If Kemba Walker is so good, why are the Hornets just 28-38?
The simple answer: They’re good when he plays and a train wreck whenever he sits.
That’s in part due to backup point guard Michael Carter-Williams’ underwhelming production. Now, his poor year has taken a turn for the even worse.
Hornets release:
Carter-Williams will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Obviously, getting healthy will help his stock. But this is a lost opportunity to show improvement. He looks like a minimum-salary player – if that.
It’s stunning to think a former Rookie of the Year could fall out of the NBA at age 26. But this just continues him trending in the wrong direction.
The Hornets are already out of the playoff race, so this could actually help them. As bad as Carter-Williams has been, Malik Monk has been worse – understandable, considering Monk is just a rookie. Riding out Monk’s growing pains could improve Charlotte’s draft position and help Monk develop.
That said, the Hornets – with the NBA’s 10th-worst record – are 3.5 games ahead of the ninth-worst Knicks. That’s a lot of ground to make up this late. This at least reduces the possibility the freefalling 11th-place Pistons (1.5 games ahead) slip below Charlotte, though.