Charlotte Hornets: Time For Rich Cho To Start Dialing
By Jon Shames
It’s quite nauseating, really.
A 4-11 record 15 games into the season is cringeworthy, and significantly worse than anyone could’ve expected. After all, who would be able to guess that the production of a former 43-win team would fall off so significantly after adding two first-round picks, three veteran role players, and of course, the NBA’s reigning triple-double leader?
Not me, and probably not you either.
The Hornets have been god-awful this year, and have now dropped six games in a row, including three embarrassing losses to the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat, in which–at least in the first two–Charlotte blew two enormous leads down the stretch which resulted in a fat “L” in their win-loss column.
Steve Clifford, a former Coach of the Year contender as recently as last season, has been one of the worst in the association this year, letting his team play selfishly and lackadaisically … hence the leads dissipating.
In Monday night’s matchup against the Clippers, Clifford elected to bench Lance Stephenson for the entire fourth quarter after the shooting guard struggled early on, but questionably, Stephenson remained on the bench even after Gary Neal exited the game with a shoulder injury.
But Clifford is a veteran coach (albeit, not a veteran head coach), so the Hornets’ troubles can’t all be traced back to him. There is no single reason behind the Hornets struggles (although there are some theories), but this team, at least as it stands now, cannot be mistaken for a playoff team, even in the Eastern Conference.
So while Charlotte Hornets fans stuff their faces with Thanksgiving turkey and binge-drink to make the pain go away, Hornets GM Rich Cho should begin looking for help outside of the organization.
Now, I’m usually all-for waiting it out, but the reality of the matter is that the East is much deeper than it has been in recent years, and the window for a playoff spot isn’t staying open forever. It’s 15 games into the season, and the Hornets have only looked worse with each passing game.
This unfortunate reality warrants the need to bring in someone new.
Is there a chance that a new move only deepens the chemistry issues this team is having? Absolutely, there’s always that risk (see: 2012-2013 Lakers and/or 2013-2014 Cavaliers).
But having said that, this Hornets team hasn’t shown any encouraging sings thus far, and sitting and waiting until April while they figure everything could be the demise of the club.
But where to start?
Well, how about 720 miles northeast?
The also-underachieving Boston Celtics have perhaps exactly what the Hornets need: skilled, and more importantly, available, two-way forwards.
Jeff Green and Brandon Bass are both coming off quietly-productive seasons, in which they averaged 16.9 and 11.1 points per game, respectively. Green, the Celtics’ primary scorer from both last season and this one, made a bit more noise around the league, but Boston fans know how productive Bass can be, even in limited minutes.
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They aren’t even remotely similar players, but both would be fantastic fits in the teal and purple Charlotte Hornets uniforms.
Bass, a former second-round pick, has strung together quite a few impressive years since he was traded to the Celtics for Glen Davis back in 2011. A very undersized power forward, Bass makes up for his lack of height with brute strength and quite-possibly the best mid-range jump shot in the NBA.
He is a very good athlete with good hands, and that coupled with his jumper makes him a great pick-and-roll/pop player.
It’s important to note that Bass isn’t a great passer, and isn’t a typical high-post player, preferring to camp out near the sidelines.
With that said, he is an excellent off-ball cutter for a big man, and his patience in the paint allows him to draw fouls (2.9 per game last year, 21st among all power forwards), at which point he is able to frequently convert at the free throw line (18th in free throws made per game among PF, second in free throw percentage).
Bass, for the most part, is about as consistent as they come; he’s good for about 10-12 points every night. Occasionally, he has a scoring outburst, but it’s pretty clear what to expect from the 29-year-old each game.
The Hornets are in desperate need of consistency and floor spacing, two things areas in which Bass excels. The other benefit that comes with the LSU product, one that often flies under the radar, is his perimeter defense.
Despite his burly and far-from-agile appearance, Bass is an excellent defender and is especially effective at containing larger small forwards, like Carmelo Anthony and Jeff Green. Marvin Williams hasn’t been bad defensively, but Bass would be a good defensive addition to the Hornets’ frontcourt.
The other man on our list is Jeff Green, a flashy and skilled forward. Green was dealt to the Celtics in exchange for Kendrick Perkins in 2011, and has since become one of the most dangerous scorers in the entire NBA. Few possess the blend of height, leaping ability, speed, and shooting touch that Green does.
And the forward, now in his seventh year, appears to have finally realized how to put his gifts to good use.
Green is torching the Celtics’ opposition this year for 18.4 points per game, a mark good to lead the Celtics and place him 31st among all qualified players. He is beginning to see a bit of consistency that had been previously absent, and has actually reached double-digits in the scoring column in all 12 of the Celtics’ games this year.
I broke down exactly why Green would be a good fit for the Hornets’ a couple of months ago, but in case you didn’t catch the story, I’ll sum it up real quick:
He is an excellent scorer, something the offense-deprived Hornets are in desperate need for. A 17 point-per-game scorer for the past two years, Green is proven and reliable.
He offers a unique blend of shooting and slashing that any NBA team could benefit from, and despite the fact that he did have an impressive season last year, he plays much better (at least, efficiency-wise) serving as a second or third option, a role that he would be granted to him in Charlotte.
Defensively, he has his moments. Green can be a bit slow-footed at times and has his issues containing post-ups, but he is a great transition defender who has a knack for blocking shots. Overall, when he’s giving a good effort defensively, he can certainly hold his own.
With rumors floating around that Green may be looking for a change of scenery, and that the Cs may be willing to part ways with their forward, Green to the Hornets could become a reality. The same applies for Bass, who would be considerably cheaper to acquire.
Turkey and mashed potatoes aside, Rich Cho has a lot on his plate this Thanksgiving. There’s no sense in sitting back and watching the Hornets lose night-in and night-out; the fans deserve better than that.
Neither Jeff Green nor Brandon Bass is the sole answer to the Charlotte Hornets’ struggles, but acquiring any one of them would be a definite step in the right direction.