Sports

There are rumors of a possible Russell Westbrook to Charlotte trade


Michael, we're begging you to look elsewhere for help.

Michael, we’re begging you to look elsewhere for help.
Image: beautiful pictures

MJ, please don’t do this.

You have one of the most exciting youth teams in the NBA. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges aren’t the best duo in the NBA, but they’re the most fun to watch. The broadcast team, Eric Collins and Dell Curry, are the perfect ringtone drivers for the high-wire action that Charlotte and League Pass addicts are after.

Why would you screw this up by bringing in Russell Westbrook?

Marc Stein is reporting that he’s heard from people in the league that the Charlotte Hornets are a team with a number of care in Westbrook. Come on, Mike. You don’t need an expiring contract, your team is on the rise. And you certainly don’t need the headache Westbrook will bring, with media attention for all the wrong reasons.

You’ve got two defenders who are unreliable on defense because you need them on Ball and Terry Rozier. At least they can shoot. I know defensive depth is a concern for the Hornets, Isaiah Thomas has averaged 13.8 minutes a game since they signed him, but Westbrook is not the answer. Plus, there’s no reason Westbrook would be interested in playing a bit for the Charlotte Hornets. In public, he dealt with a few times where he was bent Last season was good, but that was with the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James. There is no way for him to react well watching Rozier near games, any less than having to come off the bench behind him.

For all the exciting highlights that come with Collins’ enthusiasm, Hornet needs to make some changes. It was unfortunate that Gordon Hayward missed almost the entire second half of the season, because he played well. He is another attacking player and also averages 15.9 points per game with 45.9/39.1/84.6 shot splits. The last game he played effectively was on January 21, when he scored 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a margin victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. At the time, they were seventh in the Eastern Conference and six games over .500. However, the Hornets should know that they cannot depend on Hayward to stay healthy all season. The only season since that bad injury he suffered in his first game against the Boston Celtics, in which he played the majority of games was 2018-19 and he came off the bench. bag.

The Hornets are a 10th seed in the play-in tournament for a second-consecutive season, but it’s still an improvement. Last season, they were six games under .500. As of today they are one game over, and are assured of their first 40-win season since 2015-16. Progress is happening even though changes are necessary.

Those changes mostly need to come on defense. They currently have the sixth-worst defensive rating in the NBA. Even if they do win enough games to avoid the play-in next season that’s not anywhere near good enough to compete in the playoffs. They need to pair a 3-and-D guard next to Ball, and also need a big to protect the paint. Mason Plumlee is a very good athlete, but he can’t anchor a defense like Bam Adebayo, or even Robert Williams. A change there is necessary, and so is 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 has eluded him as a basketball executive and owner, a competitive team. We all know he badly wants it, and the Hornets are only a few moves away with Ball quickly becoming one of the better players in the NBA. He just needs to show some patience.

I know after watching The Last Dance that may not seem possible, but the Hornets are in the beginning stages of team development. Jordan was there once with the Bulls. After he got there, it took them five seasons to become a championship contender. Ball is only in his second season.

It may be tempting to try and shortcut the process by bringing in Westbrook, but he’s only going to get worse. Every single day he gets further and further away from the rim-rocking, triple-double collecting torpedo that he used to be. Taking him on in the last season of his contract would be throwing away a year of growth for nothing but cap space after it’s all over.

Mike, this team has it. They have a real shot to do something great. Ball is an all-star in year two, and the team’s record has greatly improved over last year’s. I’m sure you want a veteran presence, but Westbrook is not 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 obsess over the Sprint Cup Series, enjoy some Cincoroand then do nice things with this Hornets lineup instead of bringing in a decorated superstar that’s gone.





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