Watching the Charlotte Hornets during the 2023-24 season was watching that one person you know with all the potential in the world not being able to catch a break. Life comes at you fast, and we expect our dreams to become realities without trials or tribulations. Unfortunately, Life doesn’t have that storybook ending. You will go through the ups and downs before you ultimately get your desired calling in life. If this doesn’t sound like the Charlotte Hornets, you haven’t been watching Hornets basketball.
The one position that fits that analogy to the T is the point guard position. Between LaMelo Ball, newly acquired Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, and two-way player Amari Bailey, The position has all the potential in the world to be a force but just can’t a break. Since his all-star appearance during the 2021-22 season, LaMelo Ball has only played in 58 games due to injuries. After his promising rookie season, the guard position in Oklahoma City became too deep for Tre Mann to get minutes. Vasilije Micic went from Turkish league success to barely playing in games for the Thunder. After evaluating the owner, general manager, and head coach, let’s assess the point guard position.
LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball, standing at 6’7 “and 180 pounds, possesses all the tools to be a top-3-point guard in the league. His playmaking abilities are unparalleled, and his unique shot keeps the defense honest. Despite his struggles with injuries, his potential remains undeniable. After playing 75 games during the 21-22 season, LaMelo played 36 games the following season and just 22 games this season. It’s a challenging reality for a player with such immense potential.
Pros
LaMelo is such a dynamic player. He averaged 8.9 assists in the 22 games he played for the Hornets. LaMelo became a more efficient shooter from inside the arc this season compared to last season (50% on 2-point field goals vs. 45% last season). He shot 65% from 0-3 feet and 45% from 3-10 feet this season, which supersedes his 59% and 31% from the year before. The Hornet’ing was also better, with LaMelo on the floor with a 114.0 rating vs. a 109 rating off the floor.
Cons
LaMelo is still a poor defender, and when you are a poor defender on a team with poor defenders, nothing will be accomplished defensively. Charlotte is a much better team defensively with LaMelo off the floor vs. on the floor (119 off vs. 123 on). LaMelo also has a +/- rating of -139, which means teams have outscored the Hornets whenever he’s on the floor. He also is erratic with the ball. The 176 assists he had this season were also met with 83 turnovers (3.8). LaMelo also can’t stop fouling with his 3.6 fouls per game average.
Grade: C- (Couldn’t stay healthy)
Tre Mann
Acquired in the Gordan Hayward deal with Oklahoma City, Mann came to Charlotte looking to prove himself as a player who can contribute to wins. After his promising rookie season, which saw him average 10.4 points, Mann struggled to maintain consistency during his second season. Minutes became scarce with the drafting of Josh Giddey and the emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in addition to guys like Isaiah Joe stepping up.
Pros
One of the big things I saw from Tre Mann that I believe will be crucial to his role in the future is his playmaking. Mann went from 1.5 assists to 5.2 assists. He also was a pest on the defensive end. In 28 games with the Hornets, Mann had 48 steals and was one of the team leaders in that category. He became a better finisher in close (67% from 0-3 feet) and a much better mid-range shooter (43% from 10-16 feet vs. 33% last season).
Cons
Despite being right at the league average from the three (36%), I would’ve liked Mann to be a more consistent shooter. Mann also had one of the worst defensive ratings in the league, with 117.5, but the rating was one of the best on the Hornets team (no surprise). Other than that, Mann did an excellent job proving himself.
Grade: B+
Vasilije Micic
Coming from Turkey, where he was highly successful, Micic finally leaped and joined an NBA team. I don’t think there were any real expectations for Micic to come and be a dynamic star, but analyzing his tenure in Turkey, I believe the thought was for him to be serviceable. In the 30 games he played for Oklahoma City, Micic only saw 12 minutes and averaged 3.3 points. Being traded with Tre Mann was an opportunity to showcase his abilities.
Pros
Like Tre Mann, Micic showcased an ability to be a pretty good playmaker. In 30 games for Charlotte, Micic had 186 assists (6.2 average). His assists number allowed players to get good shots. Micic assisted on 68% of shots on the floor when he played, compared to just 60% when he wasn’t on the floor.
Cons
Micic was careless with the ball (2.3 TOV) and wasn’t a three-point shooter (29%). He was also a bit of a defensive liability, as teams scored more when he was on the floor than when he wasn’t (123.5 OPPS ORtg vs. 119.8).
Grade: B-
Amari Bailey
A former 5-star recruit from Sierra Canyon High School, Bailey played one season at UCLA and averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 45/38/69% shooting. Bailey was called to step up his game more when Jaylen Clark would be sidelined for the rest of the year due to a leg injury. In the six games Bailey in without Clark, He averaged 17.3 points on 56% shooting. Bailey would go on to be selected to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team.
Pros
There’s not much to go on from his time in Charlotte, as he only played in 10 games. In the G-League, he averaged 18 points on 45% shooting. He was also a pesk on the defensive end with his 1.5 steals average.
Cons
Bailey was a TERRIBLE three-point shooter with his 18% average in the G-League and 12% average in the NBA. He was also careless with the ball in the G-league, with a 4.8 TOV average. He’s still a young player who will continue developing and improving. Another year in school would’ve done Bailey wonders, but we’re past that point now. As long as he accepts coaching and makes strides to improve his game, Bailey will see a long career playing basketball.
Grade: INC
In Conclusion.
Life is all about picking yourself up and dusting yourself off. The same rules apply to NBA players as they navigate their careers. You will have your stretches of good days, and then you will have your stretches where you question what’s next for you. The point guards in Charlotte have a lot of ability, and each one of those individuals is ready to change the narrative surrounding them next season.
Overall grade: C+
West Coast Hoops 