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Swarm and Sting Round Table Discussion: Charlotte Hornets’ Season Preview

By Jerry Stephens

Jan 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; A ball lays on the court during a timeout in the game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Utah Jazz at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Hornets defeated the Jazz in two overtimes 124-119. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; A ball lays on the court during a timeout in the game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Utah Jazz at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Hornets defeated the Jazz in two overtimes 124-119. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 20, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Roy Hibbert (55) tries to shoot as he is defended by Miami Heat center Willie Reed (35) during the second half of the game at the Spectrum Center. Hornets win 96-88. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Roy Hibbert (55) tries to shoot as he is defended by Miami Heat center Willie Reed (35) during the second half of the game at the Spectrum Center. Hornets win 96-88. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Which player will have a breakout season and who will regress/have the most disappointing year?

Jerry Stephens:

I think that Roy Hibbert is the best candidate to have a breakout season. After a career-worst year with the Lakers, the former all-star has the ability and now the team around him to succeed. He looks like the starting center for Steve Clifford this season and the opportunity will be there for him to average 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. I think that Marvin Williams is the most likely to regress. Not a lot but just to some degree his game will drop. He is getting older and after a career best season, a small drop off is expected. Plus with Frank coming into his own, he can replace some of the lost production. Hopefully, Marvin proves me wrong.

Gabriel Davis:

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, should his body allow him to play 70+ games, should receive votes as both the Defensive Player of the Year and as the Most Improved Player. He gives the Hornets a physical wing presence that they need so badly. I hate talking about regression, but I am afraid that either Marvin or Kemba will have to fall back to earth from a shooting percentage perspective. However, I hope not.

Daniel Purcell:

In my opinion the obvious break out player is Kemba. I am not afraid of his shooting percentages. I think with another year of Nic helping him facilitate he will score his way into the all-star game. With the continued development of Frank and Cody, and the very nature of his game I expect MKG to be the odd man out statistically. I think he will be a great teammate, and help anchor the defense, but his numbers will continue to underwhelm.

Rhett Koonce:

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has my vote for breakout season. He seemed to gel well with the starters in the seven games he played in last year. He even posted a plus/minus of +13.5 while on the court. The rest of the league will finally take notice of him as long as he stays healthy. I am afraid that Marvin will regress. Last year was the best season that he has ever played. Marvin finally added a reliable three-point stroke and kept his body in game shape over the offseason. This led to a magical season and we all got to experience the results last year. I don’t know if he will be able to put on a performance like that again.

Russ Heltman:

My breakout candidate is MKG, the man is my comeback player of the year dark horse, he’s an elite defender who the hornets greatly missed when playing some of the premiere forwards in the game last year. He has been maligned for his poor shooting and inability to stay on the floor but he will stay relatively healthy this year and be a key part of the starting core. I envision some regression from Marvin Williams simply because of how big his numbers were last year, he hasn’t typically carried over big performances from year to year so a minor regression is very possible.

Laieke Abebe:

Let’s all hope there isn’t regression to the mean by anyone this season. That being said, Roy Hibbert has a big chance to revitalize his career which got lost in Los Angeles. He’s a good big man who can stretch his game to mid-range. He’ll certainly be splitting time with Cody Zeller at the 5.

Young Kim:

The popular choice is MKG, and for good reason. Coming off a 6 game season where his numbers were better across the board, MKG has definitely been putting in work. Although his shooting form is as unorthodox as ever, he has shown the ability to consistently hit long-range shots in practice. Now whether that will translate to in game success has yet to be seen but I have high hopes. He is quite possibly the most underrated defender in the league, and I wouldn’t have a problem comparing him to pre 2014 Jimmy Butler. Butler wasn’t much of a scorer before his MIP season, and I think Kidd-Gilchrist can become a reasonable facsimile of the Bulls’ star. Will he be as effective of a scorer? Unlikely. But if his offense has improved, the combination of that and his defense keep me optimistic.

Deshawn White:

My vote for the most improved/breakout player definitely goes to Roy Hibbert. He’s been looking pretty good during the preseason and seemed to get more and more comfortable with the rest of the guys. I was a big fan of the team signing him and to see him getting better was a great feeling. My vote for most disappointing is going to be a little different. I’d give Rich Cho the vote if he fails to find a suitor for Spencer Hawes. Honestly, it’ll be really disappointing to see him sit on the bench all year and not contribute. Hawes is a good player, but with the talent that we already have, paying around seven million for a third string center isn’t going to help the team in the long run. We could easily use that money to resign a key player or sign a interesting free agent whether during the season or more than likely during offseason of next year. It’ll be interesting to see what teams will inquire about the big man, but I’m a firm believer that Hawes’ days are numbered in Charlotte.

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