Hornets Lineup Talk

[Rich4114]

I have no doubt PJ Would look better on a team that wasn't garbage. He's definitely not a guy who raises the quality of the team himself though, he is a solid rotational piece who only puts effort in when motivated. He is not motivated right now, especially since he got paid.

The injuries have really hurt us obviously, but Mitch's choices of roster construction is what has hurt everything far more.

I still go back to Summer League and think about how they thought it made sense to put an actual team together with no playmakers or point guards. All that did was make our competent players look bad. Then there was the report on the laughably bad coaching job that was happening - which is basically Clifford's staff. All of this just tells me we have a trash front office and a trash coaching staff that is in over their heads and clueless about how to put pieces together that result in coherent basketball.

We need to find ways to replace Ish, Richards, Menasah, Thor, Bryce, etc. with real rotational NBA players and a balance of players who fit into roles / positions that enhance our core pieces. This GM doesn't know how to do that and this HC has no idea how to run a lineup with rotations that gives them a chance. Which in turn, makes everyone look bad - just like in summer league.

[SWedd523]

its hard to evaluate anyone on this roster as constructed + injuries.

Freaking preach my man. If we never drafted PJ and he was on a semi decent team we'd be dying to trade for him as a backup 4/5.

We don't need guys who would look good on a good team. We aren't a good team.

We need guys who can make a bad team look better.

[Rich4114]

its hard to evaluate anyone on this roster as constructed + injuries.

Freaking preach my man. If we never drafted PJ and he was on a semi decent team we'd be dying to trade for him as a backup 4/5.

We don't need guys who would look good on a good team. We aren't a good team.

We need guys who can make a bad team look better.

That's a tall task. As much as individual star talent is required for an NBA team to be good, even a team like the Suns with 3 stars, 1 mid starter and a bunch of no-names is struggling to stay above .500. That team has Kevin Durant, Brad Beal and Devin Booker. All 3 would eclipse everyone on our roster other than say LaMelo. The reality is you need a balanced, quality NBA rotation. You can win a lot of games with 2 stars. You can be a contender with 3. But in either scenario, you need quality role players who can be dependable at something like perimeter defense, 3pt shooting, rebounding, rim protection. We are dysfunctional on both ends and our good players are having career lows in efficiency.

[JMAC3]

you guys are still in the mindset that we are so close to competing. we are not. we are one of the furthest away if not the furthest. PJ will not contribute anything to this team making the playoffs now, or 3 years from now. get rid of his salary and take on a bad contract for picks, for example. just so sick of the status quo

Yeah, can't believe other teams are rumored to want to trade for him, you clearly know more that he is a bottom 5 player in the NBA lol

[SWedd523]

Freaking preach my man. If we never drafted PJ and he was on a semi decent team we'd be dying to trade for him as a backup 4/5.

We don't need guys who would look good on a good team. We aren't a good team.

We need guys who can make a bad team look better.

That's a tall task. As much as individual star talent is required for an NBA team to be good, even a team like the Suns with 3 stars, 1 mid starter and a bunch of no-names is struggling to stay above .500. That team has Kevin Durant, Brad Beal and Devin Booker. All 3 would eclipse everyone on our roster other than say LaMelo. The reality is you need a balanced, quality NBA rotation. You can win a lot of games with 2 stars. You can be a contender with 3. But in either scenario, you need quality role players who can be dependable at something like perimeter defense, 3pt shooting, rebounding, rim protection. We are dysfunctional on both ends and our good players are having career lows in efficiency.

Melo, Terry, Gordo, Miller, Miles, Martin, Mark all generally have (varying degrees of) positive impacts (when they are available to play)

PJ goes back and forth and half the time I wouldn't even know he played if I didn't check the box score afterwards.

If he isn't in one of his random purple patches, he does almost nothing noticeable on the floor.

With all the injuries, we desperately need guys to step up and stop being random JAGs. PJ decided he didn't want to.

[JMAC3]

If you look at guys in the NBA who have at least 15 games this season coming off the bench. PJ ranks 19th in scoring behind.

