Charlotte Hornets: Pre 2019 NBA Draft Round-Table Discussion

If you aren’t aware, Hassan Whiteside has named Charlotte as a preferred destination if traded, what’re your thoughts on his presence as a Hornet?

Vincent: I think he would be a great defensive anchor for the team, and I would welcome the North Carolina native. He has amazing shot-blocking abilities, and I think a change of scenery would help his offensive woes. I recently saw that someone commented on Whiteside’s picture on Instagram telling him to come to Charlotte; Whiteside ended up liking that comment, so who knows?

Caleb: Whiteside displays a wide variety of talent in the post offensively as well as defensively. He could fill the whole of the 5 like the Hornets need, and he is also a good piece for pick and roll which can benefit Kemba. All of that is fine and dandy except that he fouls and he fouls a lot. His trouble has cost him minutes on the floor and if he can’t stay on the floor it would be a bad trade. You can almost foresee a Dwight Howard situation where there is conflict in the locker room or even drama that gets exposed to the media. If they can get a good deal for him then sure.

Filippo: No one shows interest in Charlotte as a destination so it is a pleasure. Whiteside
is a good player, I would not like to judge his last year in Miami because he
was not motivated and his coach played him just because of his contract. He may
have a huge impact on a team like ours, especially if he plays side to side
with a PG like Kemba Walker, their combination could be a real threat.

Elijah: His rebounding would be a boon as would his size and strength in the interior, but I wonder if he would fit in a faster-paced offense. Miami ranked just 22nd in team pace last year and if coach Borrego wants to run a quicker offense, we may have another Dwight Howard situation in terms of how quickly the Hornets can run. Then again, maybe they can find a way to utilize his skills to better integrate into the offense.

Zack: I’ve never been big on Whiteside, but he would be able to help in multiple areas for the Hornets. Despite that, I don’t think he is someone that I personally would go after. He’ll block shots, but his defense overall isn’t great and he has shown some maturity issues during his time in the NBA. I would look at multiple other centers before him, but Whiteside may be a fallback option.

De: Bring him in if he wants to be here. It would probably mean trading Cody Zeller and someone else away, but I’m ok with it considering Zeller’s injury history. Not every day a former All Star wants to play for Charlotte *cough, cough Kemba*, but when they do, try to grab them and see if they coexist with OUR All Star. I think the ceiling with them would be as high as fifth or sixth seed, but it’s better than where we’re at now. And who knows, we may even be able to get him to sign for a little longer on a more team friendly deal.