Michael Carter-Williams agrees to one-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets

Since I was out of town yesterday and did not bring my laptop with me, I’m a day behind from every other Charlotte Hornets news site but it doesn’t matter, let’s get into this! Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a one-year deal with point guard Michael Carter-Williams. Contract details are one-year 2.7 million deal. Carter-Williams will be replacing Ramon Sessions as the Hornets backup point guard after Charlotte chose not to exercise Sessions’ team option of nearly 6.3 million for next season. Michael Carter-Williams was 2013-2014 NBA Rookie of the Year with the Philadelphia 76ers. But was traded twice in the next two years, first to the Milwaukee Bucks in February 2015, then to the Bulls just before the start of last season. Carter-Williams was an unrestricted free-agent after the Chicago Bulls decided not to extend him a qualifying offer after acquiring point guard Kris Dunn from Minnesota Timberwolves in the Jimmy Butler trade.

The 6-foot-6 guard struggled this past season with the Bulls, was in and out of the rotation (19 starts), bothered by knee pain (only played 45 games) and he averages just 6.6, 2.5 assists well below his career average of 13 points and 5 assists. Now I have a few things to say about this move in general! First, all he is big for his position at 6-6, with that body type, he is sometimes compared to former Charlotte Bobcat and now backing up Stephen Curry, Shaun Livingston. I believe that the coach Clifford will try to play him with Walker at times like they did with Jeremy Lin two season ago. Michael Carter-Williams should be wanted to prove that he should be in the NBA like Lin did as well, considering the fact that he been on his fourth team in five seasons and coming off a very disappointing last season also. Carter-Williams is not a good three-point shooter, his career three-point percentage is 25 and last season he was 23%. He’s more of a pick-n-roll then shooter, which can work with the second unit. The Hornets have done a great job fixing the roster over the past couple of weeks. As it stands right now the roster looks like 1) Kemba Walker 2) Nic Batum 3) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 4) Marvin Williams 5) Dwight Howard and coming off the bench will be Michael Carter-Williams, Malik Monk, Jeremy Lamb, Frank Kaminsky, Cody Zeller, Briante Weber and Johnny O’Bryant. That a lineup that can should make the playoffs in a very weak Eastern Conference. And while I’m typing this the Charlotte Hornets signed this year first round pick Malik Monk to his rookie contract, still no word of on second-round pick Dwayne Bacon contract, who been playing great in the summer league. Tell me what you think about this news in the comment section below! Have a great day! 

Butler, Wade and Rondo combine for 66 points, help Chicago Bulls defeat the Charlotte Hornets 115-109

Charlotte Hornets lose to the Chicago Bulls 115-109 Monday night. Charlotte’s drop the season series against the Bulls with the loss while the Bulls snapped a season-high five game losing streak. Rajon Rondo returned to the starting lineup for the Bulls, replacing Jerian Grant as the starting point guard. While Hornets fans were able final see Briante Weber play in the third quarter, replacing Brain Roberts as the backup point. Weber is on his second 10-day contract with the Hornets. Charlotte starting shooting guard Nicolas Batum was out this game due to a migraine, Jeremy Lamb took his place in the starting lineup. Hornets did get back Frank Kaminsky, who had missed last five games with a shoulder sprain. A day after the Bulls scored a total of nine points in the first quarter against Boston Celtics, the Bulls scored 36 points in the first quarter of this game. Bulls team who average six threes’ a game, made eight three-pointers in the first quarter to help them build a 12-point lead. Hornets fought back from 16 points down to tie it up in the third quarter at 69 apiece but would never able to re-take the lead. Every time Hornets got close, Mirotić seemed to hit a big shot for the Bulls.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game would be Jeremy Lamb who scored a career-high 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from the three-point line. In three games as a starter this season, Lamb was averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds before this game. Lamb has been playing great off the bench the past few weeks, giving Clifford someone to rely on scoring when Kemba and Batum are on the bench. But, Lamb still needs to work on his defense, biting on Wade’s fake pump to many times and just making some terrible decisions on the defense side. But Lamb can be dangerously good for the Hornets, with his ability to shoot the ball from deep, driving down the line and make difficult layups, to hitting floaters and being able to grab the rebound, Lamb can be a good starter for the Hornets if he’s able to work on his defense. The biggest reasons why Charlotte lost, was first the Hornets bench play, the Bulls reserves outscored the Hornets reserves 38-16. One of the Hornets biggest weaknesses all season long has been from the bench playing terribly. Right now, the Hornets do not have a true center with Miles Plumlee missing 3-weeks with a calf strain. Due to that, the Hornets are putting Frank Kaminsky/Marvin Williams as the backup center. Frank doesn’t play like a center and the other team center just bullying him on the block. Marvin does a decent job, yet again he’s not a true center, so when he’s in as center that means the Hornets are going small so the other team big man takes advantage of it. The drive and kick game for the Bulls killed the Hornets all game long, for whatever reason the Hornets cannot defend that this season since that’s how the Pistons beat us twice so far this season. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 22 points, Kemba Walker with 21 points 10 assists, Marvin Williams with 13 points 18 rebounds and Cody Zeller with 11 points. The leading scorers for the Bulls were Nikola Mirotić with 24 points 11 rebounds, Jimmy Butler with 23 points 11 assists, Dwyane Wade with 23 points and Rajon Rondo with a season-high 20 points. Charlotte Hornets (29-38) travel to face off against the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night. 

Charlotte Hornets beat the Chicago Bulls, 103 to 91

Charlotte Hornets beat the Chicago Bulls, 103 to 91 Friday night. Giving the Hornets their third straight victory, while the Bulls have lost five of last six to fall below .500 for the year. Also with a win tonight Charlotte heads into Christmas first place in their division. At halftime, the Hornets lead 48 to 40, the Bulls would go on a 9 to 0 run to start the third quarter to take a one point lead but the Hornets quickly took the lead back and never looked. Chicago night ended in frustration when both Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez got ejected with 38 seconds left in the game. Robin Lopez instantaneously elbowed Cody Zeller and Marvin Williams in the face with both elbows, picking up a flagrant 2 foul, Gibson argued the call and was also ejected, Gibson picked up his first tech earlier in the fourth quarter. Marco Belinelli left the game in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return, but there was reports of him leaving the stadium without any ice or wearing a boot on his foot, which means if that report is true the sprained isn’t major and should come back very soon. Which the Hornets need since he there only constant scorer off the bench for them.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game would be Nicolas Batum with 20 points 11 rebounds and 10 assist, his seventh career triple-double, first of the season. Nic Batum has been playing excellent over past few weeks, especially the past two games, hitting the game winner and then getting a triple-double the very next game, it’s been a pretty good month for Nic. Other top scoring leaders for the Hornets are Kemba Walker with 20 points, Cody Zeller with 13 points 7 rebounds and Michael-Kidd Gilchrist with 12 points 9 rebounds. Roy Hibbert (4) and Michael-Kidd Gilchrist (4) lead the Hornets to a season-high 13 block shots, the Hornets had more blocked shots then turnovers (10) this game. Bulls leading scorers are Jimmy Butler with 26 points, Doug McDermott with 15 points, Dwyane Wade with 12 points while playing with a migraine most of the game, Rajon Rondo with 7 points 9 rebounds 10 assists. Charlotte Hornets (17-13) will travel to Brooklyn Monday to face off against the Nets.