Charlotte Hornets All-Time Team, Starting Five and Bench

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Apr 25, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade (3) shoots the ball against Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson (25) in the first quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

As fun as it is picking starters, the reserves pose a more interesting premise due to long forgotten names or lesser known players.

Here’s where things get kind of fun because I get to go deeper into the vault for some of these. Let’s start with the more obvious ones, though.

Backup Point Guard: Muggsy Bogues

There are a couple of choices here, but I’m gonna go with the little guy, Muggsy Bogues. The all-time team leader in assists was always a fan favorite back in the day, but he is also sixth all-time in points per game and shockingly 10th all-time on the team in rebounds. Yes, a 5’3″ point guard is 10th in team history in rebounds. That just goes to show you young the franchise is… or how few players have actually stuck around in Charlotte. Still, despite his height, Muggsy was a dependable point guard.

Backup Shooting Guard: Kendall Gill

Older Hornets fans may remember a guy named Kendall Gill. He averaged 16 points a game in his first three years in Charlotte, scoring over 20 points per game in his second season. Gill actually did come back briefly in the ’95-’96 season for 36 games. He averaged just under 13 points per game during that tenure. The Hornets selected him fifth overall in the 1990 NBA draft and he was voted First-Team All-Rookie.

Backup Small Forward: Glen Rice

Glen Rice is the obvious choice here. Though he didn’t stay in Charlotte that long, he certainly made an impact, averaging 23.5 points per contest during his time in Charlotte. Rice really went off in the ’96-’97 season, scoring nearly 27 points per game and snagging the NBA All-Star MVP.

Backup Power Forward: Anthony Mason

Anthony Mason takes the spot here. He played just three seasons for the Hornets, but he put some fairly impressive numbers. He ranks 19th in points, 11th in assists, and 4th all-time in rebounds for the Hornets.

Backup Center: Emeka Okafor

Another Bobcat shows up. For five seasons, Emeka Okafor was a very solid big man for Charlotte. He ranks first all-time in rebounds and 10th in points for Charlotte. He was also a very impressive defensive player, ranking second all-time in team history in blocks. Okafor was voted Rookie of the Year for the ’04-’05 season and was the Bobcats’ first ever draft pick.

Role Players: Raymond Felton and Al Jefferson

Raymond Felton. The guard out of UNC is second all-time in assists and 7th in points. He played five seasons in Charlotte and was a focal point of their offense.

Al Jefferson is the final piece. Big Al played three seasons in Charlotte and was the heart and soul of the team in the 2013-2014 campaign, averaging nearly 22 points and 11 rebounds a game. While he put up solid numbers throughout his short tenure in Charlotte, injuries, age, and the emergence of Kemba Walker, affected him near the end. Had he been healthier, he and Kemba could have been the duo we all imagined.

Next: Making a Trade for Porzingis

Well, there you have it. I know some may disagree with some of the choices, but that’s part of the fun of this, isn’t it? Charlotte certainly has had some talented players throughout its relatively short history and given things like time with the team, different eras, and injuries, it can be hard to come up with a unanimous list. I tried going for overall contributions weighed against their time in Charlotte, fan perception, and what they did for the team overall. Hope you enjoyed it and yes, this team would beat the Warriors.