Michael Carter-Williams will not only the Charlotte Hornets’ backup point guard next season but it looks like he will also play alongside Kemba.
When Jeremy Lin left the Charlotte Hornets two years ago, he left a hole in the team’s bench unit. His versatility allowed him to not only give meaningful minutes off the bench but also close games next to Kemba Walker in a two point guard lineup. Michael Carter-Williams will now attempt to fill that role for the 2017-18 season.
In a recent interview with WFNZ-AM, MCW was asked about being “A Jeremy Lin” type for Charlotte and he said that “I think that’s going to happen. Cliff and I definitely spoke about filling that role.” The Hornets’ newest acquisition also added that “Cliff liked how I played defense. He thinks I’ll be great on the second unit, and even playing with Kemba.”
By the sound of that, he will play almost the exact same role that Lin did while he was with the team. They will attempt to use Carter-Williams as Kemba’s backup and play him alongside Walker in some situations as well.
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While Jeremy and Michael are two very different players, they are both versatile enough to play both guard positions. At 6’6, MCW actually has the better size to pair with Walker than that of Lin who only stands at 6’3. Still, the former Rookie of the Year doesn’t offer as much of an ability to spread the floor as the now-Brooklyn Nets’ point guard does.
Carter-Williams signed with Charlotte on a one-year, $2.7 million deal. He joins the Hornets attempting to revitalize his career after a down season with the Chicago Bulls. It sounds like he will all but a lock to be the team’s backup point guard entering next year.
The Lin-type role won’t be an easy one for Michael slide into as it will be tough to match the production that Jeremy had while wearing purple and teal. While Jeremy Lin was the Sixth Man for Charlotte, I see MCW as more of a defender/distributor for the team. The main scoring option off the bench will probably be left to Malik Monk, Jeremy Lamb or Frank Kaminsky.
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It will be interesting to see how Michael Carter-Williams fits with his new team and how Steve Clifford utilizes his strengths next year. We will have to wait and find out if MCW does, in fact, play a Jeremy Lin-type role for the team. It’s clear that the Charlotte Hornets have found their backup point guard for the 2017-18 season.