The Charlotte Hornets are always on the lookout for talent. Jeff Peterson’s signing of Moussa Diabate last fall proved to be a savvy move, and now the Hornets are hoping to strike gold again with Summer League invitee PJ Hall. This article will analyze PJ Hall’s game and assess his potential fit with the Charlotte Hornets.
After a flurry of offseason moves, the Charlotte Hornets find themselves in need of frontcourt depth. The team announced their roster for the 2025 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. While names like Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, and Ryan Kalkbrenner headlined the squad, the inclusion of former Clemson Tiger and Denver Nugget PJ Hall raised some eyebrows.
Given Hall’s pedigree, Charlotte’s frontcourt situation, and an open two-way contract slot, a closer look at Hall’s college film at Clemson is warranted. Can the Hornets unearth another valuable NBA contributor? This article delves into Hall’s strengths and weaknesses to determine if he can make an impact in Charlotte.
Analyzing PJ Hall’s game
PJ Hall’s offensive game presents an intriguing contrast between what the eye sees and what the numbers suggest. On film, Hall appears to be a prototypical stretch big, capable of thriving in the modern NBA. His jump shot boasts a smooth release and a balanced base, giving the impression of a reliable outside threat. However, his statistics paint a slightly different picture.
During his final season at Clemson, Hall connected on just 31.5% of his three-point attempts. While he marginally improved his long-range shooting in the G-League with the Grand Rapids Gold, hitting 34.6% of his shots from beyond the arc, his numbers still leave room for improvement when projecting his potential impact as a stretch big at the NBA level. Hall’s shooting percentages don’t quite align with the perception of him as a consistent threat from beyond the arc.
Inside the arc, Hall leverages his physicality to make an impact, excelling as a screener. His strong, solid contact frees up teammates. Whether it’s dribble hand-offs, pick and pops, or pin-downs, Hall’s screens create space and force switches. Guards who fail to anticipate Hall’s screen often find themselves reeling from the impact. Despite his effectiveness as a screener, Hall’s physicality doesn’t always translate to success around the rim.
In the post, Hall tends to play smaller than his listed height of 6’10”, often extending the distance between himself and the basket. Hall also lacks elite vertical pop. Hall does project as a high-feel player with the ability to function as an oversized offensive hub on the perimeter. Hall’s vision and timing as a passer stand out.
PJ Hall’s Defensive Game
Defensively, PJ Hall is a tweener. He lacks the speed to guard smaller, quicker players on the perimeter, and he doesn’t possess the size and strength to effectively contain opposing centers in the post. As a result, Hall’s defensive fit in the NBA is questionable.
During his senior year at Clemson, Hall struggled against bigger, more physical opponents like Armando Bacot and DJ Burns. While Bacot is one of UNC’s all-time great big men and Burns had stretches of dominance, Hall’s inability to slow them down is concerning. Hall offers some promise as a help-side defender. However, his lack of lateral quickness hinders his ability to get into the proper position to utilize his length effectively.
While Hall recorded an impressive block rate of 5.6% during his senior season at Clemson, much of that production stemmed from his strength advantage over college opponents. As a result, it’s unclear how well his shot-blocking ability will translate to the NBA, where he’ll face bigger, stronger, and more athletic competition.
Clemson’s use of zone defenses often mitigated some of Hall’s defensive deficiencies, shielding him from unfavorable matchups and allowing him to focus on protecting the rim as a help defender. Although he’s only 6’10” in shoes, he does have a long wingspan to affect shots at the basket.
Analyzing Hall’s fit in Charlotte
Charles Lee often compares deploying bigs who play with different styles to throwing different pitches at a defense. In Hall, Charlotte could add a new pitch to their already well-rounded arsenal.
Moussa Diabate is the undersized, energetic, defense-first big that can switch onto the perimeter and hold his own, Ryan Kalkbrenner is the traditional rim-protecting center who plays around the rim on offense, and Mason Plumlee is the savvy, veteran option who proverbially gives you four points when you need four and four points when you need ten.
Signing Hall to a two-way contract would give the Hornets a fourth option at center that can space the floor and provide passable defense for Charlotte to run five-out looks on both ends of the court. Injuries happen, as Hornets fans know all too well, and adding another big man into the Hornets’ system that plays a totally different style than the ones they employ would be good process. In a pinch, Hall could make the quick trip south to Charlotte and give the Hornets some minutes at either the four or the five.
If not Hall, a player of his archetype should fill the Hornets’ final two-way contract slot. Thankfully for PJ, he has a few weeks to make the case for himself in Charlotte.
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Conclusion
PJ Hall is an intriguing prospect for the Charlotte Hornets. His ability to stretch the floor, combined with his physicality as a screener and his potential as an offensive hub, could make him a valuable addition to the team’s frontcourt.
Hall’s defensive limitations and inconsistent shooting numbers raise some concerns. However, if the Hornets can effectively utilize his strengths and mitigate his weaknesses, he could prove to be a worthwhile investment.
Ultimately, PJ Hall’s success in Charlotte will depend on his ability to improve his consistency and adapt to the Hornets’ system. If he can do that, he has the potential to become a valuable contributor to the team.
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