Charlotte Hornets: How much playing time will Vernon Carey Jr. get?

With the regular season getting ready to start, how much playing time will Vernon Carey Jr. of the Charlotte Hornets get?

The offseason was kind to the Charlotte Hornets, as the team was allowed to reload and gain extra firepower. The Hornets were even able to end the NBA Draft with extra depth in the frontcourt.

One interesting selection that the Hornets made was Vernon Carey Jr. early in the second round. Carey was sought out to be a late-round pick in the first round, but his draft stocks fell following the cancellation of march madness.

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On November 30th, Carey signed a four year deal with the Hornets, which also gives him the most guaranteed money out of every second-round pick. His contract adds up to be $6,129,593.

Based on Coach James Borrego’s comments on Monday, the Hornets can likely expect to have Cody Zeller starting for the team at center. With this choice, the Hornets will be looking to work in minutes for Carey on the bench.

Since Carey will be expected to start the season off the bench, he will be competing for minutes against the veteran Bismack Biyombo. However, since Carey is very versatile, he could see a lot of minutes at the backup power forward spot behind PJ Washington.

Nevertheless, Carey’s primary position is center, and he will still need to work his way into playing this spot for Charlotte. While at Duke, Carey averaged 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game at center.

General Manager Mitch Kupchak has been on fire as of late with his second-round picks, and he will be hoping that Carey can be a part of his success. With Carey’s dynamic abilities, he should easily find time in Coach Borrego’s rotation.

The Charlotte Hornets do not have long to get ready, and the team will also be facing the Toronto Raptors in their first preseason game of the year on December 12th. Fans should expect Vernon Carey to see significant minutes in this game.