Via WNCC.com
Key Players: Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum
Don't look now but the Charlotte Hornets are up to something. Following over two decades of mediocracy, the Hornets quietly assembled a group of young talent that could genuinely contend down the line.
In the one month where he played at least half the game (24 minutes), Malik Monk averaged 20 points and 4 assists. This year's 12th overall pick, Miles Bridges, averaged 15 points, 8 rebounds, along with one steal and block in the 2018 Summer League. Second-round pick Devonté Graham is coming off a consensus First-team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year senior season. Dwayne Bacon dropped 45 points in his G-League debut, breaking the Greensboro Swarm's record for most points in a game; he lasted four games before being called back up to re-join the team.
The oldest of the bunch, Devonté Graham, is just 23 years old and no one in the bunch has proven in extensive periods that their talent will translate to NBA dominance, so as the opening words of the article advised don't look now.
Unlike the future state of the Hornets, the current Charlotte roster is nothing to look twice at. Following its second straight 36-46 season, the organization decided to move on from head coach Steve Clifford, replacing him with the NBA's first Latino head coach, James Borrego. Despite his adamant stance on not being viewed as a coach, free agency signee Tony Parker should help ease the transition for the first time head coach.
Charlotte's Best Case Scenario
Via Youtube
What information does Michael Kidd-Gilchrist have on the basketball world? Does he know the real reason why Jordan took two years off to play baseball? Was he the barber who took five years off the LeBron's lining? Was he in that Colorado hotel room 15 years ago?
One of these has to be the case because the lack of criticism directed at the former second overall pick is mind-boggling. Now entering his seventh year in the NBA, Gilchrist has improved his scoring average by .2. You read that right, there's no missing number that should be in front of that .2. The former Kentucky forward has shown minimal to no improvement on the offensive side of the ball.
"He's a defensive specialist."
Contrary to popular belief, Gilchrist isn't anything special on that side of the ball either. Despite wanting to go down as "the best defender ever", Gilchrist finished with a defensive rating lower than Doug McDermott and a defensive win shares percentage lower than Nikola Mirotic. MKG is equivalent to the player that smacks the court with both hands and wipes the bottom of his shoes only to get beat by a half-hearted crossover.
This may seem harsh to Kidd-Gilchrist, but he's not the only Hornets player getting away with masked mediocrity. Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo, and Marvin Williams all produce run-of-the-mill to below average numbers but have seemingly secure spots within the organization.
Barring an unprecedented turn of events, the Charlotte Hornets aren't doing anything relevant this season. Realizing and moving on from the dead weights on the team will make sure the team's bright future isn't hindered and will give Charlotte a legitimate plan going forward.
Charlotte's Worst Case Scenario
Via At The Hive
The Hornets-Kemba relationship is similar to a couple that knows they're bad for each other, but neither can call it quits. Despite going through bad times over and over again, the couple believes something will change and their relationship will finally be what they hope for.
Kemba Walker said this exact ideology in his media day quote "You see guys who are on elite teams. I don't want to do that. I want to create something special here in Charlotte, something that we have never had here before. I want to create some consistency. And I want to be a part of that."
Entering the season with 9,907 career points, Kemba Walker is statistically the greatest scorer in the history of the Charlotte Hornets. The Charlotte Hornets should trade Kemba Walker.
At 28-years-old, coming off a 22 points and 6 assists per game season, Walker is in his prime and may never have a higher market value. The Charlotte point guard puts up numbers fractionally below superstar Kyrie Irving. Kemba remaining with the Hornets is damaging for both sides.
Team owner Michael Jordan stated last season that the team would trade Walker for "another All-Star player in return"; but, that won't solve the Hornets' issues. Walker pushing the team to yearly mediocrity isn't bad -- it's as far as the team could go. Any other tradeable All-Star isn't going to get Charlotte much farther.
If Walker is still in Charlotte after the season, it'll be another year of his prime wasted and another year of the Hornets putting off a much-needed rebuild. Going into five more years of 40 wins max by trading Kemba for another player of his caliber would be even worse.
Record Prediction: 32-50; Kemba plays his last season in Charlotte.