Charlotte Hornets' backup guards compete for key role as rotation players get healthier

Which guard will back up Ball and Mann in a healthy Hornets lineup?

Matt Alquiza | 5 Hours Ago

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Charlotte Hornets

A silver lining in the Charlotte Hornets' injury riddled campaign is that Charles Lee has been freed up to mix and match lineups on a nightly basis. Charlotte has had a myriad of players touch the floor in the early season, most notably, a bevy of guards who have tried to produce a reasonable facsimile of LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann's impact.

In recent contests, four ball handlers have played the brunt of the minutes at the point guard position: Nick Smith Jr., KJ Simpson, Vasilije Micic, and Isaiah Wong. Monday night's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers may have given us a clue as to who came out of that scrum on top.

Nick Smith Jr. and K.J. Simpson

Neither of these guards factored into Monday night's game. Smith Jr., a second-year player from Arkansas, is currently hooping with the Greensboro Swarm in the G-League.

Simpson, a rookie second round pick, saw his role evaporate upon the return of LaMelo Ball. Somebody was going to get cut from the rotation when Charlotte's lead guard re-entered the fray, and unfortunately for Simpson, he got the axe. Simpson had flashed legitimate two-way upside with the Hornets in his couple weeks of action, and it won't be a surprise if he gets his name called again soon.

Vasilije Micic

On paper, Vasijile Micic should be the ginger ale of reserve guards. Steady. No surprises. You know exactly what you're going to get.

The former EuroLeague MVP brought a heady, veteran presence to the Hornets bench in the back half of the 2023-24 campaign, but Micic has been frustratingly erratic in this season's action.

Charlotte's offense struggles to find it's footing when Micic is running the show. The Hornets are 8.8 points per possession worse than average with Micic at the controls, an 8th percentile number across the NBA. A pair of third quarter turnovers (which have become an unfortunate trend) from Micic on Monday night led to his benching with 2:37 to go in the frame. He wouldn't return.

Micic was subbed for Isaiah Wong in that moment, clearing the way for Charlotte's most-recent signing to close the game out in the fourth quarter.

Isaiah Wong

Wong has played his way into more minutes, and he may have played his way into the role of Charlotte's third point guard behind a healthy LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann (upon his return). Wong brings a dynamic to Charlotte's offense that it lacks outside of Ball and Miles Bridges. He continuously attacks the paint with vigor, finishing layups and drawing fouls at a rate higher than most of his teammates.

Alongside Moussa Diabate, Wong sparked the Hornets defense in their traditional fourt quarter comeback attempts against the 76ers on Monday night. The duo pressured Philadelphia ball handlers after makes, forcing them into uncomfortable situations that led to turnovers. Those plays combined with a pair of offensive rebounds and his scoring touch at the rim were key in the Hornets late game push.

All four options, Smith Jr., Simpson, Micic, and Wong, have their warts, which is to be expected from a rotation of third and fourth guard options. However, recent contests have shined the light on Wong's talent, showcasing his potential as both a scorer and a play maker in Charles Lee's offense.

If Micic is traded before the deadline, this blurry picture becomes significantly clearer. Until then, practice and game reps for these four will be some of the most competitive of all Hornets as they vie for a role in Charlotte's rotation.