame 5-of-6 for 12 points and added two rebounds, two assists and one block as Charlotte built an eight-point lead and would not trail in the second half. Harrison finished the game with 15 points, six assists, five rebounds and one block, while Gabe York dropped a game-high 18 points on the way to the win.

DeShaun Thomas followed up a 19-point performance against Orlando on Friday with 12 points and five rebounds, while Charlotte also received impressive minutes from Wayne Blackshear with six points and a game-high eight rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench. 

Glen Robinson III led the Pacers with 16 points to go with four rebounds, three assists and two steals as Indiana fell to 1-1 overall. 

Charlotte will next take on Oklahoma City at 5 p.m. on July 4 in Orlando.

[[{"fid":"94731","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"160702_magic_inside","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"160702_magic_inside"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"160702_magic_inside","title":"160702_magic_inside","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

Game 1: Comeback Falls Short in 4th

Saturday, July 2, 1:23 p.m.

Brandon Paul scored 14 points in the fourth quarter as the Hornets tried to erase a 17-point deficit with just over nine minutes remaining before falling, 79-74, to the Orlando Magic White Team on July 2 at the Orlando Pro Summer League. Paul finished with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while DeShaun Thomas paced Charlotte with a game-high 19 points to go with five rebounds and three steals.

Aaron Harrison struggled from the field in his first summer league action of 2016, hitting on just 2-of-13 attempts from the field, including 1-of-5 from long range but was able to connect on 7-of-10 free throws to total 12 points and added four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.

Arinze Onuaku paced six Magic players scoring in double digits with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field while also bringing down a game-high-tying eight rebounds. Mike Tobey rounded out Charlotte’s double-digit scorers with 10 points while matching Onuaku’s eight boards.

The Hornets will take on Indiana at 1 p.m. on July 2 in both teams’ second game at the Orlando Pro Summer League.

[[{"fid":"94693","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"160701_blog_inside","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"160701_blog_inside"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"160701_blog_inside","title":"160701_blog_inside","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

Day 4: Camp Wraps, Hornets Head to Orlando

Friday, July 1, 12:31 p.m. 

The Hornets wrapped up their Summer League Camp on July 1 at Time Warner Cable Arena and are now headed to Florida to compete in the Orlando Pro Summer League. With Aaron Harrison the only Hornets player under contract to participate in this year’s summer league, how Charlotte will fare in Orlando remains to be seen but Summer League Head Coach Patrick Ewing was encouraged as the team prepared to take flight.

“I thought we had a pretty good camp for the most part. The guys worked extremely hard for the four days,” said Ewing. “We’ll have to wait and see how we do when we’re playing against other teams. Hopefully we’ll have a good showing. We want Aaron to step up and play well for us, as well as the other guys.”

This summer isn’t necessarily about wins and losses, although the Hornets will be trying to bring home as many victories as possible. The trip to Orlando is about the development of Charlotte’s second-year guard and maybe a look ahead at some potential candidates for the Hornets new D-League team, the Greensboro Swarm.

“This summer league is basically for Aaron – for him to show what he’s capable of doing and show the hard work that he’s put in, not only last season but throughout the summer – and to see what the other guys can do,” said Ewing. “Everybody is going to have an opportunity to play and we hope that they will go out there and do well.”

It’s also another chance for Ewing to get more head coaching experience under his belt – something he tries to soak up as much as possible.

“It’s all a learning experience for me,” he said. “I’m just cherishing the moment and want to go out and showcase my skills. Every opportunity that I get to coach, I just try to do the best job I can.”

The Hornets will tip of their first game at 11 a.m. on Saturday against the Orlando Magic White Squad. The game can be seen on NBA TV.

[[{"fid":"94487","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"160630_summer_inside","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"160630_summer_inside"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"160630_summer_inside","title":"160630_summer_inside","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

Day 3: Thomas, Paul Provide Veteran Presence

Thursday, June 30, 1:15 p.m.

Three days into Hornets Summer League Camp for the 2016 Orlando Pro Summer League, Head Coach Patrick Ewing likes the way things are starting to look for a Hornets roster made up of just one player currently under contract – Aaron Harrison.

