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21 games into the season now and we are at 2nd seed of the East, top seed of the South East division. I guess it's save to say that we played out of most people's expectation, fans and the league included. Below is my attempt to share my opinions on who should this be credited to, and you are all welcome to join in with your own input.

Cho - 85
Graded based on this season alone, I have to give credit to Cho on signing Lamb, Batun, Lin who really turn the team around. So far this year he is worthy of the manager of the year nomination. I look forward seeing what he will do before the trade line and going forward in the off season if we managed to stay competitive into the playoff.

Cliff - 90
From bottom of the league to top 10 in both offense and defense, Cliff did a great job not only applying a completely offensive philosophy this year, but still managed to stay relatively good defense, AND doing all that with so many new additions to the team. I would say the 3 yrs contract is a just reward for him.

Batum - 92
To be honest I never expect him to perform this well. He has become a really versatile player and the real game changer for the Hornet. He can run, shot off dribble, 3pt shot at the corner, lay up, create his own shot, assist, rebound, really everything a player can do on the court he does well to exceptional with us. It's hard to imagine he was the 3rd or even 4th focus point in Portland all these years. No wonder he's having the best year of his career. Today's triple double basically is the perfect resemblance of his performance this year. If I had to nitpick one thing it would be his TO seems a bit high, but I guess that can be expected since he plays "point forward" so much.

Kemba - 90
Or should I say Kemba 2.0. His efficiency is up, though one of the main reason I think is due to he no longer have to put the team on his shoulder all the time now that we have more bullets in the barrel, Batum, Lamb, Lin all can share the workload. And with more spacing he can either shot better or drive in better which is a win-win situation for all. He no longer has the reputation of a high volume shooter which is a good thing.

Marvin - 85
He is the silent helper, the anchor of stability and the one guy on the team that has been most consistently good through out 21 games. I can't really remember which game he actually lay an egg. Being a starter consistency is one of the most important thing and that is why he got a high grade in my book. Even Batum and Kemba have their bad days but good old Marvin stays strong.

Lamb - 83
He had a string of great games at the beginning of the season, however lately he's kinda lost his shots - in recent 5 games he shots only 39.3%, and that's including the 50% game against the Bucks. When he is on however, he's a real pleasure of sight to see, a great scorer off the bench to lit the fire. He basically did the job originally I thought Lin would do. However, his defense is far less from desirable. And if he doesn't find his shot sooner with the lack of defense, his grade will be in danger of going down.

Zeller - 80
Young and raw, but fearless and hustle win my heart. He did really well in absence of Al and if he keeps it up, I wonder if we really need Al back as a starter. Of course as far as defense it's often not a one-man's job, in the sense that everyone was doing well and pitch in to keep our defense top 10 without MKG and now without Al. That's huge, and Zeller has promising future in the line up.

Lin - 75
To be honest, I was kind of disappointed after Lin's great performance in the pre-season games. I know that it was not a fair way to judge but I didn't expect it to go down so much. So far almost all of his numbers are down compare to previous year (under Scott in the Lakers I might add): his 3pt %, 2pt%, FT%, assist, even block and steal. Only 2 that are up are foul and TO. I guess that might partly due to his play time is further reduced so far this season, from 25.8 mins last year to 22.8 this year. The only consolation is he has shown that he can play great defense AND people are starting to recognize it. However if he doesn't find his shot soon enough, I fear that his role on the team will slowly become fixed as a backup PG rather than the 6th man.

Kaminsky - 75
Frank is the future center/PF of the Hornet who currently shot 39.4% at 3pt. That alone makes him into my list. Not as effective as Zeller as far as defense goes, they both did a good job at filling Al's shoes. He is also young and can fit in a run-n-gun type of offense. I look forward to see how much his growth will be by the end of the season.

Al - 72
He had his moment this season, but with his play style has slowly become contradicting with the direction the team is going this year. Partly it's not his fault but if he wishes to stay with us or go with the trend of the league these days, he needs to learn how to do more than post up. And shade off some of them weight and try to run with the rest of the team doesn't hurt either. With his injury out and the new suspension, I wonder what his place will be when he does come back. I guess that will also largely depends on how we do these couple of games without him. I have to say so far it doesn't look good for him though.

The rest of the team - 75
No one plays out of their mind but they didn't screw up any sure wins either. One player I would like to point out is PJ who though being a starter, doesn't have starter mins and doesn't have starter performance either. I would just grade him with the rest of the team just to be fair, or else the standard might be too high for him and his grade will be lower.

