One of the most exciting young teams in the NBA is yours. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges are not the best duo in the NBA, but they are fun to watch. The broadcast team, Eric Collins and Dell Curry, are the perfect ringmasters for the high-wire act that Charlotte and League Pass addicts are embracing.
Why ruin this by bringing in Russell?
According to Stein, the Charlotte Hornets have some interest in Westbrook. Come on, Mike. Your team is on the rise and you don't need the expiring contract. You don't need the headaches that Westbrook will bring, with media attention for all the wrong reasons.
You already have two guards that aren't as reliable on defense as you need them to be. They can shoot. I know guard depth is a concern for the Hornets, but I don't think it's the answer since they signed Isaiah Thomas. There is no way that the Charlotte Hornets will be interested in having a player like that play for them. He was benched in crunch time with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he handled it well in public. He doesn't respond well to watching Rozier close games and coming off the bench.
The Hornets need to make some changes for all of the fun highlights. It is unfortunate that Gordon Hayward has missed most of the second half of the season because he was playing well. He averaged 15.9 points per game and was a leader on the offense. He was effective in the last game he played, when he had 16 points, seven rebound, and four assists in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They were seventh in the Eastern Conference and had six games over.500. The Hornets can't depend on Hayward to be healthy all season. He played the majority of the games in his first season with the Celtics, but he was coming off the bench.
The Hornets are a 10th seed in the play-in tournament for a second-consecutive season, but it is still an improvement over last year. They were six games under.500 last year. They are assured of their first 40-win season in two years as of today. Changes are necessary, but progress is happening.
Changes need to come on defense. They are the sixth worst defensive team in the NBA. Even if they win enough games to avoid the play-in next season, they are not good enough to compete in the playoffs. They need a big and a 3-and-D guard to protect the paint. Mason Plumlee is a very good athlete, but he can't anchor a defense like Robert Williams. There is a need for a change and continued improvement from the electric Miles Bridges who has the potential to be an all-defensive player as long as he consistently remains engaged on that end of the floor.
It's all there for Jordan to get the one thing that he's lacked as a basketball executive and owner, a competitive team. The Hornets are only a few moves away with Ball becoming one of the better players in the NBA. He needs to be patient.
The Hornets are in the beginning stages of team development after watching The Last Dance. Jordan was with the Bulls. It took them five seasons to become a contender. Ball is in his second season.
It is tempting to try and shorten the process by bringing in Westbrook, but he will only get worse. He gets further and further away from the triple-double collecting torpedo that he used to be. Taking him on in the last season of his contract would mean throwing away a year of growth for nothing but cap space.
This team has it. They have a chance to do something great. Ball is an all-star in year two, and the team's record has improved over last year. I'm sure you want a veteran presence, but Westbrook isn't it. Don't ruin one of the best shows on T.V. with this move. Just take a deep breath after the season, try as hard as possible not to focus on the Cup Series, enjoy some Mexican food, and then do good things with this Hornets roster instead of bringing in an ornery superstar whose prime is gone.
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