“It’s coming together a lot better,” Ewing said after Thursday’s practice. “The guys are getting in better shape and picking up the system pretty good. The new guys that came in will help us a lot in the games. Aaron is doing a pretty good job and we expect good things out of the team.”

While Ewing hasn’t made it a secret that much of the team’s success in Orlando might hinge on how Harrison plays, he’ll also be looking to two ‘veteran’ players to lead the way. Both DeShaun Thomas and Brandon Paul are three years removed from the collegiate careers and have spent time playing overseas in Europe, as well as spending some significant time in the D-League honing their skills.

“We’re both still young, but we’re kind of the vets of the group,” said Paul after Thursday’s morning workout. “It might take some of these guys a little longer to pick things up so guys like me and DeShaun, we pick things up pretty quickly. 

Thomas echoed Paul’s statements.

“Everyone has come out here to work and compete,” he said. “It’s been good for the younger guys. I’ve been through the system with the Spurs. I know how it is and can help them out, so its been really great.

“It was a great experience (in the D-League). I went through the process and played in Summer League (with San Antonio) for two years, did a little preseason with them and then played on their D-League team. It was a great experience. It helped me to get prepared for this – knowing what the coaches are looking for and what it takes to be a pro – just coming in and working.”

Following a career at Illinois where he earned All-Big Ten Third Team accolades while averaging 16.6 points, 4.3 rebound and 2.7 assists in his senior year, Paul has bounced around a bit, spending 2013 playing for Minnesota in the 2013 NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas, suiting up for two games with the D-League’s Canton Charge and finishing the season in Russia with Nizhny Novgorod. From there it was back to the States and the Charge in 2015. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in Canton before once again heading over seas to lace his shoes up for FIATC Joventut of the Liga Endesa in Spain in 2015-16 and putting up 13.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

“He knows how to play. He’s been around,” said Ewing. “He’s played in Europe and in the D-League, so he’s not new to the NBA, unlike some of the younger guys who are just coming out of college and don’t know the terminology or what we’re looking for. He knows what to expect.”

Like Paul, Thomas’ journey to the Hornets has helped him rack up some frequent flyer miles since coming out of Ohio State in 2013 with averages of 19.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft and played in five summer league games with the Spurs before heading to JSF Nanterre of the ProA League in France. While there, he posted 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists while helping lead his squad to the 2014 French Cup Championship. The next year it was off to Spain, where Thomas posted averages of 7.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists with FC Barcelona of the Liga Endesa. In 2015, he returned stateside and San Antonio place him with their D-League Affiliate, the Austin Spurs. Back on familiar soil, Thomas excelled, averaging 15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists while helping lead the Spurs to the D-League Semifinals.

“I‘m following my dream,” Thomas said of the path he’s on and where he’s headed. “I know its going to take time. I just have to keep working and things will happen.”

So what can Hornets fans expect to see from Paul and Thomas when things tip off on Saturday?

“I want to show consistency in my game,” said Paul. “I want to be able to guard multiple positions and play both sides of the floor. I think I made my name in college as a scorer, so the last couple of seasons I’ve been trying to focus on defense and getting to the right spots on the floor.

“It makes me very hungry. This is the type of game that my game is tailored to. I know I’m an NBA player, I just have to go out there and show it every day. Nothing is handed to anybody. I’m going to go out and compete and get to know the guys. Hopefully we’ll play well. We’re looking pretty good – we’re strong. We’re not the biggest team out there, but we have a lot of guys with heart. I think as long as we communicate, we’re going to give ourselves a chance.”

Thomas agrees that this summer squad might be able to make some noise in Orlando.

“I’m just going to be me,” said Thomas. “A lot of guys go away from what they’re used to doing. I’m just going to try to do what I do well, which is score the ball, and then try to work as hard as I can on the defensive end to help my teammates get some wins.”

