rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2026 10:37 am
Some of the top comments getting upvotes in the last Hornets game thread on reddit about Naz.
"im all good on the naz raid experience"
"I agree trade him before his value tanks. Airballs a fkn layup and then jogs down the court after. Can’t believe we traded melo for this bum"
"fr that's the worst part. losing our franchise player for him? HIM?"
"To be fair to Naz, I don’t really care much about the missed floaters and turnovers. I agree that’s mostly overusage. It’s the awful defense, lazy habits, and complaining. It just doesn’t fit this “Hornets culture” that’s been sold to us for the past 2 years, and he was like this on the Timberwolves, so I know it’s not changing. And because of that, I was never really in, and now I’m definitely out."
I saw his stat line the last game wasn't super great. My guess is he will right the ship to some extent and shoot better etc. It's not like Ball has been awesome this year either.
I think the interesting thing for me is let's say there was ability to trade Kuminga for Naz Reid straight up. I think it would be an interesting discussion and I'd guess some people would rather just keep Kuminga. I might be one of those people and I was definitely a skeptic about him before he signed.
Really interesting question, monster, and I guess I might be one of those people that would lean toward keeping JK. I really enjoyed "the Naz experience", but as Q says, we may have looked at him through rose-colored glasses. And the more I hear about him, it seems he might have been a bigger contributor to the "moodiness" than even Randle. I'm always going to cheer for Naz and I have to admit I'm a little surprised at how he is being received there, but JK just might be a better fit there...and at a much better price point!
The expectations for JK and Naz are pretty wildly different. Naz whether here or in Charlotte would be higher than what we are expecting from Kuminga which is be solid and don't be doing dumb stuff. It seems like so far Kuminga has some of the actual game to do those things and doesn't have to score to impact the game. Naz could impact the game if he wasn't scoring but in general if he wasn't scoring...that was not good. Naz rebounding numbers are a positive and with the Hornets are good so that's a positive.
What makes it more interesting is the cost for these guys. In general unless Kuminga really blows up (could happen while Edwards is out) I don't know if he will get the money Naz is getting. If the Wolves could resign him for a couple years at the full mid-level that probably makes it a bit of a no-brainer. What I like the most about Kuminga is him being able to switch onto perimeter players and be a really good defender there. It doesn't feel like he hasn't been overwhelmed by any PFs yet and it's not like we have played a bunch of small teams.
I saw his stat line the last game wasn't super great. My guess is he will right the ship to some extent and shoot better etc. It's not like Ball has been awesome this year either.
I think the interesting thing for me is let's say there was ability to trade Kuminga for Naz Reid straight up. I think it would be an interesting discussion and I'd guess some people would rather just keep Kuminga. I might be one of those people and I was definitely a skeptic about him before he signed.
Really interesting question, monster, and I guess I might be one of those people that would lean toward keeping JK. I really enjoyed "the Naz experience", but as Q says, we may have looked at him through rose-colored glasses. And the more I hear about him, it seems he might have been a bigger contributor to the "moodiness" than even Randle. I'm always going to cheer for Naz and I have to admit I'm a little surprised at how he is being received there, but JK just might be a better fit there...and at a much better price point!
The expectations for JK and Naz are pretty wildly different. Naz whether here or in Charlotte would be higher than what we are expecting from Kuminga which is be solid and don't be doing dumb stuff. It seems like so far Kuminga has some of the actual game to do those things and doesn't have to score to impact the game. Naz could impact the game if he wasn't scoring but in general if he wasn't scoring...that was not good. Naz rebounding numbers are a positive and with the Hornets are good so that's a positive.
What makes it more interesting is the cost for these guys. In general unless Kuminga really blows up (could happen while Edwards is out) I don't know if he will get the money Naz is getting. If the Wolves could resign him for a couple years at the full mid-level that probably makes it a bit of a no-brainer. What I like the most about Kuminga is him being able to switch onto perimeter players and be a really good defender there. It doesn't feel like he hasn't been overwhelmed by any PFs yet and it's not like we have played a bunch of small teams.
Totally agree on JK's defense. He has the perfect combination of height/weight/athleticism to guard nearly any position except for the quickest guards and the biggest Centers. But everything in between he can check one on one without needing much help. Him, Jaden, and Rudy make for a really high level front line defensively and JK's versatility and willingness to take a lower usage role has freed up Jaden to expand his game. Let's hope that continues!
Jester1534 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2026 9:27 am
Small sample size but a lot of hornets missing Lamelo Ball out there.
Worst Offensive Rating In The 2026-27 NBA Regular Season (Min. 3 GP & 25 MPG):
1. Moussa Diabate — 92.0
2. Mikal Bridges — 94.1
3. Sion James — 95.4
4. Naz Reid — 96.3
5. Brandon Miller — 98.8
6. Keaton Wagler — 100.0
7. Grayson Allen — 100.6
8. Dennis Schroder — 100.8
9. Jalen Williams — 101.0
10. Dean Wade — 101.8
To be fair, Coby White is the new PG...
... but he got injured after only 16 minutes.
True, but Schroeder is not a bad backup and might even be more of a true PG than White...at least he's averaged more assists per game for his career. I gotta believe the fans are really missing Ball...and Kon, for that matter.
