Charlotte Hornets: Bismack Biyombo playing well as a starter helps team
After returning to the Charlotte Hornets’ starting unit, Bismack Biyombo continues to play well as a starter.
Throughout the season, the Charlotte Hornets have made many rotational changes. One of those changes has been the constant switching of Bismack Biyombo to the starting lineup.
Since being drafted in the lottery and then traded to the Hornets on the same night in 2011, fans have become familiar with Biyombo. With this familiarity, fans have been accustomed to the lack of offense that comes from him.
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However, in his 9th professional season, Biyombo is having the best offensive year of his career. After starting the season with inconsistent minutes, Biyombo has pulled his average up to 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Bismack Biyombo has spent time switching from the bench and starting lineup this season. As a starter in 28 games, Biyombo has averaged 8.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Biyombo had a stretch this season where he started in 24 consecutive games before being moved back to the bench. However, Biyombo has come back to start in two consecutive games after Cody Zeller was sent back to the bench.
In Biyombo’s last two games, he’s averaged 12.5 points and eight rebounds per game. His recent performance was an impressive double-double that he picked up in the Hornets’ win against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
As a starter, Biyombo’s offense has been a necessity. Everyone knows he’s a verticle shot-blocker, but the Hornets play a lot better when Biyombo has a good offensive game as a starter.
So far this season as a starter, Biyombo has finished with 12+ points nine times. In those nine games, when he started and scored that amount, the Hornets went 8-1.
The best offensive game that Biyombo has had this season came in the win over the Detroit Pistons in November, when he started and scored 19 points.
However, the best offensive game of his career came when he was with the Orlando Magic in 2018, when he finished with a career-high of 21 points as a starter. Even though the Magic lost that game by a slim margin, Biyombo still was one of the reasons why that game was close.
I’ve always had my questions about Biyombo because of his lack of offense, but I can tell he has made strides this season. In his last three games a starter, the Hornets are 3-0, and the team may continue to start him.
dark. Next. Is there a chance that the Hornets let Dwayne Bacon walk?
The Hornets are set to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday at 1 pm, and Biyombo will likely start. The team is riding a two-game winning streak, and Biyombo could be poised for his third straight productive offensive game.