Heading into the 2019-20 season, how can Marvin Williams effectively help the Charlotte Hornets?
As Marvin Williams heads into his 15th season in the league, many are wondering what his role will be with the Charlotte Hornets. The veteran forward has spent the majority of his time in Charlotte as a starter, and that could change next season.
Williams joined the Charlotte Hornets before the 2014-15 season, where he would only start in 37 of the 78 games that he played in that year. Since that season, Williams has not come off the bench.
Williams has started in a total of 347 games for the Hornets, and he’s coming off a season where he averaged 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. What he averaged last season was better than the numbers that he racked up during the 2017-18 season.
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The veteran’s chances at starting this season are being threatened by Miles Bridges, a young player who has a lot of energy. After free agency, head coach James Borrego hinted toward starting Bridges at one of the forward positions heading into next season.
With Kemba Walker no longer on the roster, Marvin Willians is the current active scoring leader on the Hornets with 3,874 points scored. Williams is also the Hornets’ current active leader in career threes made with 637.
If Williams loses his starting role, how will it affect his player production? Coming off the bench is not natural for Williams, as he has started in 827 career games.
During the 2014-15 season, the last time Williams came off the bench, he averaged 6.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in 41 games for Charlotte. Out of the 187 career games where he came off the bench, he was only able to average 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
If Williams ends up coming off the bench for Charlotte next season, his numbers may fall just a little. As a veteran, it could still be beneficial for him, as the game is typically slowed down some for those who come off the bench.
Sometimes, veterans do well when coming off the bench, as many teams find ways to utilize them. Veterans like Lou Williams have still been able to find some success while coming off the bench. I would be surprised if Williams does not find a way to have a good season this year.
Hornets fans should be expecting news on the team’s starting lineup in the coming weeks. The Hornets are set to take on the Boston Celtics in their first preseason game of the season on Sunday, Oct. 6, starting at 6 PM EST.