Nightmare Scenario is Beginning to Unfold for Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets had a problem. They needed to find a way to survive the non-LaMelo Ball minutes. They re-signed Tre Mann, drafted Sion James, and signed Collin Sexton, but none of it worked, so they flipped Sexton for Coby White.

Finally, they had someone who could run the offense with Ball off the court. When they drafted Christian Anderson Jr., fans salivated at the idea of having three legitimate ballhandlers on the roster. Then, the Ball trade struck.

White was re-signed and elevated to starting point guard, which promoted Anderson Jr. to backup, with James and Mann in the mix. The only problem is that James is not a point guard at all, and Mann is almost unplayable right now.

That leaves Anderson, who has unfortunately not looked quite ready for the NBA during Summer League. He's got potential, but he probably needs the G League for a while before he's ready to play 25+ minutes running an NBA offense.

So where did that bring the Hornets? Back to needing a legitimate backup point guard. If Anderson isn't ready, and it doesn't look like he is just yet, then the Hornets are in big trouble. It can't be stressed enough how much James is not a point guard and that Mann shouldn't see the floor.

Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James (4) is guarded by New York Knicks forward Pacome Dadiet | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Hornets put their eggs into the White-Anderson basket, but half the basket is probably going to the G League. There were some options in free agency and on the trade market, but the Hornets have been totally quiet on that front.

The Hornets brought in players like Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neal, but neither is a point guard. They still do not have a backup in the event that Anderson needs more time to develop. They passed on trading for Ja Morant or signing Collin Sexton. Again.

The remaining options are uninspiring. Gabe Vincent, Russell Westbrook, Killian Hayes, Nick Smith Jr., and Gary Payton II are among the top free agent point guards. They could use the trade exception generated by moving Ball to get Jrue Holiday or Kyrie Irving.

Those are the options, and they're not great. Those free agents are by and large unimpactful. Westbrook might be the best option, but it's not likely the Hornets share that opinion. Trading for Irving or Holiday is not an easy thing to do, either.

Unfortunately, that just means the Hornets are out of luck. They'd better hope the preseason is ridiculously kind to Anderson. Otherwise, it could be a long season for the bench unit.

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