During Friday night's sound defeat over the San Antonio Spurs, guard Nick Smith Jr. stood out for the Charlotte Hornets. Smith notched a new career high, scoring 26 points on 75% from the field ...

Thanks to a bevy of injuries, Nick Smith Jr. has been pressed not only into the Charlotte Hornets' rotation but into the starting lineup. The guard was a late first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Locating Nick Smith Jr. isn’t all that hard these days. Just scan the court for the guy in the fluorescent-colored sneakers. No, not the bright orange ones radiating like sun flares. That’s ...