The key issue for the Charlotte Hornets throughout the preseason has been who will replaceMichael Kidd-Gilchristin the starting lineup. The injury to the defensive wrecking ball left several possible fixes. Coach Steve Clifford tried them all in some way or another.
Some lineups saw Clifford useMarvin Williams. Others had him shiftNicolas Batumover to the wing and useJeremy LinorJeremy Lambas the two guard. Well, Clifford has decided on how he will deal with this gap for the time being. He is going to useP.J. Hairstonas thestarting small forward.
The rationale for this decision is rather simple. Clifford wants Batum to have big role in the playmaking of the team. However Clifford does not want to give up a defensive liability by playing two smaller backcourt players together. This leads to the 6’6” Hairston as the best answer that could be had to satisfy both.
Hairston’s length and athleticism are his selling points here. Clifford hopes that Hairston can use those to become a capable wing defender. In the meantime, Hairston will not wreck the team’s spacing on offense since he is a shooter with range. So Hairston’s promotion is partly based on potential rather than observed behavior. Hairston has been hurt much of the preseason so he had limited action there.
By choosing Hairston, Clifford also showed his hand a little on who his starting power forward for tonight will be. It had been understood that it would be eitherCody Zelleror Marvin Williams.
In the interview where he made known his plans for Hairston, Clifford also mentioned how pleased he was in what the second unit was doing. That second unit included Lin, Lamb,Spencer Hawes, and Zeller. That makes it look like Williams will be the four man.
The Hornets take on the Miami Heat tonight.
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