Outlook for the rest of the season
I expect Batum, Kemba and Marvin to keep on doing what they are doing. How good Lamb and Lin perform may decide the outcome of many games ahead since our starter is not really our strength, our bench firepower is. Although Zelly may really be the x factor here. If he can keep playing well or even better than what we see now, Al's role will be further diminished and the direction we are going as far as team identity will change along, rapidly I might add. All in all this is a fun season as a Hornet fan. I'm already excited about the next grading I'll do when we reached mid season.

DevolDas, great post.
I would give 95 for the team - it is way better (results) than everyone expected. It shows how much efficient teamwork can make differences.


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Nice post, pretty accurate imo. On the rise is Cody, Frank and the team in general. On the downward spiral is Al.

I'd give Marvin a 95. At the beginning of the season, most people didn't even think he'd even be a pivotal player. Marvin has clearly surpassed expectations with his rebounding, 3PT shooting, and overall hustle. He's the unsung hero of the first quarter.

I'd lower the assessment of Batum a bit. While he's certainly been great, we knew going in that he'd be a good distributor. His shooting percentage has been a bit disappointing.

Clifford - A
The man deserved his three year extension and has Nic Batum running the offense and loving the climate of team ball that Clifford has been nurturing throughout these past few years. He'll be a huge factor in Batum re-signing. The additions of Batum, Lin and Lamb have not been earth-shattering. Batum and Lin have not shot efficiently and Lamb has not shot well from three. But Clifford didn't need stars to change the style of play. He has done a whole lot with the infusion of a bit of new talent. He has kept Al's minutes in check and even benched him in closing situations. He has avoided Brian Roberts this year and elevated Marvin Williams. He always believed in Marvin much to the frustration of many last season, myself included. We have a top 10 defense and a top 10 offense. Only the Cavs, Warriors and Pacers share that honor with us. What more could you ask for? Loses Biz, Hendo and MKG and has a top 10 defense? A top 10 offense with no 20 pt scorers and no stars?

Batum - A-
He has not shot the ball particularly well. In fact I think Hendo had a higher shooting percentage. The main difference is this guy makes his teammates better and you can run an offense through him. Hendo played iso ball so even games he dominated the team still lost badly. Also Batum is shooting near 40% from 3 on decent volume. Hendo rarely shot, passing up open threes and botching good possessions with fadeaways or dumping the ball to Kemba at the last minute like a troll. Batum sets up Kemba and his bigs and that has brought out Cody and Franks mobility and Kemba's inside-outside game. Batum is the ultimate spacer. He's the equalizer on a team that lacks high-end talent. We play extremely balanced because of his versatility and high BBIQ. His turnovers are really high.

Kemba - A
UConn fans kept insisting he could do more with just a sliver more space, penetrating, carving up the defense and getting more open looks. Kemba is having a career year and he plays on a decent contract. He is still inconsistent but he's the quickest guy on the floor, the best pure scorer and a proven clutch performer. He's a winner and the front office was smart to lock him up.

Marvin - A
He's one of the best role players in the NBA. He's a stretch 4 pushing 40% on 3's and cashing in on open looks. He came in more sleek and can now use his athleticism to play smarter off the ball and making cuts for put backs or hustling for rebounds. I don't want him back on the salary he will command.

Cody - C
Aside from the recent stretch of games without Al, he has been underwhelming. I think it's clear he's not a PF. He's an undersized center who plays soft. I would have given him a D without this recent stretch. He's a high energy guy who does the little things but he should be a better rebounder given his height and athleticism. He gets pushed around. He has been brilliant playing in the new-look small ball lineup, running the floor and getting rewarded for it. He has played far more aggressively lately so maybe he can salvage his season and win a better grade from me next quarter.

PJ - F
The guy just doesn't have NBA skill. His shooting percentages are disgusting, considering how the offense is designed to give him open looks. It's clear why they declined his option. He's the weak link on the team and he needs to be upgraded.

Frank - C
He was a top 10 pick who was supposed to be NBA ready. He's a prolific passer and decent rebounder. He's a solid shooter but he needs more confidence. I expect him to earn a better grade from me next quarter. If he and Cody can develop we can compete with any team in the playoffs, aside from the Lebrons. Right now he is so timid Cliff screamed at him to shoot it and MJ made it a point to scold him after the Heat game as the players exited to the locker room after the final buzzer. At some point it will click and we may have a great stretch 4 on our hands, a poor man's Porzingis.

