The Hornets Summer League championship has given fans plenty to talk about—and Doug and Walker are breaking it all down. Kon Knueppel may have delivered the best summer performance by a Hornets first-rounder in a decade, but will that be enough to start over Josh Green or Collin Sexton? Doug makes the case for a 20+ minute bench role with room to grow, while Walker wonders if Knueppel can create his own "rookie minutes bucket." Meanwhile, Liam McNeeley’s two-game sample was so impressive it might’ve vaulted him out of a Greensboro role and into the big club’s nightly rotation.

But not everyone helped their case. Ryan Kalkbrenner didn’t dominate the paint as expected, and questions linger about his speed, floor spacing, and fit. Sion James didn’t knock down shots, and despite flashes, Doug says that Tidjane Salaun improved but didn’t do enough to carve out a clear role. Did Jaylen Sims do enough to stick around? 

Plus, the hosts play a little trivia with the NBA’s Top 100 all-time list and reveal who should represent Charlotte on the Locked On NBA’s 2025 Top 100.

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Top 35 Hornets Nicknames of All-Time According to Doug Branson: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-nicknames-in-hornets-franchise

Top 35 Hornets of All-Time According to Walker Mehl: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-players-in-hornets-history

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