Charlotte Hornets Power Rankings: Rating Each Player Near Season's Halfway Point
The 12-24 Charlotte Hornets were supposed to bring the buzz back to North Carolina in 2014-15, but the injury bug has done most of the buzzing recently.
Lengthy absences from stalwarts Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson have thrown a curveball at a franchise that was unprepared to hit one, but Steve Clifford has his boys doing everything they can to weather the storm. As bad as things are, fans cannot lose sight of the fact that the Hornets are just 3.5 games back of the eighth spot in the wide open Eastern Conference.
The roster as a whole has been tumultuous, to say the least. There have been injuries, subpar performances, inconsistency, trade rumors and a partridge in a pear tree. The power rankings will take a look at a number of things, including overall level of production, expectations and overall value to the team.
Have things changed much since our last installment of the power rankings?
With the season's halfway point just around the corner, we are nearing the time where Charlotte kicked it into high gear in 2013-14. If the team has another big turnaround in it, many of these guys will have to step it up tremendously.
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15. Jeff Taylor
Taylor has appeared in just three games since returning from his lengthy suspension and has done next to nothing. His three points and four rebounds total earns him the last spot on the power rankings. He has a ton of work to do if he is to get back in the good graces of this franchise, as he is now behind plenty of bodies on the roster.
14. Noah Vonleh
The team recently summoned the talented 19-year-old from the D-League due to Al Jefferson's extended absence. With Charlotte struggling so much, it would be a welcome sight to see the phenom get a shot at more minutes, but Vonleh has been unable to crack the rotation at all. He has netted just 10 points in 34 total minutes over six games of action.
13. Jannero Pargo
Charlotte's third-string point guard has been relegated to mop-up duty this season behind Brian Roberts on the depth chart. He has appeared in 21 games and has not been afraid to fire when his number is called. Pargo is shooting 41 percent from three-point range, although he is seeing just eight minutes per night. Every game Pargo has appeared in has been decided by double digits, which means he is only getting off the pine when Charlotte is getting blown out.
12. Jason Maxiell
Maxiell was brought in this offseason to provide some grit and veteran leadership to this young roster, but the big man has been mostly an afterthought thus far in his brief Hornets tenure. The 10-year veteran is averaging just 2.7 points and 2.4 rebounds. He played sparingly in the month of December and has seen his minutes increase with Jefferson's injury, but Maxiell still hasn't made his presence known. He is more or less a mentor at this point.
11. P.J. Hairston
The enigmatic rookie has seen some extended run of late, but his shot selection is just abhorrent. Hairston is one of the few men on this roster who is capable of providing a true shot in the arm for this stagnant offense, but he is shooting a paltry 30 percent from the floor. He has had a couple of solid games, such as his double-double performance with three blocks during just 21 minutes in a win over the Denver Nuggets on December 22, but Hairston is far too inconsistent to be trusted yet.
10. Brian Roberts
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Stats: 6.3 points, 2.0 assists, 1.2 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 41.3 percent shooting
Roberts was brought in this offseason to provide a calming veteran presence for the young bench, as well as solidify the backup role behind the inconsistent Kemba Walker. Thus far, Roberts has been decent, which is about exactly what everyone expected of him.
The late-bloomer had a nice go-around with the New Orleans Pelicans last season, making 42 starts in place of the injured Jrue Holiday in order to make a name for himself in this league. His per-36 numbers this year are nearly identical to last year's.
He is not supplanting Walker anytime soon and is in no danger of losing any minutes. Don't expect much of a difference from what we have seen thus far.
9. Bismack Biyombo
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Stats: 3.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 57.9 percent shooting
The 22-year-old big man just has not shown the development necessary to live up to his selection as the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft.
Jefferson's injury has opened up a bevy of playing time for Biyombo, but he continues to be lost on offense. While he racks up rebounds and blocks with ease, he is averaging an astonishing 4.4 fouls per 36 minutes this year.
Biyombo's foul problems are keeping him from grasping this role with Jefferson out of the picture. The disturbing notion is that he doesn't challenge himself offensively. He has been extremely efficient once again, shooting 62.5 percent in the month of December, but he did not take more than four shots in any game. He even recently played 44 consecutive minutes over two contests without hoisting even one field-goal attempt.
His defense is a welcome luxury with Jefferson injured, but he is capable of much more.
8. Marvin Williams
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Stats: 6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, 44 percent shooting
One man who has stepped up with Jefferson out is Marvin Williams. He has averaged 7.8 rebounds over his past five games and has continued to shoot the three.
Williams is incapable of providing the offensive punch this team needs without Jefferson, but he has been a solid defender and veteran presence as we near the halfway point. His role is like Anthony Tolliver's last season, and he has been better-suited than Tolliver to come off the bench so the young bigs can thrive.
He has improved each month, and Charlotte could use a big January out of him to alleviate some of the pain caused by the injury bug.
7. Lance Stephenson
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Stats: 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 38.6 percent shooting
Stephenson's injury has not healed nearly as quickly as many had hoped, as he still sits without a timetable for a return after missing 11 games. When he was on the court, to say things didn't go smoothly would be an understatement. It is also disconcerting that the team is 6-5 since he went down and was 6-19 with him.
There have been incredible highs and very bad lows, from game-winning threes to trade speculation and getting benched in crunch time. The bottom line is that he was not signed to be this team's seventh-best player. When he returns, he had better get things together. His role as the third scorer on this team is still there for him, and if he comes back before Jefferson, he has to light a fire under this team.
