Power Ranking Each Charlotte Hornets Player Heading into 2015 NBA All-Star Break
As the first half of the 2014-15 NBA season winds down, the Charlotte Hornets are in a curious position. On one hand, they are No. 7 in the Eastern Conference after an impressive run early in 2015. On the other, they are still just 22-29.
Inconsistency has been the biggest thorn in Charlotte's side this season. Most recently, the Hornets opened February with back-to-back wins over the Washington Wizards but dropped the next two against the putrid Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers.
It is difficult to know what to make of such a polarizing team, and the incessant injuries only contribute to that. Charlotte has been an enigma since October. The huge Lance Stephenson signing resulted in a 10-game losing streak. High-profile rookies Noah Vonleh and P.J. Hairston have been almost nonexistent. Stars Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson have been in and out of the lineup.
And just like everyone expected before the season, the relentless offense led by Gerald Henderson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been the only thing keeping Charlotte afloat.
Someone call Clark Griswold. I need some Tylenol.
The glass-half-full guy would say that everything that could possibly go wrong already has and that Charlotte could be a legitimately dangerous team come playoff time as long as the roster is healthy. This is possible, and the injuries could turn out to be a blessing in disguise since each player is getting a turn shouldering a heavier load.
The All-Star break couldn't come at a better time. Charlotte needs to get healthy and will limp into the break having played three games in four days.
The roster rankings will take into account not only overall value to the team but exactly how pivotal each man's performance has been to Charlotte's success this year, particularly as of late.
The Bottom Five
1 of 11
13. Elliot Williams
It is not common knowledge, but Williams is indeed on the Hornets. The team summoned from the D-League a 10-day contract to fill the roster spot of the freshly waived Jannero Pargo. Interestingly enough, this was Charlotte's first roster move of the season, as it had gone with the same 15 guys since the year began. With so many injuries to key players, Steve Clifford just had to get in some insurance.
Williams has yet to see the floor and likely won't. With the trade deadline approaching, don't be surprised to see his stay with the Hornets be a brief one. I hope he hasn't bought any real estate in Charlotte yet.
12. P.J. Hairston
The enigmatic rookie has had a few moments of good play this season, but his shot selection has not improved whatsoever. Hairston has now slid to the end of the depth chart at shooting guard, as he has yet to play a minute in four February games.
That 31 percent field-goal percentage cannot continue to see floor time. Prior to the season, Gerald Henderson was supposed to be the odd man out, and general manager Rich Cho is looking great for refusing to deal his veteran and hand the keys to the rookie. Hairston isn't ready yet.
11. Noah Vonleh
In light of the injury to Bismack Biyombo, it is slightly puzzling to see Vonleh still stuck on Charlotte's bench. Clifford has not shown the willingness to fully unleash his bench this season and only shortens his rotation when injuries pile up.
Vonleh is still a raw 19-year-old, but he has had a couple of nice performances, including his 10-point, seven-rebound, two-block performance against the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 31. He has not seen the court since.
Injured: Bismack Biyombo
Biyombo was playing some of the best ball of his career before going down with a knee injury. He was supposed to be on his way back, but Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer recently reported that he is still two weeks away.
His play in the month of January, when Al Jefferson was absent, helped keep this team together. Provided he can stay out of foul trouble, Charlotte has a legitimate defensive presence in the paint. It was great for fans to get a reminder of why he was drafted in the top 10 of the 2011 draft.
Injured: Kemba Walker
Much like Biyombo, Walker was white hot before he went down with a knee injury. Charlotte is in its most crucial stretch of the season with him out, because he is the catalyst. This engine does not run properly without Walker's fuel.
After averaging 21.7 points in December, Walker was posting 23.6 points per game in January, including six straight contests with more than 28 points. Early-to-mid March is the best-case scenario for Walker's return, and his buddies have to continue to patch things up in the meantime. Had he been healthy, he likely would have been at the top of these power rankings.
10. Jeff Taylor
2 of 11
Points: 4.0
Rebounds: 1.4
Assists: 0.7
The stats tell you almost nothing, but Taylor has finally begun to overcome his lengthy absence to start the season due to off-the-court issues this offseason. He has slipped past P.J. Hairston on the depth chart at 2-guard and is now starting to produce a little bit for this squad.
He logged 22 minutes in a spot start for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on Feb. 8, and he held his own with six points and two boards. Those aren't eye-popping numbers but enough to be noticed.
Taylor has hit 12 of his 21 shots in 2015, so maybe his New Year's resolution is paying off. Since Lance Stephenson left his talents in Indiana, Taylor will see more minutes and responsibility as long as he can keep the ball rolling. Charlotte could use another threat off its subpar bench unit.
9. Gary Neal
3 of 11
Points: 9.6
Rebounds 2.2
Assists: 1.9
If you are wondering where Jeff Taylor might find some more minutes, here they are.
