Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to share with you the current Charlotte Hornets that are on the team for the 2014-2015 season. Granted, we are still in the free agency period, and signings and trades can always happen, but as of noon today, this is what we are looking like. Also, this is my best guess at the starting 5. Power forward will probably be a battle to see who fits best with the other positions, but at any rate, here we go:
Point Guards:
Kemba Walker (Starter) – 6’1” 184lbs
Brian Roberts – 6’1” 173lbs
Shooting Guards:
Lance Stephenson (Starter) – 6’5” 230lbs
Gerald Henderson – 6’5” 215lbs
Gary Neal – 6’4” – 210lbs
PJ Hairston 6’6” – 230lbs
Small Forwards:
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Starter) – 6’7” 232lbs
Jeffery Taylor – 6’7” 225lbs
Power Forwards:
Marvin Williams (Starter) – 6’9” 237lbs
Cody Zeller – 7’0” 240lbs
Noah Vonleh – 6’10” 247lbs
Centers:
Al Jefferson (Starter) – 6’10” 289lbs
Bismack Biyombo – 6’9” 245lbs
I have my concerns. Now those concerns are not behavioral problems out of PJ or Lance. I’ll let someone else worry about that, but I think it won’t be an issue. Heck, we survived Stephen Jackson, so I think we know what to do and how to handle “issues”.
What are my concerns? Well, we only have 2 PGs and 2 Cs, but 4 shooting guards. I would not at all be surprised to see a trade or a signing to solidify those spots of need. The “not so die hard” fans call Biz a PF because he’s 6’9”. He’s a C for us, and will continue to be so. I could see Cody becoming a C down the road, and that would be great with his shooting range and quickness. He could become an extremely hard to guard C in this league. But for the present, should we make a move for 1 more big man?
We could get Carlos Boozer, who has the strength to play the C position in a backup role, should it become necessary. He was just amnestied from the Bulls and should be available on the cheap. I think he could be more serviceable than Brendan Haywood was, but, we also need to look at playing time before we make a move. What if we want to run Cody at C on the second unit and Biz comes in to help protect the rim? We let Biz play C while Cody and Al rest. Maybe Vonleh even gets in on the action. Don’t forget Marvin Williams. He might wind up as the starter at PF. It’s just too soon to tell right now.
If we sign a big man, it would most likely be a vet presence that can help mentor, and I believe we may do that. Maybe it will be Carlos Boozer at 6’9”, 266lbs and tons of experience. I would think he would want playing time, and wouldn’t want to be the 3rd fiddle at C. I’ve been thinking of possibly getting Emeka Okafor at 6’10”, 255lbs. He didn’t even play last season, his best days are behind him, and he probably wouldn’t mind finishing his career where he was originally drafted. I would think he would come cheaper than Boozer, and may fit with the team better.
My concern for big men isn’t nearly as bad as my concern at the wings. 2 PGs and 4 SGs scare me when none of them are combo guards (Neal could play point…but no one wants to see that).
It is true that Hairston and Henderson could play some at SF if needed, and if we only have MKG and Taylor at SF, it may not be a bad move. Again, don’t forget Marvin Williams. He could play at SF as well.
I just have a feeling that one of the SGs will be traded. It’s hard to say which one it may be. Hopefully Hairston brings more to the table than Neal did last season, then we have Neal’s $3.25mil expiring contract that we could trade for something else. He’s a capable scorer off the bench. I had said the Clippers may want him, as they are right on the salary cap threshold. In return, they can send the slightly higher contract of Jared Dudley to CLT. Jared would provide a different look at SF from Taylor and MKG. That thins down the SG, and beefs up the SF spot, but it didn’t get us a PG.
So what do you suggest? Here’s a list of point guards we could look at in terms of signing a 3rd guy…a solid 3rd guy to go with the solid Brian Roberts.
Baron Davis – 6’3” 212lbs
Jameer Nelson – 6’0” 190lbs
Ramon Sessions – 6’3” 190lbs
In my opinion, if we signed one of the guys above, it would need to be a guy that isn’t chomping for playing time. He also needs to be taller than Kemba and Brian (both are 6’1”). I’m a fan of Nelson due to having Clifford working with him back in his days in Orlando, but he’s shorter than Kemba and Brian. I think he’s a solid 2nd option. I think the 2nd & 3rd PGs both need to be solid and both can be used in games. Sessions is a solid move and a former member of this team. Some fans loved him, some hated him, and then there are some in the middle. Another solid guy that is taller than Kemba and Brian, but he has a bit of tunnel vision on drives to the basket. He did dunk on LeBron, so perhaps that’s reason enough to like him and bring him back. If we don’t want to steal time away from Kemba and Brian, and we would like a 3rd vet that needs to ease back into his career, perhaps we go with B-Diddy (Baron Davis). His career began here in Charlotte, and perhaps it could end here as well. He had contemplated retirement before he injured his knee, and now that the knee is fixed, he’s thinking of a return. What better place than the city he began in. It could pay dividends for the team. It’s worth considering.
There were players that I had thought about trading a SG for to get a combo guard, but I don’t think Phoenix would take Henderson and give us Dragic, so I won’t mention it.
I guess that’s all I have for now. Hopefully I have this posted and you read it, the roster hasn’t already changed. If it has, take a glance to see if I was close. Also, as always, please share your feedback here at the site. I’d love to get a discussion going about our Hornets.
In the meantime…
Let’s Swarm! Go Hornets!
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