It is a shame because he was starting to come around a bit before his pelvis injury. Regardless, Stephenson has not lived up to his expectations at all. He was supposed to take the next step toward becoming a legitimate star while also elevating this Hornets team to the next level, but the exact opposite has happened.
6. Gary Neal
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Stats: 11.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 37.8 percent shooting
Gary Neal has one job on this team, and he is doing an awful job at it.
He provided a huge lift last season when he was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks, imparting his veteran, playoff-experienced mindset on this team down the stretch. He shot 41 percent from three-point range for Charlotte last year and gave the Hornets the outside threat they were seeking.
This time around, Neal is connecting on just 30 percent from deep. He started off the season right where he left off but shot 25 percent from long range in December and has started January in a 2-of-14 funk. Stephenson's struggles have exacerbated Neal's problems as well, as he went into the tank right around the same time Stephenson got hurt.
Neal is still scoring, but with poor efficiency. Charlotte leaned on him heavily last year and desperately needs him to get his shot back in order to try to make an improbable push in the second half.
5. Cody Zeller
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Stats: 7.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 blocks, 46.3 percent shooting
Zeller has steadily expanded his role since Jefferson went down, averaging 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds since Big Al exited. With Jefferson set to be out likely through January, Zeller's most recent 8-of-8 shooting performance against the Boston Celtics on January 5 brought a smile to fans' faces.
The best part was that Zeller earned some serious bragging rights in that one. He held his brother Tyler Zeller, who has had a sneaky-good breakout season, to two points in the process.
The young big man has struggled at times to find his niche in this league, but it is a big plus that he is stepping up without Jefferson on the court. He will need to continue producing big numbers in the meantime, since Clifford is showing no reluctance to bestow big minutes upon him.
His upside is so much bigger than any other healthy big man on this roster right now. A few more 20-point nights would go a long way toward keeping this ship afloat.
4. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
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Stats: 9.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 blocks, 46.9 percent shooting
We heard all about Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and his improved offensive game before the season, and he started to prove that it wasn't all talk early on, but of course he went down with an injury for the better part of a month.
Upon his return, he looked like the old offensively inept MKG. However, with Jefferson and Stephenson on the shelf, we have started to see the new and improved Kidd-Gilchrist once again. He is firing on all cylinders lately, posting averages of 12.2 points and 8.0 rebounds over his last five.
Most importantly, he is determined to be aggressive on offense, hoisting at least 10 shots in four of those five games.
It is a pleasant sight to see the youngster get it going on offense, because it builds up his confidence and keeps him more engaged in the flow of the game on both ends. He has been a catalyst for this squad from the minute he showed up in Charlotte, and that remains true. This team has lost 19 of its last 24 without him dating back to last season, including its 10-game losing streak this year.
3. Gerald Henderson
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Stats: 8.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.5 steals, 45.8 percent shooting
Henderson's career numbers have never knocked anyone's socks off, and many were surprised he didn't get traded following the Stephenson signing. He began the season as an afterthought, but his presence has been a godsend recently.
When Michael Kidd-Gilchrist went down, with Stephenson following suit shortly thereafter, Henderson stepped back into the starting lineup and began producing immediately. His defense has been better than Stephenson's, and he also is distributing the ball better than he ever has before.
In 11 starts with Stephenson out, Henderson has posted at least four assists in seven of those contests while keeping the turnovers to a minimum. He is also scoring efficiently, shooting 50.8 percent from the floor in the month of December.
The front office is thrilled that it did not cut ties with Henderson just yet. His production has been paramount to this brief stretch of solid play for the Hornets.
2. Al Jefferson
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Stats: 18.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 blocks, 48.8 percent shooting
Al Jefferson's monstrous second half last season raised the expectations for this franchise, but he has not looked like the same force this year.
He has not played with the same tenacity since his foot injury in last year's playoffs, and this current version of Big Al may be as good as it is going to get. However, he is still a beast, even though his rebounding is at its lowest rate since 2005-06 and his field-goal percentage is at a career worst.
Jefferson going down with a groin injury for a minimum of four weeks was the last thing this team needed, but it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise if his teammates can embrace the job of picking up the slack without him. If his fellow Hornets can start buzzing in the meantime, Charlotte could finally take off when he returns.
He is still the best player and the focal point of the team on both ends, but he has surprisingly been overtaken on the power rankings recently by his partner in crime.
1. Kemba Walker
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Stats: 18.1 points, 5.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, 39.7 percent shooting
Kemba Walker had an abysmal month of November after posting 26 points on opening night on October 29. He failed to crack 20 points a single time.
Luckily, he had nine 20-point games in December en route to 21.7 points per game for the month. He has also logged consecutive 30-point nights to begin 2015 and has thrown the offense on his back amid the injuries.
Walker's horrible start alongside Stephenson's struggles sent this team into a hole it seemingly couldn't find a way out of, but his resounding resurgence of late has restored hope. Efficiency will never be his strong point, but he is the one healthy player who is capable of exploding for 30 or 40 points on a given night, and without that Charlotte is beyond futile.
The young point guard has also gotten after it on the defensive end without Jefferson around, posting six consecutive games with a block after not having recorded one in the previous 10. He even threw down four blocks right after dropping a career-high 42 points against the Orlando Magic on December 27.
Charlotte needs Walker to keep this up at least until Jefferson gets back. He is finally playing like the player we know he can be; now, he just has to keep up that consistency on a nightly basis.
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