Charlotte vs San Antonio Prediction: Two Monstrous Rookies

Prediction for the NBA Summer League Charlotte Hornets vs San Antonio Spurs match which will take place on July 4th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

The opportunity to see Brandon Miller in action is a major draw for the Hornets before the start of the Summer League. The 2023 second-round draft pick spent just one year in college basketball, playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide and collecting all sorts of NCAA accolades before ending up in the NBA. Miller played 37 games for Alabama last season, averaging 18.8 points per game for a three-point percentage of 38.4. He also had 8.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and a blocked shot each. Miller is a proven all-rounder, adjusted to work offensively and defensively effectively, both on the perimeter and under the basket.

In addition to Miller, we should highlight Nick Smith, the Hornets' 27th overall pick. As well as experienced, by Summer League standards, defenders James Bouknight, Bryce McGowens, and heavy forward Kai Jones have about fifty games on the Charlotte roster. Manon Garnett, an assistant to Steve Clifford and previous Hornets coach James Borrego, will lead the team in the tournament.

The fact that Victor Wembanyama would be the draft's first pick has long been discussed. And so it turned out - the French talent would debut for San Antonio. A curious coincidence considering Gregg Popovich's love of players from Europe. Surprisingly, Victor, 19, has already spent four seasons in professional basketball, playing for France's Nanterre, ASVEL, with whom he even played in the Euroleague, and Metropolitan 92. Last season for Metropolitan, reaching the French championships final series, Wembanyama had 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.0 blocked shots, and a three-point percentage of 30%, nonsense for a 222 cm tall player.

Helping Vembanyama in his debut games for San Antonio will be a rookie squad. The Spurs' Summer League roster only includes one player with one season of NBA experience. The most experienced is guard Malachi Branam, who played 66 games for San Antonio last season. Also, highlight forwards Julian Champagnie and Dominic Barlow. The coach is Matt Nielsen, an Australian and former heavy forward who played in European championships.

Charlotte is the clear favorite for the match, which is unsurprising given their much more experienced roster. The Hornets are likely to live up to their lead. In addition, we think the meeting will be productive not only because of the results of their head-to-head encounters in the Summer League - each year, the lineup was different. It's also due to our lack of experience. It's easier to attack than to defend in basketball. So the Spurs will pay the most attention to their offense, while the older Hornets will have to answer to them.