Charlotte Hornets: Can Elliot Williams Make A Difference?

The Charlotte Hornets seem to have decided that there needs to be a change in the backcourt in order to jumpstart this offense. On Wednesday, they waived veteran Jannero Pargo and called up Elliot Williams from the NBA Developmental League for at least the next 10 days.

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Since Kemba Walker has been out, Steve Clifford has opted for a combination of shooting guards, Gary Neal and Lance Stephenson, to form a two-headed backup point guard monster. Unfortunately, that monster has been relatively tame to this point.

The plan was to hold out until Jannero Pargo was able to return from a lower back injury before making any roster moves, but something seems to have gotten the wheels turning already.

Perhaps Pargo, who has already missed the last 19 games, was not progressing at the expected rate.

Regardless, the Hornets needed to make this move anyway. I love Pargo as much as the next fan (after all, he’s a fantastic team chemistry-guy and the type of person every winning team should have in their organization), but to have him occupying a roster spot has been debilitating with the rash of injuries Charlotte has been faced with this season.

Despite being waived, I’m willing to bet that, one way or another, he stays involved with the team. Clifford has said in the past that Pargo would make a fantastic coach, so clearly he thinks highly of his presence in the organization.

In place of Pargo, Elliot Williams brings some interesting potential to the Queen City.

With the exception of a few 10-day stints, Williams has spent this season with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the D-League. In 19 games, he has averaged 20.1 points, 7.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

He could bring a scoring ability that would be very welcomed by this 27th-ranked offense, as they’re only averaging 94.8 points per game this season and only 92 per game without Kemba Walker.

As you can see in the video, Williams has the ability to drive the lane and create shots. While it is against D-League caliber players, it’s promising that he possesses the ability. Faced with the right circumstances, he may be able to perform near this level against the big boys.

There are still some questions as to whether Williams will be able to help with the point guard position or if he’s being brought up simply for guard depth. While he’s officially listed as a shooting guard, he has some experience handling the ball and running an offense.

Most accurately, he can be summarized as a combo guard. He gained some point guard experience in college at Memphis (after transferring from Duke), so it’s not as if he’s never played the position.

Defensively, Williams could bring a lot to the table. He’s six-foot-five with long arms, so his long frame could be a nuisance to opposing point guards. He’s already said that he knows Clifford is all about defense and he is aware that’s the key to succeeding in this system, so that’s very encouraging moving forward.

Williams’ 10-day contract will carry through the Hornets’ four remaining games before the All-Star break. He will be on the roster to face Washington, Philadelphia, Indiana, and Detroit. Not to make light of any opponent, but this slate of games is pretty friendly for someone looking to prove his worth.

It’s unlikely that Elliot Williams will get much (if any) playing time tonight, but be sure to tune in to the game against Washington to find out.

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