Charlotte Hornets: One Area Where Each Starter Must Improve
Dec 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) laughs with guard Nicolas Batum (5) during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
While the Charlotte Hornets have had their fair share of struggles so far this season, there are areas in which each starter can improve to help the team.
The Charlotte Hornets are only 20-20 through their first 40 games this season which is well below what most expected of them heading into this year. While they have a number of issues that need to be addressed, there are key areas where each starter could improve on to make the team better as a whole. The starting five of Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum, MKG, Marvin Williams, and Cody Zeller has played in 23 games so far this season.
Each player has missed at least one game and Nic Batum, Williams and Zeller have all missed multiple games so far this season. Despite that, this starting unit is the team’s most consistent and Steve Clifford’s ideal starting five. Even though Coach Clif experimented with Roy Hibbert as the starting center at the beginning of the year, Cody has locked up the spot as his own.
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This lineup is the 10th highest average scoring lineup in the NBA this season with 38.7 points scored with them on the court. (NBA.com) They also rank eighth in the league in assists, ninth in rebounds, and fourth in steals. They are clearly one of the better starting units in the NBA but there is still room for improvement.
The consistency that the team has with their starting unit has built a strong chemistry among the starters and the bench as well.
If each of these players can improve their play in these specific areas, it will help create some stability for the team. It will not only help them become better individually but also help the Charlotte Hornets become better as a whole. Whether they will be able to do so is the question.
Here is one area where each starter, plus the sixth man, can improve:
Nov 28, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) drive past Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second half of the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Warriors win 106-101. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
PG: Kemba Walker – Playmaking
Shooting Percentages: 46.2% FG/ 41.4% 3P/ 83.1% FT
Season Stats: 39 GP, 39 GS, 22.9 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 33.8 MPG
Kemba Walker is enjoying a career year for the Hornets this season but there is still one area that is lacking in his game. We all know that he can score the ball with some of the best point guards in the league but he still lacks some playmaking ability. Not so much the ability to create open shots for himself but he struggles to get his teammates involved with open looks at times.
His 5.4 assists per game rank 21st among point guards this season. Players like Tim Frazier, Sergio Rodriguez, and Matthew Dellavedova all average more. That isn’t a knock on those players but if Walker wants to be an all-star, he needs to get better at passing the ball, mainly, finding open teammates in a position to score.
While Kemba makes the 15th most passes made per game (59.5) in the NBA, those passes don’t result in a high number of assists. His 5.4 assists per game and 11.3 potential assists per game is the lowest mark among the top-15 players in passes made per game. That means that both his teammates aren’t finishing off passes but also that he isn’t putting his teammates in a good position to score off of his passes. (Stats from NBA.com)
If Walker can improve on his playmaking ability, to pass and not to score, then he and the team as a whole will become that much more deadly. That is the next evolution in his game but with Nicolas Batum handling the ball so much, it will be difficult to achieve. Still, it is the one spot that Kemba must work on.
Dec 17, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum (5) attempts a shot against Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha (25) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. The Hornets won 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
SG: Nicolas Batum – Scoring
Shooting Percentages: 40.3% FG/ 33% 3P/ 84.2% FT
Season Stats: 37 GP, 37 GS, 15.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 34.5 MPG
Nic Batum has stepped up his game as of late but his scoring is still not good enough just yet. His 15.2 points per game are the sixth worst in the NBA among secondary scoring options. Only the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Brooklyn Nets, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Philadelphia 76ers have a worse second scorer on their teams.
After receiving a huge five-year, $120 million deal this offseason, he was expected to be a star-level player for the Hornets this year. While he has done a great job of playing his typical all-around game with defending, rebounding, and assists, his scoring needs to be better. Batum isn’t necessarily known for his scoring ability but if he being paid like a top shooting guard, then he will need to produce like one.
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Upping his scoring just by one or two points per game could be huge for Charlotte. Kemba will always be their first scoring option but having a reliable secondary option is necessary for a contending team. Nic doesn’t have to be a 20+ PPG scorer but the closer he gets to that mark, the better the Hornets will be.
The team relying too much on Walker has been a concerning issue this season and more players need to step up to take some of the weight off of his shoulders. Batum is the one who can do just that. He has the height, length, and shooting touch to up his scoring and help Kemba and the team out.
Oct 21, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng (5) during the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – SHOOTING
Shooting Percentages: 44.8% FG/ 16.7% 3P/ 76.4% FT
Season Stats: 39 GP, 39 GS, 9.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 29.4 MPG
This is an easy area to point out but a hard one to fix. It seems like we have been waiting for MKG to improve his outside shot since he was drafted back in 2012. So far, it has not happened. Even with the work that he has put in, the promising play last season, and the hope going into this year.
