Charlotte Hornets: Dwayne Bacon is too good for Summer League

After dropping 25 points in the Charlotte Hornets’ Summer League opener, Dwayne Bacon doesn’t have much left to prove regarding his NBA talent.

With the Charlotte Hornets entering a rebuilding year, this Summer League could be more important compared to previous years. Charlotte is going to need to rely on most of the young players in Summer League to make big contributions during the 2019-20 season.

One of those young players is Dwayne Bacon, who made a statement on Friday night. Being a third year player, who had momentum closing the 2018-19 season, Bacon should dominate in Summer League, and he did just that.

Bacon finished the game with 25 points, three rebounds and two assists, and the Hornets came away with a 93-85 win over the Warriors. From the opening tip-off, Bacon had his fingertips all over the game. He didn’t have to play in Summer League, which says a lot to his commitment to getting better.

While serving as the go-to scoring option, Bacon looked really comfortable out on the court. Obviously, the NBA is a whole different game compared to Summer League, but I expect the Hornets to put the ball in his hands more often during the regular season, and I think that he’s more than ready for that expanded role and responsibility.

He was dominating the game throughout; hitting from the perimeter, getting to the basket and playing good defense. The only real negative from his performance was his lack of playmaking. That’s an area where he will need to improve, but I’ll give him a pass after this performance.

Last season as a sophomore, Bacon averaged 7.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in just 17.7 minutes. After the All-Star break, he saw an increased role and ran away with it, averaging 11.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 27.4 minutes.

I strongly believe that Bacon is a crucial piece to the Charlotte Hornets future. I also believe that he is going to be a starter next season, and increase his numbers across the board. The opportunity will certainly be available for the former Florida State wing.

Who knows, maybe he could even be an early candidate for the Most Improved Player of the Year Award for the 2019-20 season. Yes, I know it’s early to make a statement like that, but the Hornets did lose their two top scorers, and Bacon looks extremely good this summer.

It’s pretty clear that Bacon doesn’t need to be playing in Summer League. Obviously, Summer League can help you grow and improve as a player, but Bacon has hit another level, and there’s no need to play him and risk any sort of injury.

With that being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays another game or two, and then rests for the remainder of Summer League. He’s already proven enough. Dwayne Bacon is too good for Summer League.