Charlotte

Hornets

Williams will remain sidelined after missing the preseason, but he has progressed to individual on-court work. Williams may return soon, but until then, Royce O’Neale will likely be tasked with the power forward minutes behind Naz Reid.

Knueppel missed the preseason and will remain out for the season opener, though he has progressed to individual on-court work. Knueppel may return soon, but until then, Charlotte will turn to Grayson Allen and Sion James to fill the void, with Allen being the better streaming option for fantasy managers.

White missed the preseason and will remain sidelined for at least the season opener. He has returned to doing individual on-court work, which is a sign he shouldn’t be far off from a return. Dennis Schröder should operate as the starting point guard in his place.

Miller’s future in Charlotte is set, as he’s agreed to a rookie-scale extension worth more than $40 million per year. With the offseason decision to trade LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, the franchise has moved forward with Miller and Kon Knueppel as cornerstones. Miller appeared in 65 games last season, averaging 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.1 three-pointers per game.

Steinbach came off the bench, but it was notable that he entered the game early in the first quarter for starter Ryan Kalkbrenner. Steinbach had the hot hand as he outscored Kalkbrenner 19-2 and played 28 minutes to Kalkbrenner’s 19. We could be seeing the beginning of Steinbach moving up in the Hornets’ big man rotation, though it’s also worth noting that Moussa Diabate didn’t play due to a right elbow injury.

Over two NBA seasons, Salaün has failed to secure a consistent role in Charlotte. The absences of Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams, both recovering from hamstring injuries, have created more opportunities for Salaün, who played well in Boston. However, one performance does not make him a player worth selecting in redraft leagues.

The Hornets have been without Kon Knueppel all preseason as he recovers from a hamstring injury, and he’s unlikely to be ready for the October 21 season opener. While Liam McNeeley (seven points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one three-pointer vs. Boston) was the replacement in the first three exhibitions, O’Neale did the honors on Wednesday. The veteran wing is most valuable to managers needing three-pointers and steals, and he provided the former in Beantown. O’Neale’s negative was his team-high five turnovers. Charlotte visits Memphis in its preseason finale on Friday; that game should answer who is best positioned to start for Knueppel when the regular season begins.

Anderson, the 18th overall pick in June’s draft, returned from the ankle injury that sidelined him at the start of training camp. The rookie guard logged 21 minutes off the bench, signaling that it’s “all systems go” with no restrictions. With Coby White sidelined by a calf injury, Anderson may get minutes backing up starting point guard Dennis Schröder (five points, three rebounds and two assists vs. Boston) once the regular season begins. That said, he’ll be far more valuable in dynasty leagues than in redraft leagues.

Anderson is behind Dennis Schroeder in the rotation, but with the injuries to Coby White, there is an opportunity for the rookie point guard to get minutes early on in the season. He should fit right into Charles Lee’s 3PT heavy system.

After scoring 13 points in his Hornets’ preseason debut against the Nets, Reid was a little more effective on Sunday. He shot 50 percent from the field, but the overall stat line was a bit lean. In Charlotte, Reid should have more room to flourish offensively. However, increased usage doesn’t guarantee increased production. His current ADP sits in the middle rounds of 12-team leagues, a fair spot for Reid.