Lamb - B
He's an efficient 6th man but his 3pt% is falling. He is young like Frank and Cody and also needs to play with more purpose and aggression. He can score in so many ways. With a little more experience, he could replace Kemba as the best pure scorer on the team. He's inconsistent but really athletic. He's an underrated passer. This is like a rookie season for him as far as minutes go. He's handling it well and I'm glad Kemba is here to encourage him. You can tell he's energized by crowd/fan support and can excel in a team environment not top heavy with high usage stars. He should benefit along with Frank and Cody as the team completes a transformation away from Alfense. Lin is key for him, as is Batum.

Lin - B
He's been inefficient like Batum and like Lamb from 3 but he commands attention on the court. His inside outside game opens up the floor and he's been positive for Cody, Frank and Lamb. He is a huge upgrade over Brian Roberts and hopefully his minutes will help relieve Kemba of a heavy workload. The team plays so much better when Kemba has high energy. Lin is also a clutch performer. He makes some unlikely shots and gets to the rack better than anyone on the team, can draw fouls and make smart plays. I hope he's content as a backup PG and we re-sign him.

Hawes - C
He's a good passer but he's very clumsy. He makes bonheaded plays and misses easy shots. He definitely fits into the style of play though and makes his teammates better. It's when he tries to do things by himself where he becomes frustrating. If he can play within himself and within the system, he makes it a better system and Cliff should reward him with minutes.

^ Why no Al? lol. Agree with everything except an F for PJ may be a bit harsh? He's not starting calibre but a good filler for the starting unit until Lamb comes in imo.

MasterIchiro, you got A for the good post. I would give C+ to AL. I wonder moving him to bench and play PnR with Lin would make him more efficient.


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Batum was praising PJ's defense in the 12/9 postgame interview. Cliff does sometimes as well. Is it ok to up his score to say D?

What this front office managed to do in one offseason only goes to show the ridiculousness of the whole having to be the worst team in the league year after to year in order to ever acquire enough assets to compete mentality that a certain someone has convinced his clueless fans is actually a blueprint for success.

Batum - 88 - He does alot of stuff well, basically all you can ask him to. He makes big plays, often at big moments. With that said, I honestly don't think he's been as good as some people have made him to be. He's not shooting particularly well at 42% from the field. He is shooting 39% from three though, which is excellent. He's also not the playmaker I think people are making him out to be. His assist/TO ratio is at 1.56, which is really kind of mediocre. He's still probably the best PG on the team though.

Kemba - 85 - Surprisingly efficient scoring, but still doesn't really help make his teammates better. Also, pretty damn clutch so far.

Marvin - 83 - Probably our most consistent player so far. I can't recall a bad game from him. He hasn't really had a huge game either in terms of stats, but they've pretty much all been solid to very good games.

Al - 72

Lamb - 80 (ish) - Shot out of his mind for a pretty long stretch, but seems to be coming back down to earth. Other than scoring though, he hasn't offered all that much.

Lin - 78 - Not shooting well, haven't really been able to consistently playmake for his teammates, although to be fair, that's not really his role. Solid to very good defense most of the time. Clutch on a couple of occasions.

Cody - 78 - although his recent play is more along the lines of 80.

PJ - 70

Hawes - 70

The team should get 20 points off from last night game. Or D-


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Kemba Walker: A
Nicolas Batum: B+
Jeremy Lamb: B
Jeremy Lin: B
Marvin Williams: B-
Al Jefferson: C
Cody Zeller: C+
Spencer Hawes: C
P.J. Hairston: D

Batum: A. couldn't have asked more of him, even with the WTF turnovers.

Kemba: B+. The shot is coming along. It's promising.

Lamb: B. Cooled off after a very hot start. He's living up to expectations.

Marvin: B. I don't think anybody saw this coming.

Cody: C+. He was absolutely awful to start the year, and the 3s he was showing in the preseason seem to be a tease. Appears to be coming around.

Lin: C+. Pretty much what I was expecting from him. He's decidedly a backup caliber PG, but he's one of the best. Happy to have him.

Frank: C. I'm liking him more and more with every three he hits, every hustle play he makes, and hate him more and more every time he pump fakes an open three and tries that stupid floating layup thing that has a 4% chance of going in. He's starting to get it though.

Hawes: D+. It is mind-boggling how little he hustles. The only things he has going for him are the three and his passing. Otherwise, he's absolutely atrocious. Yet those two qualities alone make him "better" than

Al: D. Surely he's hit rock bottom? I really don't think Al is capable of going much lower. I really want to like Al, but his play and fit on the court have given me jack diddly to be happy about.

PJ: D-. The only reason he doesn't get an F is because he put up 14 points last night. At least now we know he's a better basketball player than the angry fat guy at the YMCA.