Charlotte Hornets may have found something special in Briante Weber

Briante Weber‘s upside and production in the D-League makes him one of the most intriguing prospects on the Charlotte Hornets’ roster.

The Charlotte Hornets may have found a diamond in the rough when they signed Briante Weber. Heading into the offseason, the young point guard is one of only seven players on the team’s roster under 25-years old. He arguably has the most potential and intrigue because of the unknown surrounding his game.

Even though the Queen City team wasn’t his first choice, Weber’s best opportunity to stick with an NBA team will come with the Hornets. He essentially fell into Charlotte’s lap after what happened with the Golden State Warriors. The reigning Western Conference champions were prepared to sign Briante for the remainder of the season after his second 10-day contract ran out but Jose Calderon became available at the exact same time so the team decided to go with the veteran.

That whole scenario worked out in the Hornets’ favor. They originally tried to sign Weber to a 10-day deal earlier in the year but instead were forced to bring in Ray McCallum because Briante chose Golden State at the time. He eventually joined with Charlotte and played well enough to earn a partially guaranteed two-year deal.

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In 13 outing with the Hornets this past season, the 24-year old averaged 3.8 points per game, 1.7 rebounds per game and 1.2 assists per game. Considering he only averaged 12.2 minutes per game, it’s safe to say that Weber made the most of his brief appearances. With Charlotte, he managed to shoot 43.5% from the field, 14.3% from three and 69.2% from the free throw line.

So why is Briante Weber so special?

It’s because of his time in the D-League. Not only did he average 16.5 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 7.4 rebounds per game but Briante was also the highest rated prospect in the D-League for a large part of the season. Despite only playing in 31 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, he was named to the All-NBA D-League Second Team and the All-Defensive Team.

Not to mention that he also recorded a D-League high five triple-doubles to go along with his 11 double-double performances. After the stellar numbers that he put up in the Developmental League, it is clear that Weber belongs at the next level. There is no doubting his skill. I would even go as far as to call him the Russell Westbrook of the D-League last season.

The only question is if Briante can translate his incredible play to the NBA?

That still remains to be seen even though he’s played in a combined 27 games for the Memphis Grizzlies, the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors and the Hornets. Weber’s hustle, intensity and defense were on full display during his time with Charlotte but his offensive game and shooting just weren’t there.

Largely playing off the ball affected his impact offensively but he still managed to create scoring opportunities with his cuts to the basket away from the ball. Despite his downfalls shooting the ball from deep, Briante can still have an impact on games with his defense and playmaking.

It is absurd to think that Weber could replicate his production from the D-League in the NBA. If he could simply have the same impact off the bench for the Charlotte Hornets, he could be a quality backup. With more experience and play time, Briante could become a top sixth man. Only time will tell.

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If he could become a serviceable backup after spending so much time under the radar, that would be a win for Charlotte. They would get a productive player who would be on a team-friendly salary. After being overlooked by every other franchise, Weber is out to prove himself and nothing is more dangerous than a player looking to work hard and realize his potential. There aren’t many players like Briante and that is a compliment to his work ethic and skill.

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