With a loss to the Boston Celtics Wednesday night, the Charlotte Hornets fell to 1-2 through their first three preseason games. Although Charlotte entered the fourth quarter trailing by eight, Boston outscored the Hornets 29-16, earning a 21-point victory. Brandon Miller and Tidjane Salaun led the team in scoring, each finishing with 16 points. In his team debut, Christian Anderson Jr. looked impressive, tallying 10 points off the bench on 2-of-3 shooting from downtown. Inserted into the starting lineup for this first time this preseason, Royce O'Neale had a perfect shooting night, scoring 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting from 3-point range.
Ahead of Charlotte's final preseason game Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies, here are three things worth
keeping an eye on.
3. Christian Anderson Jr. shines in his debut
Although it's only the preseason, it was an encouraging sign to see Christian Anderson Jr. perform against Boston's elite defense. The recent No. 18 overall pick may not play the largest role as a rookie; however, he could be a vital depth piece if Coby White, Dennis Schroder or Sion James were to sustain an injury.
2. Who will be cut?
The Hornets still need to trim one player from their roster before the beginning of the 2026-27 season. At the moment, all signs point to veteran shooting guard Pat Connaughton, who is the only player with a non-guaranteed deal. Tidjane Salaun could be considered as well but may be trending in the right direction following his 16-point night against the Celtics, where he shot 4-for-8 from long distance. If the Hornets were to make any trades, Grant Williams would be a name to watch, as the currently injured stretch four is on an expiring contract.
1. Turnovers are becoming a serious problem
After tallying 30 turnovers against the Celtics, Charlotte has now given the ball away 69 times in their first three preseason games, an average of 23 per contest. While turnovers can be excusable in the preseason to a certain degree, this should be a worrisome sign to Hornets fans. Too many turnovers could continue to spoil Charlotte's stellar 3-point shooting. Despite sitting at 1-2, the Hornets have converted on 38.3% of 3-pointers.
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 3 things from Charlotte's preseason defeat against Boston
