The Charlotte Hornets’ season opener offered a glimpse into the team’s youth movement — Ryan Kalkbrenner set the tone defensively, Kon Knueppel blended in seamlessly on offense — but one rookie was conspicuously absent from the storylines that followed. Liam McNeeley, the highly touted first-round pick expected to bring shooting and polish from day one, was nowhere to be seen in the box score.
For two games, McNeeley was a ghost on the Hornets’ bench — a first-round rookie with promise, potential, and not a single NBA minute. Then, on a chilly night in Washington, opportunity finally arrived — not by design, but by necessity.