The Charlotte Hornets dropped their second consecutive game Friday, falling to the Washington Wizards after losing to the Detroit Pistons Wednesday. Although Charlotte defeated Washington Monday, the Wizards were the much better team this time around, performing just in time for the first day of NBA Cup Group Play.

Throughout the loss, the Hornets struggled to score, finishing with 79 points, their lowest output of the early 2026-27 campaign. Brandon Miller finished with a team-high 19 points. Naz Reid and Moussa Diabate were the only other Hornets' players to finish in double-figures. For the opposition, Anthony Davis finished with a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double. Trae Young had an impactful night as well, tallying 21 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Prior to Charlotte's next contest Saturday, here are three things to monitor as the Hornets move forward.

3. Foul trouble

The Hornets finished with 10 more fouls than the Wizards (27-17) Friday night, which most definitely reflected in trips to the free throw line. Washington attempted a whopping 35 free throws as opposed to Charlotte's 12. With a free-throw discrepancy so large, the Hornets had a tough time mounting a comeback against the league's worst team a season ago.

2. Missed shots

It was an offensive performance for the Hornets to forget, as Charlotte finished the night having shot 30% from the field and 21% from beyond the arc. There were only two players to shoot 50% or better from the field, those being Ryan Kalkbrenner and Tidjane Salaun, who combined to go 3-for-3 with six points.

1. Brandon Miller's inefficiency

Although many expected Miller's shooting efficiency to drop slightly following the departure of LaMelo Ball, Miller's numbers look even worse to begin the 2026-27 campaign. Although Miller strung together three consecutive 30-point games, the former Alabama forward is shooting 37.3% from the field and only 26.5% from 3-point range. For these reasons, Hornets fans are eager to see Coby White and Kon Knueppel return. This will add secondary scoring options to the Hornets' offensive attack while taking some of the defensive attention off of Miller. Of the two, Knueppel may be the closest to returning, having participated in practice with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte's G-League affiliate.