Charlotte Hornets: Former Players Contributing to Playoff Teams

Even though the Charlotte Hornets missed out on the postseason this year, there are a number of former players excelling in the playoffs.

The Charlotte Hornets might not be in the playoffs this year but plenty of their ex-players are making an impact on the postseason with multiple different teams. There are eight notable players that used to be on various Hornets’ rosters in past seasons. They now represent seven different teams in this year’s playoffs.

Letting most of these players go was a good decision at the time but some of them could’ve still been quality players for the Hornets. Most of them were traded away from Charlotte but some left in free agency after not being re-signed. Looking at all of the names on the list, Buzz City had plenty of talent on their roster in the past.

Even though none of these players are stars for their current teams, they are solid role players. A few might even help their side enjoy some postseason success and possibly an NBA Championship. If you put all of these players together, you might be able to get a decent team out of all of them

Shaun Livingston

Livingston only spent one lone season (2010-11) in Charlotte where he played in 73 games and averaged 6.6 points per game. Now he is one of the Golden State Warriors‘ key bench contributors. He has become a much better and more efficient player in the later stages of his career. After winning an NBA title two years ago, the 6’7 point guard is hoping to do so once again this year. Backing up Stephen Curry isn’t such a bad job.

Noah Vonleh

The 21-year old was originally drafted by the Hornets back in 2014 with the ninth overall pick. During his rookie season, he only averaged 3.3 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game. After that year, Charlotte traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Nicolas Batum. Although he hasn’t quite reached his full potential just yet, Noah is proving to be a somewhat valuable backup for his new team.

Raymond Felton

The veteran point guard was drafted by Charlotte in 2005 and he was with the team until 2010. During his five years with the team, he averaged 13.3 points per game and 6.4 assists per game. He appeared in 399 games for the then-Bobcats and was a solid starter for them. Since his time with them, he’s been on five different teams and is now Chris Paul‘s backup as he attempts to help the Los Angeles Clippers get to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Boris Diaw

The 35-year old big man played for Charlotte from 2008-2012 where he averaged 11.6 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 4.3 assists per game. His time with the Bobcats ended when they waived him after agreeing to a contract buyout. Diaw’s won an NBA Championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and he is now trying to help the Utah Jazz as a backup big man playing more than 20 minutes a game.

Troy Daniels

The Hornets originally traded for Daniels in 2014 in a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves involving Gary Neal and Mo Williams. He averaged 5.9 points per game in 59 appearances with the team. The swingman was then sent to the Memphis Grizzlies in a sign and trade this past summer. Now a year after playing in the postseason with Charlotte, Troy is averaging just over 10 minutes per game for Memphis during these playoffs.

Spencer Hawes

Charlotte acquired Hawes in 2015 in the Lance Stephenson deal. The 28-year old big man averaged 6.5 points per game during his two years with the Hornets. Spencer was traded in a package deal with Roy Hibbert to the Milwaukee Bucks near the trade deadline this season in exchange for Miles Plumlee. That move hasn’t quite worked out for Charlotte but as for Hawes, he is playing valuable playoff minutes during their first round matchup.

Al Jefferson

Big Al was arguably Charlotte’s biggest free agent signing in franchise history when he joined the team in 2013. He helped lead the Hornets to two playoff appearances during his time there as he averaged 17.5 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game in 185 outing with the team. After not being re-signed this past offseason, Jefferson joined the Indiana Pacers where he has primarily been a backup playing just over 14 minutes per game. He isn’t a star for his new team but he is a solid contributor.

Lance Stephenson

Stephenson had an infamous time while in Buzz City. Lance was a marquee free agent signing but he never panned out as he only averaged 8.2 points per game during his lone season with the Hornets after signing a three-year, $27 million deal. They finally rid themselves of Stephenson by trading him to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2015. He bounced around the league playing for four different teams before ending back up in Indiana. After all of those rough patches, the 26-year old is now an integral part of this Pacers’ team averaging the third-most points on the team. If only he could’ve been this good while with the Hornets…

Next: Four Biggest Concerns Entering Offseason

Alan Anderson spent his first two seasons in the league with Charlotte but he hasn’t yet appeared in a playoff game this year and he is unlikely to be a key figure for the Clippers in their postseason run. Also, Matt Barnes never played a game for the Hornets but he was on the team for about a day before being traded. As you can see though, there are a number of former players excelling with their new teams in the playoffs while the current players are forced to sit at home this year.

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Former Charlotte Hornets Contributing to Playoff Teams

By Jerry Stephens | Apr 20, 2017