NBA: Biggest X-factor for all 30 teams in the 2019-20 season

Charlotte Hornets: Nicolas Batum

Nicolas Batum was never going to live up to the five-year, $120 million max deal he signed in the 2016 offseason, but there was a reason the Charlotte Hornets were inclined to bring him back even at such a ridiculous price.

His best single-season scoring average sits at 15.1, but Batum has carved out a career that has his value tied to a few different outlets.

At 6’8”, he’s always been an above-average ballhandler and willing passer with a 7’1” wingspan that helps him cover ground defensively and switch endlessly on pick and rolls.

Despite scoring at the second-worst clip of his career last season with 9.3 points per game, Batum rediscovered a lost 3-point shot to the tune of 38.9 percent from distance on 4.0 nightly attempts.

With Kemba Walker no longer present, Charlotte is in desperate need of production for an offense already ranked 19th in scoring last season.

Terry Rozier was brought in to help fill the void left by the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, but he has yet to prove capable of running the show over an 82-game season after serving mostly as a backup during his time in Boston.

Rozier also lacks the efficiency to contribute at a high level, having never shot above 40.0 percent in any of his four NBA seasons. Given the state of the Hornets’ roster, Batum is the only other option.

He may not like to score in bunches, but he may not have a choice given the lack of talent surrounding him on a team headed for a rough season.