The Charlotte Hornets somehow played an NBA game with, at one point, zero players on their bench. It was absolutely pathetic.
My colleague, Prince Grimes, pointed out how Charlotte’s empty bench perfectly encapsulated how thin their roster is right now.
Charlotte’s inactive list included LaMelo Ball (ankle surgery), Cody Martin (left knee soreness). Mark Williams (right thumb sprain), Theo Maledon (G League assignment), and James Bouknight (G League assignment). But then matters only got worse.
Terry Rozier left the game with right foot discomfort, Kelly Oubre left with a right shoulder strain, and Dennis Smith Jr. left with a non-COVID illness.
It is one thing to put your team in the best position to land the No. 1 overall pick and select Victor Wembanyama. To trot out an empty bench, however, is fully negligent and inexcusable.
Hornets playing with no bench 🫣
(h/t @ProPelsTalk ) pic.twitter.com/vrEIyXG5E1
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 24, 2023
The reason why this is so problematic, as noted by RealGM’s Keith Smith: The Hornets have a vacant roster spot as well as an open slot for a two-way player.
There are truly countless players who would love the opportunity to help provide some depth on the bench for Charlotte. One name that immediately comes to mind is 10-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony.
The Hornets, owned (for now) by Michael Jordan, should at least consider making the move. After all, the former NBA scoring champion signed with Jordan Brand in 2003 and had a signature shoe with the company for nearly two decades.
Anthony has said he has “never” ruled out a potential comeback and had a “dialogue” about playing for the Nets earlier this season. Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and former NBA head coach Mike Woodson have all recently said Anthony is still able to contribute. Here is more from CP3:
“Somebody of that caliber, with that ability, with the heart that he has, and the stuff he’s done for the game – he should be able to walk off the court when he’s ready.”
For what it is worth: It is possible that the organization may be leaving an open roster spot for Miles Bridges, who played for the Hornets from 2018 until 2022. Bridges is reportedly expected to face a significant suspension if and when he returns to an NBA franchise.
The 25-year-old forward pled no contest to felony domestic violence charges in November 2022 and was sentenced to three years of probation without jail time. However, he anticipates he will return to the team.
Still, as noted by Smith, the Hornets do not actually have to save a roster spot for Bridges. They could simply start “cycling” players through 10-day deals for the final stretch of the season. Smith continued:
“There is no reason at all for a bad team that is a mile from the luxury tax to sit on open roster spots late in the season. Just being cheap. They should be bringing players in on 10 days and filling the Two-Way. Churn the bottom of the roster and see if you can find a diamond.”
It makes no sense at all for a rebuilding organization like Charlotte’s to only have one player on a two-way deal. How is there nobody on their G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, worthy of some developmental minutes in the NBA?
They don’t even need to see the floor so much as they need to be available in case of in-game injuries! Why not give an opportunity to someone on their G League roster like Jalen Crutcher, Kobi Simmons, Xavier Sneed, or Jaylen Sims?
The Hornets have one of the cheapest rosters in the NBA and there is no reason at all to have an empty roster spot and an empty two-way spot. They need to address this immediately before it becomes even more embarrassing to the league.
