Nathan Mensah
Nathan Mensah is another player who was somewhat absurdly thrust into an NBA rotation this season. He’s a nice story, as a 25-year-old undrafted rookie out of San Diego State by way of Ghana.
The fact that he played in 25 games this year for the Hornets is pretty amazing, but more than anything it’s a reflection of how ugly this season has been. The team has just been that desperate for minutes, especially at the center position.
But Mensah is a 6’8” center with zero floor spacing ability. His three-point shot is nonexistent and he can’t guard out on the perimeter. There’s just no place for that type of player in the modern NBA.
While it’s impressive that Mensah was able to earn minutes in the NBA this season, it’s very unlikely to continue, as Mensah will almost certainly only be seeing minutes in the G-League going forward this season. It’s a feel-good story, but the Hornets have much more depth after the trade deadline and a much higher talent floor across the board. That likely means it’s the end of the road for a number of players who were meaningful contributors at different points this season.