[[{"fid":"94451","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"160629_thompson","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"160629_thompson"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"160629_thompson","title":"160629_thompson","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

Day 2: Thompson Takes Court for Hornets Again, Uchebo Playing for Home Team

Wednesday, June 29, 12:53 p.m.

One day after seeing his 2016 Orlando Pro Summer League team on the court for the first time, Hornets Summer League Head Coach Patrick Ewing seemed pleasantly surprised at his team’s progress on Day 2.

“It’s progressing well,” Ewing said. “I think the guys are starting to pick up the offense and picking up our defensive scheme. We’re still waiting for a couple more of the guys to get cleared and be able to practice, but the guys who are here are doing a fantastic job.” 

One face that may be familiar to Hornets fans is 6-7 forward, Sam Thompson, who was in Training Camp with Charlotte last season and appeared in five preseason games, averaging 0.8 points in 6.1 minutes.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Thompson said of being back with the Hornets for the summer. “I had a great time last time here in Training camp. I love the city of Charlotte and love the organization so I’m excited to get the chance to be back out there again for Summer League.

“(Having been with the team before) has been big so far, just having that added familiarity with the system and knowing what we want to do – obviously knowing Aaron (Harrison), who is going to play a big part of what we want to do this summer league – it’s been good for me.”

Since being waived by the Hornets on Oct. 25, 2015, Thompson hasn’t been too far away. He stayed in the states and appeared in 43 games with the Deleware 87ers and the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA D-League, averaging 7.8 points and 3.0 rebounds.

“(The D-League) helped me out a lot,” said Thompson. “Just that year of getting away from college basketball – just the little things like the size of the court, the rule changes, the speed of the game, the size and athleticism of the pro guys. That year in the D-League was huge for me.”

It also gave Thompson a good idea of what parts of his game he had to work on before trying to land an NBA job again. 

“I did a lot of work on my jumpshot. I completely deconstructed it and put it back together again, so I’m more confident in my shot right now,” he said. “I’ve been working on putting the ball on the floor and getting to my spots, too – just working on being a better offensive player.”

Almost a year removed from his first run in Charlotte, Ewing is looking forward to seeing how the new shot translates in live action games for Thompson. 

“He knows the system and knows the scheme, so we know what he’s capable of doing,” said Ewing. “He’s athletic and can play defense. He needs to be able to knock down his shots, but I think he should be fine.”

Thompson is just looking forward to his second chance with the Hornets and is ready to see where this team can take things when they tip off at 11 a.m. on July 2 in Orlando.

“We’re playing against pros – guys that can play basketball and are trying to get themselves jobs and trying to make their dreams come true,” he said. “We have to come here with the right mindset to try and get better, to try and mesh as a team so we can go down to Orlando and take care of what we need to take care of.”

Local fans might also recognize another name on the roster for Orlando, as UNC-Charlotte forward/center Joseph Uchebo will also be lacing up his sneakers for the Hornets. After two years in Pittsburgh, Uchebo played his final collegiate season with the 49ers, averaging 13.2 points and 11.6 rebounds in 33 games. 

“Everything is going pretty good,” Uchebo said after Day 2 of camp. “I think we’re all working on our game as a team to get better and will be focused going forward… I think I’m going to bring more defensive energy. I’m going to go for those rebounds too. That’s what I’m here to do.

After graduating from Word of God High School in Raleigh, NC and finishing his collegiate career in Charlotte, landing a summer league spot with the local pro team couldn’t help but bring a smile to Uchebo’s face.

“It was very exciting,” he said. “Everybody – my family, friends and coaches – were very happy for me to be here.”

No one might have been more happy than his head coach at UNC-Charlotte, former Hornets assistant coach Mark Price, who played a large role in Uchebo’s growth and perhaps unknowingly, set him up for the jump to trying to earn an NBA spot.

“He was a great player and a great shooter. He helped me develop my free throws and everything,” Uchebo said of Price. “Playing for him, you have to have more confidence and being out here (where Price used to coach), I have that confidence because we ran a lot of the same things.”

Keep an eye on Uchebo and how comfortable he’ll look playing in a different colored Charlotte uniform in Orlando.