Really interesting question, monster, and I guess I might be one of those people that would lean toward keeping JK. I really enjoyed "the Naz experience", but as Q says, we may have looked at him through rose-colored glasses. And the more I hear about him, it seems he might have been a bigger contributor to the "moodiness" than even Randle. I'm always going to cheer for Naz and I have to admit I'm a little surprised at how he is being received there, but JK just might be a better fit there...and at a much better price point!
The expectations for JK and Naz are pretty wildly different. Naz whether here or in Charlotte would be higher than what we are expecting from Kuminga which is be solid and don't be doing dumb stuff. It seems like so far Kuminga has some of the actual game to do those things and doesn't have to score to impact the game. Naz could impact the game if he wasn't scoring but in general if he wasn't scoring...that was not good. Naz rebounding numbers are a positive and with the Hornets are good so that's a positive.
What makes it more interesting is the cost for these guys. In general unless Kuminga really blows up (could happen while Edwards is out) I don't know if he will get the money Naz is getting. If the Wolves could resign him for a couple years at the full mid-level that probably makes it a bit of a no-brainer. What I like the most about Kuminga is him being able to switch onto perimeter players and be a really good defender there. It doesn't feel like he hasn't been overwhelmed by any PFs yet and it's not like we have played a bunch of small teams.
Totally agree on JK's defense. He has the perfect combination of height/weight/athleticism to guard nearly any position except for the quickest guards and the biggest Centers. But everything in between he can check one on one without needing much help. Him, Jaden, and Rudy make for a really high level front line defensively and JK's versatility and willingness to take a lower usage role has freed up Jaden to expand his game. Let's hope that continues!
I'll add that while they are different offensive players they are probably kinda similar in a way offensively too. They both seem capable of getting buckets but also willing to defer and their best scoring is probably getting into the paint. Both guys are kinda sneaky good passers when they drive and both seem to actually have some chemistry with Gobert when they drive into the paint. It's really fun to have both guys on the roster. Even though Kuminga is playing as the PF his ability to be so versatile I think makes a guy like Clark make more sense when he comes in.
Jester1534 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2026 9:27 am
Small sample size but a lot of hornets missing Lamelo Ball out there.
Worst Offensive Rating In The 2026-27 NBA Regular Season (Min. 3 GP & 25 MPG):
1. Moussa Diabate — 92.0
2. Mikal Bridges — 94.1
3. Sion James — 95.4
4. Naz Reid — 96.3
5. Brandon Miller — 98.8
6. Keaton Wagler — 100.0
7. Grayson Allen — 100.6
8. Dennis Schroder — 100.8
9. Jalen Williams — 101.0
10. Dean Wade — 101.8
To be fair, Coby White is the new PG...
... but he got injured after only 16 minutes.
True, but Schroeder is not a bad backup and might even be more of a true PG than White...at least he's averaged more assists per game for his career. I gotta believe the fans are really missing Ball...and Kon, for that matter.
We'll see. While I'm not the biggest C. White fan... I know there's been a lot of buzz around him this summer and the Hornets optimism in giving him the keys.
Schroder is on his 13th team in 8 seasons. He's "fine" ... but opens up as many holes as he plugs on a team at this point. White is clearly the Hornets guy so we'll see if he can change things when he returns tonight.
The misery for Charlotte continues. Now 3-6 with the NBA's worst offensive rating. Gee, ya think they miss LaMelo??
I know they have had a couple of guys out (like nearly every other team these days), but the majority of their roster is healthy, including Naz, the key player they got in exchange for Ball. Don't look at his Net Rating and Net On/Off Rating! It's ugly. I don't think he's having a great time there....
If Ball was traded because he didn't fit "Charlotte culture", then this is example #1,267 of why talent > culture in the NBA. Culture matters, but it simply can't make up for a shortage of elite talent. I think one of Finch's strengths is to incorporate flawed, but talented players - including less-than-ideal cultural fits like Julius - into winning basketball. Rather than focusing on their weaknesses, he embraces their strengths and makes the most of them.
Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2026 9:07 am
The misery for Charlotte continues. Now 3-6 with the NBA's worst offensive rating. Gee, ya think they miss LaMelo??
I know they have had a couple of guys out (like nearly every other team these days), but the majority of their roster is healthy, including Naz, the key player they got in exchange for Ball. Don't look at his Net Rating and Net On/Off Rating! It's ugly. I don't think he's having a great time there....
If Ball was traded because he didn't fit "Charlotte culture", then this is example #1,267 of why talent > culture in the NBA. Culture matters, but it simply can't make up for a shortage of elite talent. I think one of Finch's strengths is to incorporate flawed, but talented players - including less-than-ideal cultural fits like Julius - into winning basketball. Rather than focusing on their weaknesses, he embraces their strengths and makes the most of them.
While I agree that Ball's impact is significant and Charlotte misses him...
... Coby White (even if overrated) has only played 34 minutes this season. Kon Knueppel has played only 6 minutes. Brandon Miller has been overwhelmed as the #1 option without Ball and Knueppel's gravity.
3 starters (Miller, Shroder and someone named Sion James) are shooting below 37%. Heck, it's four players if you count White's appearances.
Our guy Naz showed some creative chops in his first game with 7 assists and 1 TO. He's had only 10 assists and 23 TOs since.
The loud online posters on reddit and youtube that swore Utah was going to be a top 4 seed this year have to be in shambles. 1-7 start to season after dropping one to the Pelicans last night. You can't go from tanking multiple seasons developing losing habits, to just turning it on. Yes they have some injuries, but they were pretty overrated coming into the season
