Two Improvements The Hornets Need to Make Offensively
The Charlotte Hornets have entered their 2021-22 campaign amidst considerable optimism for their future. Yes, the most recent memories you may have of the team are their 144-117 disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference’s 9-10 play-in game or their 59-point preseason finale loss to the Dallas Mavericks just last week. Fortunately, as the saying goes, you have to have short-term memory, move on, and focus on what’s at hand.
As Terry Rozier said at Hornets media day a few weeks back, there’s “no more being one foot in the door,” and added that anything short of the playoffs would be an “absolute failure,” for the team this season.
That’s the new gold standard for the Hornets now. No more talks of player development or rebuilding. It’s about winning and it has to happen now - even in a loaded Eastern Conference. Spending $120 million on Gordon Hayward or extending Terry Rozier to a four-year/$97 million contract does not reflect a franchise that’s looking to be comfortable sitting at the no.11 spot in the lottery - like the Hornets have so often been slotted into in the past.
Despite the ugly ending to their 2020-21 season, the Hornets have much to look forward to heading into Wednesday night’s season opener against the Indiana Pacers. LaMelo Ball will see a significant bump in responsibility and usage, being the quarterback of the team's offense. Additionally, Gordon Hayward entered training camp with an injury-free offseason for the first time since 2016 - not including his recent bout with COVID-19. All signs indicate that Terry Rozier will continue to be one of the league’s most efficient catch-and-shoot three-point shooters while also having another 20-plus point-per-game scoring average.
Though the Hornets have a solid group leading their offense, they still need to see some improvement in several areas.
Here are a few improvements the Hornets can make offensively:
Gordon Hayward: Increase in three-point attempts
During his inaugural season with the Hornets, Gordon Hayward proved to be the missing piece to the Hornets' offense that they so dearly lacked. He was a stable presence on the wing, providing reliable shot creation, efficiency, and timely buckets. Like Mitch Kupchak said Wednesday, “We were at our best when Gordon was on the floor. He provides us things that no other player on our roster can.”
Hayward posted an impressive stat line of 19.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor during the 2020-21 season. What stood out most was his 41.5 three-point percentage. His wheelhouse is his in-between mid-range game but James Borrego stated last year that while the mid-range game may not play well into his system per se, he welcomes an environment that allows every star player to flourish. That meant giving Hayward the green light to let it lose from mid-range - but in moderation.
Seeing how efficient Hayward was from beyond the arc, combined with LaMelo Ball’s innate ability to find open shooters on the perimeter, it makes total sense that Hayward should attempt more than just 4.8 three-pointers per game. 4.8 attempts from three per game (29 percent of his total field goals) rank Hayward in the 16th percentile amongst wings, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Hayward has several efficient three-point shooters that hover in the 40 percent range around him on the court at all times in Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges, and P.J. Washington. This is not a knock on Hayward. He is an all-star caliber player and his bread and butter have never been his three-point shooting but in a system with a playmaker like LaMelo Ball and a team that could only benefit from more efficient volume three-point shooters, an uptick in three-point attempts makes all the more sense.
LaMelo Ball’s Efficiency at the Rim
LaMelo Ball lit the entire NBA world on fire en route to winning the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year. Once James Borrego inserted Ball into the starting lineup in early February, he had a phenomenal six-week stretch that preceded his wrist injury. He averaged just a hair under 20 points per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists, on 46 percent shooting while knocking down threes at a 42.6 percent clip.
You should expect more of the same from LaMelo this season but with added enhancements, like his efficiency at the rim.
During his rookie season, LaMelo Ball ranked in the 81st percentile amongst guards in field goal frequency at the rim, with 39 percent of his total shot attempts coming within four feet, per Cleaning the Glass. That’s music to the ears for any Hornets fan because one of the leading critiques for Ball coming into the 2020 NBA Draft were concerns over his light frame and how that would potentially lead to difficulties getting to the rim.
Well, Ball has proven he can get to the rim at a high rate now he just has to improve his efficiency there. His field goal percentage at the rim in 2020-21 was 54 percent, registering him in the 28th percentile amongst guards. LaMelo has gained a significant amount of muscle this offseason so that alone will assist him in finishing through contact more effectively.
Finishing more consistently at the rim would also just open the rest of his offense, making way for a better in-between/floater game, and would make him harder to guard on the perimeter with him being a scoring threat at all three levels.
If the Hornets are going to take the next step towards a legitimate playoff team, it has to start with LaMelo Ball’s continued development. He's just 20-years-old and a future All-Star so it will all come in due time.
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