What should the Hornets do with Vasilije Micić?

The Hornets have a key decision to make with the 30-year-old point guard.

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Back in February, the Hornets made a trade that sent Gordon Hayward to Oklahoma City, while Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, and a couple of second-round picks were added. As well, the team also received a throw-in of Vasilije Micić, who most people didn't know. However, pretty quickly Micić had won over the fanbase, but now he's seemingly lost the fanbase just as fast.

Last season, Micić served as a quality backup point guard for the Hornets while LaMelo Ball sat for the remainder of the season, which left many fans encouraged to have a dependable backup behind Ball as he had suffered many injury setbacks.

I understand that it's early into the season, but it's now safe to say that Micić is not the same player that he was last yaer for the Hornets. Last season, he averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 assists, while shooting 43.7% from the field in 30 appearances for the Hornets.

However, this season, not only does he appear to be sluggish and a little bit out of shape, but it's also rather obvious on the stat sheet of his falloff. In three games with the team this season, he's averaged 2.3 points and a shockingly low one assist per game while shooting a combined 3-18 from the field. For those who were wondering if the preseason was a fluke, it most definitely was not.

Micić, who has been known to be a relatively creative and efficient passer has been almost the complete opposite. He has just three assists in three games and four turnovers. His shooting from beyond the arc was a struggle in his rookie season, but it appears it has became even worse as he's 1-7 from three to start the season. The percentage isn't the worst part, as his shots don't even appear to be close.

With Micić struggles on the court, it has become to a point where he's almost unplayable for the Hornets. At just 6'3, Micić definitely lacks some size and he's not the best perimeter defender, which means if he isn't facilitating or shooting the ball well, then what does he offer?

Here's a look between Micić from last season versus him this season.

Last season:

THIS SEASON:

Since the Serbian has struggled so much this year, it may be time to unleash the Hornets' 2023 first-round pick of Nick Smith Jr. He missed some time in the preseason with a groin injury but is now healthy. He offers a lot of different things to the Hornets, but most significantly, his ability to shoot the ball.

Smith Jr shot the ball over 43% from three last season, which led all rookies in three-point percentage. Adding the 20-year-old to the rotation to replace Micić could be a positive move that generates more offense for the Hornets.

It will be intriguing to see what Coach Lee decides to do with the backup guard minutes, as so far, Micic hasn't impressed. The Hornets hope to get a similar version of what they had last year with the Serbian, but for now, the Hornets have no time to waste. It's time to sit him and give someone else like Smith Jr. an opportunity in place of those minutes.

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