Hornets mailbag: Will Charlotte be a seller at trade deadline and what’s up with Gordon Hayward?
It’s midseason and an abundance of questions surround the Charlotte Hornets.
The team is sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and hasn’t won consecutive games more than once, leaving the Hornets in a position to think more about the future than the present. Climbing out of the hole they’ve put themselves in is going to be nearly impossible and they have to figure out which direction they are headed in soon.
In this latest mailbag, we dive into whether the Hornets will be sellers at the Feb. 9 trade deadline, PJ Washington’s season, JT Thor’s play and more.
Status on Gordon Hayward? — @tradeNBA2 via Twitter
The Hornets didn’t practice on Monday, taking the day off in Toronto, and Hayward is listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s matchup with the Raptors. From the sound of things, he’s not that far away. When speaking with coach Steve Clifford for his thoughts on the Hornets as they hit the midpoint, the coach suggested Hayward could be back relatively soon. Could that be by the end of the team’s four-game road trip, which concludes in Toronto on Thursday? We’ll see.
Hamstrings can be tricky to deal with and it can take time for the tightness to be alleviated, so there’s no guarantee that happens. If Hayward doesn’t return by then, which is certainly a possibility given his injury history, presumably he’d be able to give it a go in one of the two home games against Boston, with the first on tap for Saturday.
Typically the Hornets are silent at the deadline. Do you anticipate that they become sellers at the deadline? — @LBW17 via Twitter
That is the million dollar question and I think they will. General manager Mitch Kupchak hasn’t pulled the trigger on any huge deals during his tenure in Charlotte and takes a measured approach at the deadline. He’s had opportunities to upgrade the roster in February in each of the past three years, but didn’t seem thrilled with potentially sabotaging the Hornets’ long-term future for a quick fix.
However, this year could be different given the Hornets are cellar-dwellers and have a couple of players on expiring contracts, like Mason Plumlee and Kelly Oubre, who may be moved to a playoff team. They’re nearing the point where they have to get a good look at the supporting cast around LaMelo Ball to figure out how to push this team forward in 2023-24.
How has Cody Martin looked in his recent return? — @hornets_fan_12 via Twitter
He’s getting there. You can see him slowly gaining confidence with each game. He was a little reluctant to fire off jumpers in his first couple of outings and seemed to focus on attacking the basket. But after seeing that first one of the season go in against Milwaukee, he’s cutting them loose. Defensively, his presence is already benefiting the second unit and it’s an interesting combination when he’s teamed in the backcourt with Dennis Smith Jr., who likes to hound the player he’s guarding and usually picks them in full court. It’s going to be interesting to see how Clifford utilizes Martin as he incorporates him into certain lineup combinations.
Should more people start jumping on the JT Thor bandwagon? Seems like he’s starting to be more aggressive offensively, within reason, and knocking down more 3s. — @Jgenovere via Twitter
All aboard. Yes, there may be a need for a few people to ask for forgiveness following his earlier hiccups and assemble on the train to the land of Thor if you believe Clifford. I asked Clifford last week about JT’s inclusion in the rotation and if his struggles could perhaps lead to Bryce McGowens possibly getting more time soon. Clifford professed his faith in Thor and he’s being rewarded of late with his play off the bench. Thor is an intriguing cog because of his length. If he hits from beyond the arc, it’s tough to pull him out of the lineup.
How would you describe PJ Washington’s season so far? — @jamesplowright via Twitter
Up and down, similar to his previous three seasons. He shows flashes with 20-plus point performances but doesn’t string them together frequently enough, although he’s had more this season. The best version of Washington is the aggressive one and the Hornets usually go as he goes. When he’s on and displaying his versatility, the Hornets are a tough out. thing I do like about his game this season is he’s not completely settling for 3-pointers.
What are the Hornets’ plans with James Bouknight? He is coming off the bench now in Greensboro and his minutes are dropping. — @HuskyPros via Twitter
Their plans are to keep developing him so he’s ready when needed. He’s out of the rotation. Where is he going to play, especially with Smith and Martin back? And, when Bouknight played earlier in the season, he struggled mightily. He admittedly still has some maturing to do on and off the court and that’s where the focus is for him at this time. Thus, barring injury he’s on the outside looking in.
Is it true that the Hornets want to re-sign Miles Bridges? — @m23aik via Twitter
To my knowledge, nothing has changed from what I previously reported. Again, there is no definite timeline for it to happen.
This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 2:37 PM.
