After the Charlotte Hornets’ chaotic loss on Monday against the Detroit Pistons, the team is waiting to see how long its frontcourt will be shorthanded. It’s painfully obvious, then, that the Hornets should call up PJ Hall from the G League, and he should make the most of his opportunity to prove deserving of a promotion to a standard contract.
It’s still unclear what penalties will be handed out to Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges for being the central figures of the brawl.
Some fans believe that a one-game suspension should be enough, given that it was Jalen Duren who initiated the fracas by shoving Diabate’s face. Unfortunately, the Hornets center couldn’t control his emotions and kept trying to charge at his newfound rival despite being restrained by his coaches. Then, Bridges didn’t even try to defuse the situation, and his dogged pursuit of Duren led to Isaiah Stewart leaving the bench area and running after him.
PJ Hall’s brief time in the spotlight
The challenge with the Hornets’ roster right now is that it lacks a true center beyond Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Mason Plumlee is gone. Grant Williams and Tidjane Salaun, who is coming off an illness, can play as a small-ball center, but without Bridges, they are likely going to soak up plenty of minutes at power forward. There’s no more roster spot, as the organization has waived Malaki Branham and brought back a beloved veteran, Pat Connaughton.
So, Hall will be Charlotte’s best bet at maintaining respectable big-man depth during the time Diabate has to sit out.
Based on what we’ve seen from him so far, Hall certainly has the potential to impress the franchise and its fans even more. In eight appearances in a Hornets uniform, he has averaged 7.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 15.9 minutes per game. He also sank both of his attempts from three. Equally impressive, aside from his production in limited minutes, has been his motor and no-nonsense attitude.
Those who wish to see more of the South Carolina native should tune into Greensboro Swarm games, where he has showcased more of his capacity to become more than just a two-way player for Charlotte. Through 17 contests with the Swarm across the G League tip-off tournament and the regular season, he has recorded 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per match.
If the Hornets do call him up in the coming days to make up for the possible absence of two of their starters, Hall should capitalize on it and give the organization a compelling reason to keep him in the fold beyond this summer.