Gary Neal has been abhorrent for much of this season, progressively getting worse with each month. If this trend continues, it is scary to think how far he could actually fall. Neal is shooting a ghastly 35.9 percent from the floor and 29.3 from three.
Neal hit 40 percent from distance after Charlotte acquired him from the Milwaukee Bucks last season and was a huge reason why the team made a big run in the second half. He is supposed to be the most reliable outside shooter on this roster but has been anything but.
As he continues to build a house of bricks, the Hornets might have to consider alternative options outside the organization. It's not as if they have expendable shooting, so the fact that their best outside threat is struggling so badly is a major red flag that must be addressed.
Neal hit 18 percent of his threes in January. His struggles have been magnified with Walker being injured and Stephenson underperforming as well. This veteran has some work to do to win his coach back; otherwise, he may not see the floor much at all when Walker comes back.
*Update: Gary Neal has been traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with a second-round draft pick, for Mo Williams and Troy Daniels.
8. Jason Maxiell
4 of 11
Points: 3.6
Rebounds: 2.9
Blocks: 0.8
Well, well, well! Look who has resurfaced on the NBA landscape.
A man who was mostly on the roster to provide veteran leadership for all the young bigs, Maxiell has stepped back into a more featured role amid the injury to Biyombo. Few expected him to do much more than snag a few rebounds, but he has been a mini-monster in February.
Maxiell emphatically announced himself against the Wizards on Feb. 5, swatting a whopping seven shots in just 21 minutes to go along with 11 points and eight boards.
For however long Biyombo is out, Maxiell will see around 15-20 minutes per night. He is a bulldog alongside Al Jefferson, and it is nice to see him finally make some tangible contributions aside from playing vicariously through the young bigs.
7. Cody Zeller
5 of 11
Points: 7.5
Rebounds: 5.6
Assists: 1.6
Everything I just said about Maxiell? Imagine the exact opposite, and that's Cody Zeller lately.
Aside from a 10-of-11 performance on Jan. 31 in Denver, Zeller has missed at least half his attempts in the other 13 games dating back to Jan. 5, a night where he oddly took eight shots and hit all of them.
The only reason he is not lower on this list, despite his recent awful offensive performances, is due to his peripherals. Zeller is becoming a solid dirty-work guy that every good team needs. The problem is that Charlotte needs him to be more than that.
Zeller was not drafted fourth overall to be a scrappy hustle player. He has to be more assertive offensively because the Hornets do not have the personnel to score 100 every night.
The big man embodies much of what plagues Charlotte in 2014-15. He always leaves you clamoring for more, and his inconsistency is maddening.
6. Lance Stephenson
6 of 11
Points: 9.2
Rebounds: 5.7
Assists: 5.0
At this point, we might have to start wondering if Stephenson is quietly playing through some sort of injury. It is almost impossible to explain the magnitude of his drop-off from last season.
This just isn't the same guy who posted 20 double-doubles and five triple-doubles last season, and he hasn't looked like that person for even two minutes. If he played a few more games, he would be last in the league with his 37.2 percent shooting. He has launched 70 threes and hit 12 of them.
The one positive is that since Walker went down, Stephenson has been spitting out dimes like a slot machine. His 5.0 average is a career high for that category, and he continues to attack the glass. The problem is that he has lost all the touch to his scoring, and now is the best time for him to search for it.
By moving him to the bench, Clifford has taken some of the pressure off him while also adding a great talent to a barren unit on the roster. Despite that, Stephenson continues to look lost. Even Kidd-Gilchrist draws fewer cringes these days when hoisting a jumper.
This was supposed to be a match made in heaven that gave Charlotte an unabashed, ruthless and wildly aggressive backcourt that could break any team down off the dribble to collapse defenses. Stephenson and Walker have not coexisted well at all.
What you'd love to see from Stephenson is a few less jumpers and a few more free throws. He needs to put more pressure on the defense and get some efficient points in order to restore his confidence.
5. Marvin Williams
7 of 11
Points: 6.6
Rebounds: 4.6
Assists: 1.1
Nobody jumped for joy when Charlotte snagged Williams off the free-agent market this past offseason, but his presence has been of utmost importance.
The former Tar Heel slumped in January but has picked things back up since. Many thought he would simply block the progression of guys like Zeller and Vonleh when he was brought aboard, but we have seen both prove that they need to marinate a little more. In the meantime, Williams is giving this team the defense it needs with a little bit of shooting and rebounding.
There have been times this year when it felt as if Clifford would start unleashing his other guys, but Williams has been a security blanket. He was a hugely polarizing prospect when he got drafted No. 2 overall in 2005, but has settled into predictable career. His numbers over the course of his 10 years provide almost no outliers; you know what you're going to get with him.
Whether he is starting games or coming off the bench, Williams is a key member of this squad. Charlotte is 9-2 when he pulls down seven or more rebounds this season, which is a testament to all the little things he does that help the team win.
