Change came in a major way for the Charlotte Hornets during the free agent summer of 2016. Jeremy Lin, Al Jefferson and Courtney Lee signed elsewhere. Roy Hibbert joins the mix with Kemba Walker, Nic Batum and Marvin Williams (both signed to new deals) and the rest of a core group trying to build off of last season’s playoff season.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer raises some questions about the new-look Hornets headed into a critical season for the franchise:
Will Michael Kidd-Gilchrist bounce back from his injury-plagued season?
Two shoulder surgeries in the same season is serious stuff. The second injury was worse than the first for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who is this team’s best defensive player.
Kidd-Gilchrist is as hard a worker as any Hornet, so you know he put in the effort throughout rehab on these injuries. And he’s incredibly tough, both mentally and physically.
The Hornets so missed what he provides: the ability to guard multiple positions, excellent rebounding for a small forward and ball-handling skills to complement the guards. Unfortunately, the rugged way he plays will always leave him susceptible to injury.
Can Roy Hibbert regain anything close to All-Star form?
It has to help that center Roy Hibbert has a relationship with Hornets associate head coach Patrick Ewing. If anyone is equipped to help Hibbert regain form, it’s Hall of Fame center Ewing.
Hibbert was a bad fit with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were transitioning last season from the Kobe Bryant era to a rebuilding mode. Hibbert had a career low in points per game (5.9) and his rebounding average (4.9) was his lowest since his rookie season with the Indiana Pacers.
One thing that should help Hibbert: Unlike with the Lakers, he shouldn’t be extraneous as a Hornet. One of the Hornets’ flaws last season was no real rim protection. If Hibbert can deliver anything close to how he impacted games with the Pacers, he’ll play a lot. Also, Clifford considers Hibbert’s offense under-rated.
Is Batum ready to live up to his new mega-contract?
Batum re-signed with the Hornets in July, for five years and $120 million – by far the biggest such deal in franchise history. General manager Rich Cho made no secret that Batum was his top priority, and the team and Batum cut a deal four hours after free agency started.
Batum didn’t have much impact playing for the French national team at the Rio Olympics. He had a different role with that group – he wasn’t a primary ball-handler, for instance – so perhaps how he played in August is immaterial to how he’ll play again in Charlotte.
Batum made things much easier for point guard Kemba Walker last season, as did Lin. With Lin leaving for the Nets, it’s all the more important Batum plays at least as well as he did last season. It should help if Kidd-Gilchrist stays healthy, which would reduce some burden on Batum at the defensive end.
