Ben Lammers will get his chance to get his foot in the NBA’s door this week in Charlotte. The former Georgia Tech center begins a four-day mini-camp with the Hornets Monday, a process that will serve as a tryout for the team’s summer-league entry in Las Vegas.
“I’m looking forward to the competition,” he said.
Lammers was one of 19 players invited to the Hornets’ camp. A summer-league roster of 13 or 14 players seems the norm. He is one of six players who is 6-10 or taller, including the team’s only draft pick, second-rounder Arnoldas Kulboka from Lithuania. He has familiarity with at least two others, Brice Johnson (formerly of North Carolina) and Mangok Mathiang (Louisville).
Speaking Sunday from Charlotte, Lammers said he felt confident going into the mini-camp.
“I’m always one of those guys that typically does better when it comes to live-action play,” he said. “I always feel better when it’s 3 on 3 or 5 on 5 than shooting drills. I think I’ll be able to show what I’ve got. At the same time, if it doesn’t work out, you move on to the next option.”
Lammers said that multiple teams showed interest in him for summer league. Prior to the draft, he worked out for the Hawks, Portland, San Antonio and Milwaukee.
Lammers had been working out at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., since the spring, leaving school a few weeks before the end of the semester to begin training.
“It worked out well,” he said. “The whole time, I always kind of felt like there was something over my head. I really had nothing but playing basketball. Once you come to that (realization), it’s very refreshing.”
Lammers has 10 more hours to complete his mechanical engineering degree. Should the Hornets opportunity not work out, he could have options to play in the NBA’s G-League or overseas.
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