Charlotte Hornets

Could Batum's career year lead to an All-Star appearance?

Published Dec. 8, 2015 11:42 a.m. ET

foxsports

Charlotte Hornets forward Nicolas Batum is having a career year, averaging more points than ever before. But is it good enough to send him to Toronto for All-Star weekend?

Here's a closer look, courtesy of SB Nation:

Batum is shooting nearly 40 percent from behind the three-point line and posting the highest free-throw rate of his career. The ball is in his hands a ton, and Charlotte depends on him to create offense at various points throughout every game.

And we haven't even touched on his defense, which is more than adequate. Clearly, Batum deserves some love.

His shooting and playmaking inject more punch and spacing into Charlotte's attack. The Hornets no longer rely on Kemba Walker isolations or All Jefferson post ups. They now have much-needed diversity instead of resorting to one-on-one play. It's no accident that the Hornets are scoring 105 points per 100 possessions when Batum plays and just 100 when he sits.