4. Brian Roberts
8 of 11
Points: 7.2
Rebounds: 1.5
Assists: 2.4
The backup point guard deserves a lot of love. Finally, he has established himself after struggling behind Walker most of the year. Now as a fill-in starter, he has done a solid job to make sure the Hornets don't miss a beat.
This team is always in need of offense, and it has benefited from Roberts' mini-resurgence. He has averaged 13.8 points thus far in February, being much more aggressive with 10-plus shot attempts in each of the four contests. He is far from a barnburner, but the ultra-conservative Roberts gives this team a boost by pushing the rock more.
Roberts has always been a good decision-maker, but the real eye-opener has been Charlotte's defense with him on the floor. His defensive rating has improved this season as he has bought into the team philosophy of staying home and not bailing out for steals.
Roberts can continue to progress by shooting fewer threes and making more plays for the offense. He has gotten too trigger-happy since becoming a starter, despite his uptick in points.
Roberts has scoring ability, but it is not as a long-range shooter. He is a gifted passer and has missed 20 free throws in his three NBA seasons. Hornets fans would love to see him break down the defense more by getting to the rack for easy shots or crafty kick-out passes.
3. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
9 of 11
Points: 10.2
Rebounds: 7.2
Assists: 1.6
If you are familiar with my past articles, you'll know that I am riding shotgun in the MKG bandwagon. He is an evolving rich man's Tony Allen minus 12 years in age. Throw in some ferocious rebounding and a pleasantly improved jumper, and you have what amounts to an irreplaceable asset for the Hornets.
Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated recently composed an extensive feature piece on the feisty 21-year-old, detailing his journey to find his voice and jumper. Both are coming along smoothly.
“What I saw was a tenacious defender who could get to the basket and a motor that would not shut off,” said former Charlotte general manager Rod Higgins, per Jenkins. “I thought, ‘If there is a way to improve the shot, this kid is going to find it.’”
MKG has scored in double figures in 14 of his last 19 games. He also averaged 9.4 rebounds in January with five double-doubles. He had seven double-doubles total over his first two NBA seasons.
It was a shame when MKG went down with an injury early in the season, and it was no coincidence that Charlotte immediately lost 10 in a row without him. He is the physical embodiment of everything this Hornets team attempts to be. As long as he keeps improving, his team will do the same. Seeing him engaged on offense, attacking the rim and creating for teammates is a joy to watch after he completely lost himself last year.
2. Gerald Henderson
10 of 11
Points: 11.1
Rebounds: 3.0
Assists: 2.5
This No. 2 spot for Gerald Henderson is predicated on the idea of "what have you done for me lately?"
Henderson began this season in the same light as Marvin Williams. They were those guys at your house party who made everyone wonder what exactly they were doing there, but nobody was prepared to ask them to leave.
Hendo has been a gift from above lately and has given the backcourt the shot in the arm it couldn't live without. Like Williams, Henderson settled into a targeted role and never expanded his game much. With Walker out and Stephenson struggling, Henderson has been scoring consistently but also distributing like he never has before.
The former Dukie was always good for some points, but little more. That has not been the case in February, as he is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds in the month. He still isn't stroking jumpers, but he is nailing a career-high 87.7 percent from the charity stripe, including 50 of his last 54 attempts.
Henderson may not keep this up. Heck, he could easily slide back down to No. 7 on next month's power rankings. That is how unpredictable this roster has been, but Henderson is feeling it for now. Expect Clifford to keep rolling him out there for 35-40 minutes per night to ride out this hot streak.
1. Al Jefferson
11 of 11
Points: 17.5
Rebounds: 8.5
Assists: 1.8
With a roster full of so many boom-or-bust guys who could give you 20 points one night and two on the next, Charlotte has to continue to lean on its walking 18-and-10 big man.
The only source of sustained consistency and excellence on this team once again is atop the power rankings, despite being slightly less dominant than we have come to expect. However, the gates are open for Jefferson to go on a tear in the second half.
Keep in mind, the All-Star snub averaged 24.5 points and 11.4 boards after the break in 2013-14 to atone for an injured Kemba Walker. Fans would love to see an encore of that show.
This team still revolves around him, but Charlotte ran Big Al into the ground last season. Spreading the love will be good for the Hornets in the long run, and much of that credit should be bestowed upon Jefferson for improving his passing and court awareness. He is no longer the black hole that he used to be on either end of the floor.
You can sense Big Al playing more in the flow of the game in 2014-15, especially lately. He slams on the gas when he has to but might have a few too many miles on his legs to do that on a nightly basis.
The most telling stat of Jefferson's slight shift in his approach is the fact that he has 41 turnovers in 42 games. He is making the right basketball plays but needs help. The rest of the crew has to start converting around him with a higher success rate, and it will be mutually beneficial for all parties.
This is not last year when Jefferson and Walker just chewed teams up like a paper shredder. The offense is still ironing out kinks, but it is comforting to know that the Hornets can roll the ball down low to the big man for some easy buckets when they need them.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
