Why Charles Lee Needs to Play Hannes Steinbach Now

Writer Abdulqudus Babatunde argues that Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee must integrate rookie center Hannes Steinbach into the regular rotation immediately. Steinbach, selected 14th overall in the draft, has logged just 14 total minutes across the start of the 2026–27 NBA season. Babatunde contends that benching the rookie prevents him from adapting to NBA game speed and mastering defensive coverages.

The article highlights that Steinbach remains stuck behind Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner while veteran Grant Williams recovers from an injury. Babatunde argues that Charlotte should allocate 8 to 10 minutes per game to Steinbach to build his confidence and accelerate his development before Williams returns to crowd the frontcourt rotation.