THJ, Sexton, Bogdanovic, Levert, Quickley, Monk, Reaves, Mathurin, Ivey, Jacquez, Duncan Robinson, Cole Anthony, Kuminga, Powell, Eric Gordon, Naz Reid, Buddy and Portis.

The next set of names behind PJ are Burks, Reggie Jackson, Nesmith, Gary Trent, Kispert, Wagner.

Not saying scoring is everything, but it is not like PJ is in a group with a bunch of scrubs, I am not dying to give away a a top 30 bench player in the NBA.

[yosemiteben]

I am sympathetic to Clifford with the roster situation he is dealing with, but graphs like this make me also believe that there are major schematic issues at play:

Read on Twitter

So we are shooting a very decent percentage considering the fact that we're getting by far the worst looks in the league from 3.

[Rich4114]

I am sympathetic to Clifford with the roster situation he is dealing with, but graphs like this make me also believe that there are major schematic issues at play:

Read on Twitter

So we are shooting a very decent percentage considering the fact that we're getting by far the worst looks in the league from 3.

Kelly Oubre effect for the 6ers lol

But yes, this pretty much tells you all you need to know about the offense and personnel Clifford is running with.

[fatlever]

Who is laughing at who?

Hornets laughing at kai for requesting trade, getting himself cut and still unemployed in Jan

Or kai laughing at hornets with Mark injured, nick injured and giving to play Mensah meaningful minutes for the past month.

They both deserve it.

Sent from my SM-G973U using RealGM mobile app

[yosemiteben]

I highly doubt the guy not playing basketball professionally right now is laughing at anyone.

Are you thinking the Hornets shouldn't have cut him?

[SWedd523]

Who is laughing at who?

Hornets laughing at kai for requesting trade, getting himself cut and still unemployed in Jan

Or kai laughing at hornets with Mark injured, nick injured and giving to play Mensah meaningful minutes for the past month.

They both deserve it.

Sent from my SM-G973U using RealGM mobile app

more like kai laughing at himself for being out of the league when he could've been getting minutes that are instead going to mensah

[JDR720]

I think the point is we cut Kai and then didn't bother to replace him.

[Liver_Pooty]

Kai could have got solid minutes and potentially set himself up for another contract. He'll be broke in 5 years. I honestly feel sad for him.

[SWedd523]

I think the point is we cut Kai and then didn't bother to replace him.

What's to replace?

[JDR720]

I think the point is we cut Kai and then didn't bother to replace him.

What's to replace?

I mean, we need a 3rd center.

[Benjamin Linus]

I doubt Kai is laughing much. He threw away so much freakin money. I mean you can make a lot, even as a backup, if you stick around. Biz has career earnings of 90+ million. Dwight Powell has earned 70+ million and counting

[SWedd523]

I think the point is we cut Kai and then didn't bother to replace him.

What's to replace?

I mean, we need a 3rd center.

Are you saying we should have kept the guy who went crazy and asked for a trade? The guy with career averages of 2/2, scored double digits 4 times in his career and got double digit rebounds twice in his career?

Mensah gives the same almost negligible production as an undrafted guy without being a head case.

I'm almost at a loss for words here. The entire situation falls completely on Kai

[JDR720]

What's to replace?

I mean, we need a 3rd center.

Are you saying we should have kept the guy who went crazy and asked for a trade? The guy with career averages of 2/2, scored double digits 4 times in his career and got double digit rebounds twice in his career?

Mensah gives the same almost negligible production as an undrafted guy without being a head case.

I'm almost at a loss for words here. The entire situation falls completely on Kai

No? I said we didn't bother to replace him, not that we should've kept him. Mensah isn't a good replacement, the only reason he was signed is because we didn't have any other options.

We should've signed/traded for another C the day we cut Kai. Going into this season with just 2 centers wasn't a good idea.

It was Kai's fault he got cut.

And it's currently the Hornets fault that we have no center depth/depth in general. We went into this season with no backup PG since Frank broke his leg, no 3rd center and a bunch of 2nd round guys. All while, at the time, believing this was a playoff team.

[fatlever]

point being, both sides probably looking at the other thinking, what a fool.
other point, it was **** dumb to not prioritize 3rd string center and 2nd string pg. **** mitch.

[Diop]

He used the opportunity to sign Smith off the scrap heap