Charlotte Hornets: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19
3. Willy Hernangomez
With Dwight Howard out of the picture and James Borrego taking the reins as head coach, Cody Zeller will have some stiff competition for starting at center this season. Bismack Biyombo was brought back to Charlotte, but Willy Hernangomez may be the guy to keep an eye on this season.
In his rookie year, he played in 72 games for the New York Knicks, earning 22 starts. Hernangomez posted 8.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and tallied 11 double-doubles for the season and was also named Rookie of the Month in April 2017.
His second season in the NBA wasn’t all that rosy in some respects; he played in just 26 games for the Knicks, averaging 9.0 minutes per game. He was then traded to Charlotte, where he saw action in 22 games for them. Hernangomez still managed 6.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in just 11.9 minutes per game for the Hornets.
His advanced stats, despite limited playing time, are why many are excited for his potential.
| Season | Tm | G | MP | PER | TS% | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | OWS | DWS | WS | WS/48 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | NYK | 72 | 1324 | 19.0 | .564 | 13.8 | 27.1 | 20.4 | 11.5 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 3.4 | .123 |
| 2017-18 | TOT | 48 | 495 | 21.2 | .604 | 13.3 | 27.2 | 20.2 | 10.5 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.8 | .174 |
| Career | 120 | 1819 | 19.6 | .576 | 13.7 | 27.1 | 20.4 | 11.2 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 5.2 | .137 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/7/2018.
His Player Efficiency Rating for both seasons is outstanding, even with his backup role. Over 60 percent of his shots have come from three feet or less from the basket, helping him maintain a high PER and solid shooting percentages.
He’s also maintained the same rebounding percentage over both of his seasons, despite a drop in minutes last year. His rebounding percentage was a top-20 mark in both seasons, right in line with the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid.
His stats per 36 minutes indicate he could be very productive at the center position as well. If given the chance, Hernangomez could be the breakout offensive force the Hornets need under the rim.