Charlotte Hornets: Weekly Power Rankings, Pre-Preseason Edition
By Jon Shames
Rankings 17-11
17.) Jeff Taylor
Taylor, by no means the worst player on the Hornets, comes in at 17th for these rankings solely due to his recent trouble with the police. The team suspended him indefinitely from all team activities after he was arrested last week on domestic assault charges. Until he can pull his act together, he will firmly remain in last.
16.) Brian Qvale
I won’t pretend like I’ve seen Qvale play a whole lot, but from what I understand, he’s a skilled shot-blocker and not much else. The former Montana Grizzly decided to take his talents to Germany in 2011, and received a training camp invite from the Hornets earlier in the summer. Last season, he averaged 13.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.
15.) Justin Cobbs
Like Qvale, Cobbs will be fighting to make the team come late October. He’s a bit more well-known than the former; the 6’3″ shooting guard averaged 15.6 points per game with the California Golden Bears last season while shooting 46.6 percent from the field. He’s a skilled scorer who’s strong and crafty around the basket. Unfortunately, competing against PJ Hairston, he probably doesn’t have a real shot at a roster spot.
14.) Jannero Pargo
The 34-year-old Pargo has carved out a nice 10-year career, but at this point, he rarely sees floor time. Pargo appeared in just 29 games last year for the Bobcats, averaging only 8.3 minutes a contest. He’s good insurance to have in the backcourt, but the Hornets are now very deep at point guard, meaning Pargo’s chances at a significant role are slim to none.
13.) Noah Vonleh
A sports hernia forced Noah Vonleh into surgery about a month ago, and he is still recovering. He should be back by the start of the season, but it’s hard to imagine that he’d been in shape at that point. His summer league performance was pretty awful as well. Vonleh has a ton of upside, but he’s got to be healthy if he wants to make an impact.
12.) PJ Hairston
Hairston’s showing in the Las Vegas Summer League was better than his fellow rookie’s, but still not great. He averaged over 18 points per game, but shot just 33.3 percent from the field.
Like Vonleh, Hairston has high upside, and could become a very capable wing scorer. Now, though, he’s too unproven to put any higher.
11.) Bismack Biyombo
Biz still hasn’t quite put it together, and at this point, there isn’t much hope for the Congolese big man. His points per game average has decreased in each of the past three seasons, as has his playing time. He is a great defensive player, but he needs to be able to contribute something on the other end of the floor.