Fellow Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel is getting most of the press for playing exactly like a top-five pick should, but it’s Liam McNeeley, selected 25 spots later, who could represent the best first-year value on the roster.
A former five-star high school recruit, McNeeley never quite found his stroke at UConn. Mechanics like his shouldn’t have produced a 31.7 percent conversion rate from deep, and early flashes as a pro suggest better efficiency is ahead. The 6’7″ forward debuted with a 22-point, 12-rebound, six-assist effort in Summer League play. While the rest of his exhibition and preseason work hasn’t produced numbers quite like those, McNeeley continues to pass the eye test with flying colors.
Skill-wise, McNeeley appears to be a lottery pick—one whose court sense, passing acumen and shot-making prowess could lead to big things. If given a rotation role, he might approach his collegiate numbers—14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game—with even more efficiency than he showed as a freshman.