The Charlotte Hornets’ makeover seems to be nearing completion, while the Portland Trail Blazers’ could just be starting.
Hornets general manager Rich Choo understood he couldn’t go into next season with a lack of spacing and has made legitimate headway in righting the issue. First, he dealt off Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes. On Wednesday, he made an even more significant move, acquiring Nicolas Batum and sending Gerald Henderson plus Noah Vonleh to Portland.
This leaves Charlotte with a hypothetical startling lineup of Al Jefferson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Batum, Jeremy Lamb (reportedly acquired in a deal for Barnes contract from the Oklahoma City Thunder, but full details aren’t out) and Kemba Walker. The bench will feature Hawes, Cody Zeller, Brian Roberts, P.J. Hairston, Troy Daniels along with the ninth pick.
Batum was miserable last year due to injuries or just a down season, but as he turns 27, it’s pretty realistic to expect a bounce-back season. He’s a career 36% three-point shooter, who shot 32% behind the arc in 2014-2015. He brings secondary shot creation, posting an assist rate of just over 20% for three seasons in a row. He scored in double digits per game for five consecutive campaigns until ’14-15.
On the other end he and Kidd-Gilchrist, while not supplying rim protection, should form a devastating defensive duo. Each have seven-plus-foot wingspans. While Lamb isn’t known for his defensive chops, he also has a 6’11 wingspan, giving head coach Steve Clifford all sorts of length to use at the two, three and four positions around Walker and Jefferson.
Lamb has also shot 35% from three on 388 attempts during his three-year career, Hawes comes in at 35%, Marvin Williams 34% (just under 36% in 13-14 and 14-15), Daniels 38% and it’s safe to say the Hornets won’t rank 30th in three-point percentage next season.
These complementary players can provide the necessary room you need for Big Al to work out of the post, driving lanes for Walker and cutting lanes for MKG as teams dare him to beat them off the ball. There’s no excuse for Charlotte to rank in the bottom five of offensive rating this season, and its defense should also be improved.
From the Portland perspective this deal brings on more unknowns. Was it made to start the rebuilding process or do the Blazers think it helps them win this season?
LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez, three-fifths of the Blazers’ devastating starting lineup, are all unrestricted free agents. Vonleh, a power forward out of Indiana, was a lottery pick that didn’t get a real chance to do anything last season. Henderson makes way more sense paired with Damian Lillard versus Walker, because Lillard is an excellent long-range sniper. Henderson is an attacking two-guard who lives off mid-range jumpers and has hovered between 33% and 34% from three the past three seasons.
If I were to guess, I think the Blazers are prepared to head down a different path as their core from the past two seasons gets spread throughout the league.
Even though the Hornets aren’t anywhere near being championship contenders, you can see the vision of what they’re trying to build. On the other hand, Portland is back to the point of stockpiling assets and trying to figure out what it wants to be.
