Charlotte Hornets: Biggest strengths and weaknesses for 2017-18
By Randy Porga
Strength No. 2: A hopeful improved bench
The Charlotte Hornets had a serious lack of depth in their rotation last season, but through the draft and a free agency period this summer; this may be an improved team.
Malik Monk is of course sure to be a fan favorite in very short time, but Dwayne Bacon will also try to make a name for himself. Last season the Hornets had Jeremy Lamb off the bench at guard and while he was not terrible, he wasn’t great either. He found improvement during 2016-17 and averaged a career-high 9.7 points per game last season as well as a career-best 46.0 percent shooting from the field.
Dwayne Bacon is a 6’7″ guard who averaged 16.5 points per game during his time at Florida State. The Hornets traded away Marco Belinelli as part of the package to bring in Dwight Howard, as he also came off the bench at guard last season.
The other sense of optimism to come away with here is Michael Carter-Williams. There is no guarantee we may see the player he once was early in his career, but he’s certainly a low-risk gamble in seeking production when Walker occasionally hits the bench.