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Charlotte Hornets: Because of His Contract, Miles Plumlee is the Team’s X-Factor

By Jerry Stephens

Mar 31, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward center Miles Plumlee (18) looks to pass the ball to guard Briante Weber (0) during the first half of the game against the Denver Nuggets at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward center Miles Plumlee (18) looks to pass the ball to guard Briante Weber (0) during the first half of the game against the Denver Nuggets at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the cap space that Miles Plumlee is taking up for the Charlotte Hornets, the team needs him to be a quality backup next season.

According to front office expert, Bobby Marks of The Vertical, Miles Plumlee will be the x-factor for the Charlotte Hornets next season. He recently spoke with Chris Kroeger on Primetime about a number of topics regarding the team. Marks thinks that because of Plumlee’s contract, he will play an important role.

Bobby said that “the x-factor is going to be Plumlee. Just because you’re kinda locked in based on his contract.” He also added that “You’re going to need to reestablish the Miles Plumlee that you saw in his first couple years in phoenix.” According to Marks, Miles needs “to be a serviceable center not a just a journeyman. He’s going to have to play a role here. It’s big reason Cho made the trade. You can’t have dead cap space with that role.” (WFNZ.com)

The most important takeaway is the final part regarding the dead cap space. Plumlee is scheduled to make $12.5 million through the 2019-20 season. Rich Cho and Charlotte made a big investment when trading for him. The 6’11 big man will be the third highest paid player on the team next season. That is a big commitment considering that he is only a backup center.

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With all of that money/ cap space tied up with Miles, the Hornets need to get the most out of him. That could be a problem though because he’s coming off of a season where he only averaged 2.4 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game in only 13 appearances with Charlotte. Even when he averaged a career-high 8.1 PPG and 7.8 RPG in the 2013-14 season, he was a starter so it is unlikely that he could equal that total as a backup to Cody Zeller.

Although, not all is lost just yet. Plumlee still might have something to offer the team looking ahead. Even though he is 28-years old, Miles’ athleticism makes him a threat in the pick and roll for Charlotte. He has never been a dominating player but the Duke product can still make an impact by playing hard and rebounding at a high level with the second unit.

Charlotte needs him to be, like Marks said, serviceable. The team needs to get the most out of him in order for that trade to not look like a panic move. With the amount of money the Hornets are still on the hook for with Miles, he can’t simply be a bench warmer that gets outplayed by other backups.

This was literally the only highlight on YouTube of Plumlee is a Hornets’ jersey:

There is almost no evidence to support the Plumlee trade. Charlotte abandoned the cap space they would’ve had when they acquired him and his play on the court hasn’t helped his case. With a full offseason under his belt with the team, maybe Miles can come back next year in shape and be, at the ver least, a serviceable player.

Next: Four Biggest Concerns Entering Offseason

Only time will tell if Plumlee lives up to his contract and if he can truly be an x-factor for them. One way or another, he will play a big role for the Charlotte Hornets. Either as a bench warmer taking up A LOT of cap space or as a serviceable backup who provides quality minutes for Steve Clifford.

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