Kidd-Gilchrist is only shooting 16.7% from the three-point line this season. 16.7%. That is nowhere near what fans expected going into this year and nowhere near the mark that he must be at to actually be an outside shooting threat.
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His lack of an outside shot has hindered not only his offensive game but Charlotte’s as a whole. Opposing teams can sag off of MKG as he stands in the corner because he isn’t a threat to consistently knock down shots from behind the arc. It hurts the Hornets’ spacing and also limits what Michael can do on the offensive end of the court.
While he is still doing what he does best by hustling, defending, and rebounding, that just isn’t enough now that he is in his fifth NBA season. There has to be some sort of improvement in his outside shot or at least a sign of there being one. So far, his shot is still one of the worst in the league among wing players.
Dec 17, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams (2) celebrates a basket in the fourth quarter of their game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. The Hornets won 107-99. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
PF: Marvin Williams – Consistency
Shooting Percentages: 39.4% FG/ 36.4% 3P/ 81.5% FT
Season Stats: 34 GP, 34 GS, 10.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.2 APG, 27.2 MPG
Coming off of a career season last year, many expected Marvin to continue his play as Mr. Reliable for the Hornets. He has been anything but reliable or consistent this season. Williams has been up and down with his scoring and shooting as he hasn’t yet found his rhythm.
He has only strung together double-figure scoring games five times this season. His numbers are down across the board. Marvin’s field goal percentages, three-point percentages, rebounds, assists, blocks, and points are all lower than last year.
After missing only one game all last season, he has already missed six matches this year. Even though that was because of a knee injury, it just speaks to the down year that he has had as his consistency just isn’t at the level that it was this past season. Also, Williams only has two double-doubles this season and only four games with double-digit rebounds. (ESPN.com)
Compare that to last year when he recorded two double-doubles in the first two games. He finished the 2015-16 season with 10 total double-doubles and 15 double-digit rebounds performances. (ESPN.com) The Charlotte Hornets need Marvin Williams to find the same level of consistency that he had last season if they are going to be a contending team in the Eastern Conference.
Mar 22, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) shoots over Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller (40) during second half at Barclays Center. The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Brooklyn Nets 105-100. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
C: Cody Zeller – Interior Defense
Shooting Percentages: 58.6% FG/ 66.7% FT
Season Stats: 33 GP, 31 GS, 10.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.1 BPG, 26.6 MPG
Since securing the starting center role this season, Cody has been one of the Hornets’ most consistent players. His numbers might not jump out at you but he has been great for Charlotte. He fits perfectly into what the team is trying to do offensively.
Zeller’s only downfall has been his interior defense this season. While that isn’t what he’s known for and there were sure to be a few defensive issues with him, his 1.1 blocks per isn’t good enough for a starting center in the NBA. He ranks 23rd in the league in that category behind backups in Alex Len (1.49), Kyle O’Quinn (1.29), and even Roy Hibbert (1.12). (ESPN.com)
Opponents are shooting 45.6% in the paint against Cody which is the 12th worst in the NBA. Although he hasn’t been terrible at interior defense, there is clearly room for improvement. To take his game to the next level, Zeller will need to become a great defender as he is already one of the best scoring big men in pick and roll situations. (NBA.com)
The final element in Zeller’s game will be on the defensive end. A jump in that area will make the Charlotte Hornets a much better team defensively and as a whole. It may also take a few years until that happens.
Dec 3, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky (44) shoots the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) in the second half at Spectrum Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Hornets 125-120 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Sixth Man: Frank Kaminsky – Making Open Shots
Shooting Percentages: 38.5% FG/ 28.7% 3P/ 74.7% FT
Season Stats: 38 GP, 6 GS, 10.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 24.5 MPG
Kaminsky may not be the team’s official sixth man as that role belongs to Marco Belinelli but he is the youngest player on Charlotte’s second unit. He is the first big man off of the bench every game and in his second year, he is experiencing a sophomore slump. It hasn’t been pretty for Frank this season.
“The Tank” is shooting under 40% from the field and under 30% from behind the three-point line. Both of those are not good and well below his marks last season. Not only is he missing shots but Frank is missing wide open shots.
Kaminsky is only shooting 29.1% on open three-point attempts (No defender within six feet). That is the worst mark in the NBA for players with at least two of those shots per game and he takes 3.1 a game which is the eighth most in the league. He is only in his second year so there is still time for him to turn things around but this is not a good sign for a young big man who’s main strength is to make open three’s. (NBA.com)
We’ll see if not only Frank but if all of these players and the team as a whole can improve going forward. They have not lived up to expectations quite yet but there is still half the season left on the schedule. The Charlotte Hornets need their players to step up and mainly their starters in these key categories.
