Should Mo Williams Be Hornets' Starting Point Guard When Kemba Walker Returns?
The Charlotte Hornets shipped Gary Neal to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 10 for Mo Williams to serve as a stopgap until Kemba Walker returns from his knee injury. It seemed like a great plan, only now plans have changed after Williams' elevated performance level.
Then, Charlotte went 6-4 in his first 10 starts, and he took home NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors during March's opening seven days. He has averaged 21.4 points and 8.5 assists over that span. Now that Walker is set to return any day, some tough questions are about to come up.
Given his dynamic level of play, has Mo officially cranked up the temperature on Walker's seat?
It has been understood for a few years that Walker is the catalyst for Charlotte. He takes and makes big shots. He can get hot at a moment's notice like no one else on the roster is capable of. He has carried the squad for weeks at a time.
This renaissance campaign from Williams has given head coach Steve Clifford another guy who can do exactly that. When watching a Hornets game, it doesn't take long to realize this isn't the same Mo Williams we are used to. The 32-year-old is playing some of the best ball of his life, as evidenced by his career-high 52-point massacre earlier this year for the Wolves.
His 6.9 assists per game on the season are a career high. Charlotte is an average of 10.4 points better when he is on the floor. His defensive rating is at 107, which is its lowest since Williams' campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009-10. Aside from a blip on the radar here or there, namely getting torched by Reggie Jackson, he has bought into Clifford's defensive philosophies despite never being known as much of a stopper.
By comparison, Charlotte has actually been slightly better when Walker has been on the pine this season. Coincidence?
Williams has a veteran savvy that Walker doesn't. He can get everyone involved in a way the youngster has never exhibited. He can also stretch the floor better, as evidenced by his white-hot shooting from deep, (29 threes since the All-Star break, fourth in the NBA). Walker is at 32 percent for the year as opposed to Williams' 38 for his career.
Mo has also gotten his best friend Al Jefferson going. Big Al's numbers in March are at 20.6 points, 10.6 boards, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 steals a night. He has finally gotten hot with Williams distributing, and that is the main reason why the vet must remain a starter.
However, Williams starting does not mean things are all bad for Kemba. It must be noted Clifford fully intends on playing the two alongside one another, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
“He makes so many plays,” Walker said following Wednesday’s 115-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. “He’s so smart; he knows when to shoot and when to pass. You can see it in his numbers; he’s had some huge assist games.”
Walker went on to note he has already picked up so much just observing how Williams dissects a defense. This is truly the first time Walker has had a legitimate veteran point guard to learn from. Luke Ridnour and Brian Roberts were not the right guys for that job, but Williams is in full-mentor mode.
Lineups with two point guards are all the rage in this analytics-driven NBA. Charlotte is fortunate enough to have good frontcourt defenders, which will allow it to play extended minutes with Walker and Williams out there together.
The icing on the cake is that Charlotte's bench is still atrocious. Walker could immediately become one of the league's most electrifying sixth men. His minutes don't have to take a dip, and his life will be a lot easier not having to carry the full offensive load anymore.
This Mo Williams acquisition could not have worked out any better for the Hornets. The fact Walker losing his starting spot is even in question just attests to the success of the deal. The verdict is Kemba should absolutely come back as a sixth man but also see heavy minutes running wild alongside the new veteran.
Walker coming off the bench is unlikely to prove beneficial in the long term, since Williams is a free agent after the season. However, Clifford has to go with the hot hand to try to squeeze a playoff berth out of this team.
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