Charlotte Hornets: Weekly Power Rankings, Pre-Preseason Edition

9.) Marvin Williams

Somehow, Marvin Williams was able to land a two-year, $14 million contract from the Hornets. The former No. 2 overall pick averaged 9.1 points per game last season with the Utah Jazz, a decent number, but hardly enough to warrant that kind of money.

Regardless, his ability to space the floor for the Hornets will be priceless this season. Earlier in the week, Steve Clifford formally named Williams the starter at power forward, something that came as a bit of a surprise, since it was assumed for most of the summer that second-year big Cody Zeller would be suiting up with the first unit. Williams does bring exactly what the Hornets need, though. Josh McRoberts, a player with a similar skill set to Williams, was excellent as a stretch-four for Charlotte last year. Now, the Hornets are hoping that Williams can be the same.