Damian Lillard predicted Tre Mann’s breakout, compared him to former Blazers teammate

When the Charlotte Hornets traded Gordon Hayward to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the deadline last season, no one really thought much of it. It was just Charlotte sending out a veteran who didn’t fit the team’s timeline to win and did him a favor by shipping him to a contender.So far, the early returns have been magnificent. The Hornets solidified its backup point guard spot behind LaMelo Ball with Vasilije Micic, accrued some draft capital, and potentially acquired a hidden gem in guard Tre Mann.During his 28 games with the Hornets last season, Mann showed flashes of what he could do in an expanded role averaging 11.9 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. New head coach Charles Lee and Vice President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson raved about the strides he made in the offseason, and so far this preseason, he’s been better than expected. In the team’s three games, he’s averaging 16 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 63% from the field…