Charlotte Hornets: Pros and cons of signing Michael Carter-Williams
Cons
Ball Protection:
One blemish that has always been included in conversations about Carter-Williams’ game is his inability to protect the ball. In his first three seasons where he played 30+ minutes per game, he averaged 3.5, 3.7 and 2.8 turnovers per game.
While he has the correct ideas on most of his passes, he tries to make the “home run” pass too much that results in a deflection or a steal. If he would just make the simple pass to a teammate, then they could execute the pass that leads to a basket.
More from Charlotte Hornets
- Brandon Miller, not Victor Wembanyama, is the rookie to watch in 2023
- 5 players who will challenge Victor Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year
- Ranking the 10 championship-less NBA teams by closeness to title
- 4 Reasons drafting Scoot Henderson should be a no-brainer for Hornets
- Ranking the 5 best available power forwards in 2023 NBA free agency
His role for the Hornets will be to come off the bench and execute the offense. This will include looking to get Monk open shot opportunities and getting into the paint to force the defense to collapse. If Carter-Williams can do these two things, his numbers should respond accordingly. It’s tough to change a player’s mindset of not making the “home run” play, but Clifford does an exceptional job of connecting with his players.
Shooting Woes:
The NBA has become a league where if a respective team’s point guard can’t shoot the outside ball, their value plummets. Carter-Williams is a 25.2 percent three-point shooter, and doesn’t show any signs of ever becoming a consistent threat from that spot on the floor.
If Monk pans out the way he is expected to, he can provide enough space on the floor for Charlotte’s second unit that’ll allow Carter-Williams to operate and take advantage of driving lanes. Kaminsky will also be a guy who the defense has to respect from outside.
Monk is expected to play some time at point guard, but with Carter-Williams’ game, it’s hard to see that coming into fruition when he’s on the floor. Carter-Williams isn’t much of a threat without the ball and considering 26.3 percent of his shots came off the dribble, it indicates that the majority of his shot attempts come when he has the ball and is breaking down his defender.
Injury Concerns:
Every player experiences injuries throughout their career, and while Carter-Williams doesn’t deserve the title of being injury-prone, it’ll be interesting to see how he responds to the roller-coaster season that was last year.
He battled a bone bruise in his knee as well as a sprained wrist early in the season that prevented him to creating any momentum for the remainder of his time in Chicago.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
The Hornets hope for a different story in 2017-18 for Carter-Williams. If he can get off on the right foot early in the season, his confidence should surface. Mixing confidence and knowing your role on a team makes for a great reserve player. It’s a big “if” for Carter-Williams, but it’s one worth finding out if you’re Charlotte.