The charlotte-hornets/5312/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Charlotte Hornets had the NBA’s strongest rookie class during the 2025-26 season, as three of their four first-year players went on to carve out significant roles in the Hornets rotation. The only rookie who did not was Liam McNeeley, a No. 29 overall selection from UConn. Although McNeeley provided valuable shooting off the bench at times, various injuries and a crowded Hornets rotation kept him from earning many minutes as a rookie.
On the year, McNeeley made 31 appearances and averaged 4.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 11.9 minutes per game. McNeeley’s shooting was the biggest bright spot, averaging a 40% success rate from 3-point range and an 82% success rate from the free throw line. When not in the NBA, McNeeley earned valuable reps in the G-League, averaging 19.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Greensboro Swarm in 20 games. Looking ahead to next season, if McNeeley is able to integrate into Charlotte’s rotation, it’ll be because of improvements made on the defensive end. However, considering the upward trajectory of the Hornets and the fact that they hold two more first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, minutes may still be scarce for McNeeley as a sophomore.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hornets 2025-26 player grades: Liam McNeeley
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