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Charlotte Hornets: 3 takeaways from the 2017-18 season opener

By Michael Dugger

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 18: Dwight Howard NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 18: Dwight Howard NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 18: Dwayne Bacon NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 18: Dwayne Bacon NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

Bacon steady, Monk struggles in rookie debuts

After carrying his strong summer league play into the preseason, Dwayne Bacon earned the start on opening night. Bacon, the 40th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, got the nod over fellow rookie and 11th overall pick, Malik Monk. This move is somewhat surprising considering their draft positions, but Bacon is 22 years old and more seasoned than the 19-year-old Monk. Their age was on display in each of their performances.

Bacon finished with 8 points on 3-of-6 shooting, and looked comfortable despite it being his first NBA game. He wasn’t a consistent 3-point shooter at Florida State, so seeing him hit 2-of-4 of his 3-point shots is an encouraging sign. The more frequently he hits corner 3s like he did tonight, head coach Steve Clifford will continue to start him.

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Monk, on the other hand, did not show poise in his 21 minutes on the floor. He was 1-of-9 from the field, including 1-of-6 from 3, and struggled to make anything happen offensively. Monk’s shots will eventually fall, but he failed to create much separation with the dribble and made some desperation passes after dribbling himself into poor situations.

Despite the poor debut, I understand Monk is only 19 years old and there’s no point to take this much stock in one game. I’d like to see Bacon and him run the second unit later in the season as they get more minutes and the team gets some starters back in the mix.

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