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Isaiah Wong making impressive impact for the Charlotte Hornets

Hornets two-way player Isaiah Wong has been a joy to watch.

Austin Leake

Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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The Charlotte Hornets rough season has had mostly negatives due to the plethora of injuries the team has suffered, but the injuries have also brought opportunities for unheralded players and Isaiah Wong has certainly taken advantage of his.

The Hornets signed Wong to a two-way contract on December 2nd due to some injuries at the guard position and an open two-way spot after waiving Jared Rhoden, who previously was on the team with a two-way contract.

Wong averaged over 24 points per game in the G-League before the Hornets decided to take a chance on the 23-year-old. Wong spent his college days at the University of Miami and was a solid player in his four years there, averaging 14 points per game in his career.

Thus far, Wong has certainly proved that he belongs in the NBA , as he's made a noticeable impact each time he's taken the court for the Hornets in his four games played.

In the four contests, Wong is averaging 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, while shooting 45.8% from the field and 42.9% from the field. In his debut for the Hornets, he recorded nine points in 11 minutes, while also receiving praise from Hornets announcer Eric Collins.

Wong has scored nine points in three of his four games this season, a wildly impressive feat for a player who is practically a rookie in the Association. The former Hurricane had only previously played for the Indiana Pacers in the 2023-2024 season, appearing in just one game.

Not only has Wong been a pleasant surprise, but he's also appeared to have taken over the minutes of one of the Hornets previous first-round picks, Nick Smith Jr. Since Wong's emergence, Nick Smith Jr. has been suiting up with the Greensboro Swarm in the G-League.

More importantly, Coach Lee has had Isaiah Wong playing down the stretch in close games. All of those signs point to the true impact that Wong has made and the trust that the coaching staff has in the 23-year-old guard.

In a recent interview, Wong made some notable points on himself as a player, which indicates how he knows his role and how to be effective for the Hornets moving forward. Pretty impressive for a young guard who has had little to no NBA experience before receiving a contract and minutes from the Charlotte Hornets.

It's become pretty clear during this stretch that the play of Isaiah Wong is not a fluke, as it seems to be just the beginning steps of the early stages of his career. Also important to note how impressive it is that Jeff Peterson continues to strike gold on two-way players.

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Austin Leake
AUSTIN LEAKE

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