The Charlotte Hornets have struggled to keep their heads above water all year and adding a threat such as Marc Gasol could have taken them to the next level.
The Charlotte Hornets aren’t having a bad season, despite two straight losses dropping them back below a .500 record.. At 26-28 with three games remaining before All-Star break, theyare currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
But a shot in the arm from a veteran such as Marc Gasol could have helped them solidify their status in the East.
The Hornets have boasted a deep lineup at the center position with Cody Zeller, Willy Hernangomez, Bismack Biyombo and even Frank Kaminsky. However, they were exposed as a team when Zeller missed time due to his hand injury.
Biz and Hernangomez did just OK filling in defensively, but offensively they, and the team, struggled.
While it would have taken away some of the team’s depth at the position, Marc Gasol would have given them a reliable, proven threat under the rim at both ends of the floor. Most importantly, they would have acquired a true secondary scoring option.
That is not to say that the Hornets don’t have good set of players, but outside of Kemba Walker, they’re either on the downside of their career or still learning the ropes.
Tony Parker has been a big boost to the second unit and Malik Monk is improving in his sophomore season, but for every good thing you find, there is a question mark to go with it.
Even Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is playing his best for the team by coming off the bench.
But while the depth has been good, this version of the Hornets has lacked a consistent secondary scoring option to play alongside Walker, something even general manager Mitch Kupchak even agreed with recently.
I thought Kupchak was candid about the @hornets biggest flaw when he said every player but Kemba Walker is good, but not great: That they need to develop one or two others who can carry them more than occasionaly to take some burden off Walker.
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) February 8, 2019
While Gasol is in his 11th season as a pro, he still has what it takes to play. His 15.7 points per game is the fifth-highest mark of his career and would have presented a clear upgrade over Zeller’s 9.3 points per game.
He’s also pulling down 8.6 rebounds per game, which is 2.1 rebounds per game more than what Zeller is pulling down. Gasol is a better passer as well, dishing out the ball 4.7 times per game compared to Zeller’s 2.1 assists per game.
Gasol would have fit in well with the team’s desire to become a deadly 3-point shooting machine too. Though he’s only integrated it into his game over the last three seasons, he’s a 34.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc this season, a respectable percentage for a center.
But instead of the Charlotte Hornets, Marc Gasol will be wearing a Toronto Raptors jersey for the rest of the 2018-19 season. It’s hard to say why the Hornets missed the opportunity to complete this trade.
They may have not offered enough or the Grizzlies weren’t willing to take a bunch of salary back as they are fully committing to a rebuild now. The deal may have not been as close as many thought either.
Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak: "we were working on a lot of deals. We focused on two or three as of late. I thought we were making progress. I don't know if we ever got close (to a deal) or not."
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) February 7, 2019
It was rumored that Kidd-Gilchrist was going to be paired with Biyombo or Zeller and possibly even Jeremy Lamb in the trade for Gasol. It would also likely included a first-round pick, which would have been protected.
It could have been the protection for the pick that stymied the talks. Or the need to include someone like Monk or Miles Bridges. Either way, Kupchak is now focused on the rest of the season.
No ambiguity from Kupchak on the Hornets' first priority: “Our focus is to try to win, to try to get into the playoffs." The only qualifier is being wary of screwing up the kids by signing a vet demanding big minutes.
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) February 7, 2019
But the difference in making the playoffs as a seventh or eighth seed instead of possibly the sixth or fifth seed could have been made up with trading for Marc Gasol.
It’s hard to predict what the end result would have been by snagging Gasol, but many fans will be upset if missing out on an opportunity to secure his services means the team misses out on the playoffs.