Buzz Beat: A Charlotte Hornets Pod

Richie breaks down the Hornets’ 95-79 loss to the Wizards in their NBA Cup opener. He discusses how Charlotte’s three-point shooting fell apart and how the Wizards’ physicality, switching, and communication kept Charlotte out of the paint. Lastly, he highlights Diabate’s energy and activity, Anderson’s paint pressure, and Sion James’s offensive struggles.

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Brandon Miller erupts for 39 points against the Wizards, but what else have we learned about the Hornets in the early stages of the season?

Matt and James break down Miller’s huge performance before checking the stock on several Hornets players. Are we buying or selling on Naz Reid, Sion James, Christian Anderson, and Ryan Kalkbrenner? Who’s trending up, and who has more to prove?

Then it’s time for “Is This Real?” We dig into some early-season stats, trends, and observations to decide which ones are here to stay and which might be fool’s gol...

The Charlotte Hornets survived a wild finish to beat the Miami Heat 115–110, after building a 21-point lead. Richie breaks down the late-game comeback scare, Charlotte’s rebounding advantage, and the toughness that helped the Hornets close it out. He highlights Brandon Miller, Ryank Kalkbrenner, Dennis Schröder, Grayson Allen, and others.

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Richie recaps Charlotte’s 110–103 season-opening win over Brooklyn. He covers the team's performance, standout individual showings, and the offensive wrinkles Charles Lee is already installing with this new roster. This episode focuses on the contributions from Naz Reid, Brandon Miller, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, and Dennis Schröder.

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Richie, Darian, and Matt preview the Charlotte Hornets’ upcoming season, breaking down Brandon Miller’s new extension, preseason standouts, potential x-factors, and their final win-total predictions.

James and Brian break down Charlotte’s preseason win over Milwaukee, where the offense looked faster, cleaner, and far more connected than it did against Brooklyn. They unpack the offensive possibilities with Naz Reid, Brandon Miller’s first preseason game back, Liam McNeely’s potential, Sion James’ real two-way growth, and more. They also break down the latest reporting on Miller’s looming contract extension.

Richie, Brian, and Matt break down the biggest storylines and players heading into preseason basketball. The conversation starts with an injury update on Coby White, then turns into a snake draft of the nine most important Hornets players heading into preseason. We discuss who has the most to prove, who could earn or cement rotation minutes, and which young players need preseason reps to show real growth.

EXCLUSIVE | Richie and Matt are joined by Sion James, Liam McNeeley, and Royce O’Neale during Media Day. The players talk about their offseasons, what they are working on, and the intricacies of their game.

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Richie and Matt record live from the arena at the Charlotte Hornets’ Media Day, discussing the major talking points from players and coaches. The two provide injury updates on Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Grant Williams, and highlight the common themes.

Richie breaks down the trade between the Hornets and the Hawks and delves into the motivations behind it. He looks at the financials, on-court performance, and the roster crunch that now exists after this trade.

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Brian and James run through a host of topics today, including Brandon Miller’s extension, a potential Finney-Smith trade, and how the Hornets stack up against other teams in future seasons.

James returns to answer listeners' questions about the upcoming season's stylistic changes. He addresses how the offense may look different with Coby White as the starting point guard, whether Charlotte’s free-throw rate will increase, interesting lineup combinations, and more. 

Sam Farber, Hornets’ radio play-by-play announcer, joins James to discuss some of the most anticipated games this season. The two rank their top five games on the slate and look ahead to storylines surrounding Charlotte’s roster and path to success.

Brian, Matt, and James return to share several bold predictions for the upcoming season. The conversation covers Kon Knueppel, Coby White, the Hornets' offense, and potential milestones, offering fans a comprehensive outlook on the season ahead.

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🚨 EMERGENCY POD | The Charlotte Hornets have dealt for Dennis Schröder. In return, the Cavaliers received Tre Mann. Richie recaps the details of the trade, the implications, and how the German point guard will fit within the roster.

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Richie, Brian, and James dive deep into why Vegas is banking heavily on Brandon Miller winning the Most Improved Player award. Plus, we break down the Eastern Conference and predict exactly where Charlotte lands in the standings.

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The Hornets made franchise-altering decisions this offseason, reshaping the organization's future.

We open by looking at the bigger picture: where does Charlotte stand as a franchise, what direction are they heading, and how should fans evaluate the monumental decisions made this summer?

Then we grade every major move, including the draft selections of Steinbach and Anderson Jr, the LaMelo Ball trade, re-signing Coby White, moving on from Miles Bridges, and acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith.

We’ll break down the reasoning behind each move, what Charlotte gained and gave up, and finish with an overall gr...

Richie, Brian, and Matt put a bow on Summer League by sharing their final evaluations of the players, specifically Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. The three also explore ongoing roster management and trade possibilities before the season starts to improve the point guard position.

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James takes a look at Jeff Peterson’s latest press conference about LaMelo Ball’s trade and some of the interesting things said. He also checks out the prominent players and how they’ve been playing in the Summer League so far.

