Should the Hornets Pursue This Two-Time All-Star to Be Their Starting Center?
When you look at the Charlotte Hornets roster, one of the glaring needs is at the center position. The Hornets currently have a three-man group at the center position, with Moussa Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Mason Plumlee. Both Diabate and Kalkbrenner are young and developing and have shown promise that they can be consistent contributors to the team. Plumlee is an aging veteran and could primarily be used as a team’s backup center at best at this point in his career. Which makes the potential availability of Nikola Vucevic that much more intriguing for a Hornets team that could use a viable option at the center position.
The two-time all-star is only available via a buyout from the Chicago Bulls, but a lot of teams, including the Lakers and Warriors, are monitoring his situation. Should the Hornets enter the mix, they would be looking to add a player who is a double-double machine and is one of the league’s top scorers in the paint. He can also stretch the floor using the long ball, a trait that the current Hornets centers do not have. Having Vucevic anchor the paint will help free up space for shooters such as LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Defense might be his biggest issue, as the Montenegrin veteran does not have the best lateral quickness on the court. However, under Charles Lee, the Hornets' new defensive culture is starting to come into focus. At the start of last season, Charlotte was a much more aggressive team on the defensive end, and it showed early as the team got deflections, steals, and played more zone and pressure defense than they had in the past. Vucevic could benefit from a change of scenery, as his defense has not improved in his time in Chicago.
The Bulls have not said whether they intend to move on from the all-star center. However, if they do intend to, then the Hornets need to be one of the teams in the mix. Vucevic would be an immediate contributor due to his skill set in the paint and his ability to crash the glass. His defensive limitations are his only sources of doubt, but a new system and culture would do him wonders. The Hornets have the playmakers to turn the stigma surrounding them now, and Vucevic would go a long way in contributing to the turnaround in the Queen City.
