Liam McNeeley and Hannes Steinbach Have Strong Debut With Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets had plenty to like in their 86-74 Summer League win over the Orlando Magic, but two performances stood out for very different reasons. Liam McNeeley lit it up from the outside, while Hannes Steinbach did the kind of work that rarely gets headlines until you realize how much it changes a game.

McNeeley looked like a player who had learned plenty from his first trip through Summer League.

Back for his second season after being selected No. 29 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, he played with noticeably more confidence and a stronger frame. There wasn’t much hesitation when the ball found him. He played like a veteran, which makes sense, because that’s kind of what he is in the Summer League setting.

He finished with 28 points in 28 minutes and caught fire from beyond the arc, getting seven of his eight attempts from 3-point range. The shots came from all over the floor, and none of them looked rushed.

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Steinbach made his impact in a much different way, and the Hornets were better for it.

After leading college basketball in rebounding and averaging a double-double during his lone season at Washington, the rookie carried that same approach into his Summer League debut. He established position early, battled for every loose ball around the basket and gave Charlotte a steady presence whenever he stepped on the floor.

Coming off the bench, Steinbach finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, doing plenty of the dirty work that doesn’t always show up in highlight reels but absolutely shows up in winning basketball.

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The 2026 NBA Summer League runs from July 9 through July 19 in Las Vegas, with all 30 NBA teams competing across 76 games at Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. Charlotte’s opener offered a little bit of everything, but the combination of McNeeley’s scoring punch and Steinbach’s work around the rim gave the Hornets a balanced performance that’s worth keeping an eye on as the week unfolds.

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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 12:19 PM.