Richie, Brian, and James return to discuss the chain reactions from all the recent Hornets moves. The three cover the latest trade involving Dorian Finney-Smith, whether this offseason is leading to a Brandon Miller extension, and which players are likely to miss the final roster. The episode ends with a brief segment on the NBA Summer League roster.

Gordon Hayward joins Richie for a two-part interview. In Part 2, Hayward discusses his recruitment to Butler, the Jazz matching Charlotte’s offer sheet in 2014, rehabbing major injuries, his career with the Charlotte Hornets (2020-2024), and shares his thoughts on Kon Knueppel’s potential.

Gordon Hayward joins Richie for a two-part interview. In Part 1, Hayward shares about his upbringing, his parents’ influence on his success as a student and athlete, the importance of his relationship with Joe Mazzulla, and his conversion to the Catholic church.

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Richie, Matt, and James analyze the trade that sent Miles Bridges to Phoenix. The three look at the on-court ramifications, the unprotected 2033 first-round pick returning to Charlotte, and how the roster is taking shape.

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Richie and James return to break down the re-signing of Coby White and put a bow on the trading of LaMelo Ball. The two look at these interconnected transactions and how they will affect the Hornets' future dealings as we head into free agency.

🚨 EMERGENCY POD | LaMelo Ball is traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Richie, Matt, and James break down the trade and the pros and cons of the return. The three also look at how this affects the team moving forward.

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The crew analyzes the selection of Hannes Steinbach from the University of Washington and Christian Anderson Jr. from Texas Tech University. James, Brian, Matt, and Darian debate Steinbach’s true position and if he will see rotational minutes come October. They are also cautiously optimistic about the Anderson Jr. pick and offer pros and cons of his selection.

NBA.com and Hoops HQ’s Krysten Peek joins the show to discuss the Hornets’ draft outlook, including Charlotte’s evolving reputation across the league, the age debate in prospect evaluation, potential trade-up scenarios, and which top prospect could fall to No. 14. We also revisit the early Tidjane Salaün connection and share our final predictions for picks 14 and 18.

Brian and Matt step into the Hornets’ front office, while James takes on the roles of the league’s other 29 teams and player agents throughout the negotiation process. The trio works through every stage of the offseason, including the NBA Draft, free agency, trade discussions, and veteran extension negotiations, to shape Charlotte’s path forward for 2026.

Brian and Darian break down five NBA prospects at the center position. The two discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and team fit, while also revealing how strongly they’d covet each prospect. The players discussed on this episode are Chris Cenac, Hannes Steinbach, Jayden Quaintance, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson.

Richie moderates a debate between Brian, Matt, and James on some polarizing topics concerning the Hornets’ upcoming draft. The three share their thoughts on consolidating picks, avoiding guards in the draft, Morez Johnson Jr., and much more.

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James and Darian break down three NBA prospects at the guard position. The two discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and team fit, while also revealing how strongly they’d covet each prospect. The players discussed on this episode are Labaron Philon Jr., Ebuka Okorie, and Bennett Stirtz.

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Richie and Brian return to grade Brandon Miller and Tidjane Salaün’s seasons. They look at their strengths on both ends of the court, their drawbacks, and hand out a letter grade.

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Matt and James break down four NBA prospects at the wing position. The two discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and team fit, while also revealing how strongly they’d covet each prospect. The players discussed on this episode are Brayden Burries, Dailyn Swain, and Cameron Carr.

Brian and James break down four NBA prospects at the forward position. The two discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and team fit, while also revealing how strongly they’d covet each prospect. The players discussed on this episode are Yaxel Lendeborg, Nate Ament, Karim López, and Koa Peat.

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Matt and James recap the NBA Combine with their final thoughts on some of the prospects in Charlotte’s range, including Koa Peat, Cam Carr, and Morez Johnson. The two talk about how much sway the results of these workouts have on their overall big board. Finally, they pit two prospects against each other and debate their preferred selection.

Brian and James recap the NBA Lottery and how the results could affect the Hornets. The two also review the NBA Combine measurements, both positive and negative. To wrap up, James participates in a mock draft leading up to the Hornets’ 14th pick.

Richie reflects on the 2025-26 season and hands out grades to Ryan Kalkbrenner, Josh Green, and Coby White. He considers the strengths, weaknesses, preseason expectations, and role when evaluating the player’s impact.

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Brian and James return to kick off the NBA Draft season. The two chat about the lottery and its implications, a consensus “big board” among the hosts, and the qualities that Charlotte’s front office values in prospects.

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Richie, Brian, and Matt reflect and hand out awards for the 2025-26 season. After compiling votes from all the co-hosts, this episode reveals the top-3 nominees and winners in the following categories:

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Matt invites Jeremy Grandison to reflect on the end of the Hornets’ season. The two look back on the blowout loss to the Magic, the key questions heading into the offseason, and the strategic moves Jeff Peterson needs to make moving forward.

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