Charlotte Hornets Player Preview: Mason Plumlee

Is Mason Plumlee better at playing basketball than he raps? That is the question Charlotte Hornets fans are asking themselves as the regular season nears. Coming off the best season of his career Plumlee was traded to Charlotte along with the 32nd pick for the 57th pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

Plumlee joins the Hornets after averaging 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in Detroit last season. Plumlee also recorded two triple-doubles for the Pistons.

Entering this season Plumlee still has 2 years left on his team-friendly contract. He will take the majority of the starting center minutes for Charlotte this season and possibly next.

Plumlee will provide playmaking Charlotte Hornets fans have never seen at the center position.

Last season Plumlee ranked seventh among centers in assists, trailing only Nikola Jokić, Domantas Sabonis, Julius Randle, Bam Adebayo, Karl-Anthony Towns and Nikola Vučević, all of whom are all-star caliber players.

Plumlee is also a very efficient inside scorer. He made 77% of his shots in the restricted area for the Pistons. The Hornets made 60%, the third-lowest in the league.

Head coach James Borrego believes Plumlee’s skill set will allow him to flourish in his role for Charlotte.

"“I’ve been a big fan of [Mason’s] for a while,” said Hornets Head Coach James Borrego. “His skill set fits what we’re trying to do here. He’s a willing passer, a smart player, can rebound at a high level. His playmaking ability – he can handle at the top of the floor, at the elbow. The more playmakers we have on the floor, the better. Adding that out of the five position with Mason is going to be tremendous for our group.”"

Plumlee is also optimistic about his fit in Charlotte. He is excited to run the floor and play up-tempo with the rest of the team.

"“To me, just that pace is something where it fits me as a player. I’d like to be a big in that up-tempo game, so it’s something that I look forward to. I was really excited about the trade. I think my skill set will fit in well. It’s a really well-coached team. It seems like there’s a lot of smart players and that always makes the game easier.”"

The addition of Plumlee adds another source of veteran leadership for a Charlotte team full of young, talented players. Having appeared in 60 playoff games throughout his career Plumlee knows what it takes to make the postseason, a goal the Hornets set before the pre-season.

Plumlee is not the center of the future for the Hornets, but he will be a useful tool when he is on and off the court. As long as he is playing the Hornets center issue looks a little bit better than it did last year.