Dwayne Bacon Made Us Forget About Malik Monk For A Few Days
The second-round pick’s performance in Orlando Summer League earned him a multi-year guaranteed contract with the Charlotte Hornets.
When news surfaced that 11th overall pick (and this year’s trendy “steal of the draft”) Malik Monk would miss the Orlando Summer League due to an ankle injury, anticipation for the event dropped significantly among many of the Charlotte faithful.
The main draw in summer league are the rookies, as it’s the first chance to see the youngbloods in some diet version of their new team’s uniform.
Charlotte’s five games have come and gone in Orlando, with the team going 3–2, but as Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz and others dazzle in Las Vegas, Buzz City fans were treated to a scintillating performance of their own from a rookie. Just not the one many foresaw after draft night.
Dwayne Bacon, 40th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft and acquired in a draft night trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, finished third on the team in scoring per game behind Treveon Graham (who only played three games) and 2016–17 midseason pickup Johnny O’Bryant.
Bacon started all five games, and averaged 15.4 points per game on 42 percent shooting and went 19–19 from the charity stripe over the five game stretch. Bacon only converted on 2 of 10 attempts from the three-point line, but he’s never been billed as a knockdown shooter.
Bacon garnered looks from around the league in his fifth and final game, scoring 29 points on 11 for 20 shooting, snagging eight rebounds and acting as the primary ballhandler for long stretches.
The Florida State product showcased the array of finishes he has around the rim, as well as a surprisingly polished handle for a 6-foot-6 swingman.
More than once, Bacon grabbed a long rebound and was able to go coast to coast through multiple defenders, completing the play with a tough finish.
The Hornets rewarded Bacon’s play with a three-year contract after summer league concluded, with the first two years guaranteed and the third partially guaranteed.
Since there’s no pay scale for rookies drafted in the second round, teams tend to sign them to cheap, non-guaranteed deals, especially past the first 5–7 picks in the second round.
In that way, it’s a win-win for the team: if the player pans out, he’s uber cheap. But if he doesn’t (often the more likely scenario), he can be waived for little cost.
That Charlotte signed Bacon for two years fully guaranteed is a huge vote of confidence for the 21-year-old that he can not only fill a roster spot, but contribute. It remains to be seen how Bacon measures up in head coach Steve Clifford’s defensive scheme, but he fills a much-needed niche in bench scoring.
One thing Bacon can do is fill it up, even without a reliable three-point shot yet. Manufacturing points with Kemba Walker on the bench was an issue in October last season, and it continued to plague the Hornets into April.
Bacon doesn’t completely solve that, but he and newly-signed Michael Carter-Williams are bigger ballhandlers that can make plays for themselves and others, a facet that was badly lacking from the bench last season.
The Hornets will also have Monk, one of the best shooters from this draft class, who showed flashes of on-ball brilliance last season playing alongside ball-dominant De’Aaron Fox.
Monk will presumably begin on the bench, with incumbent wing starters Nicolas Batum and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist firmly entrenched for the time being.
Summer league is incredibly easy to get overexcited about. Denzel Valentine had a standout summer league for the Chicago Bulls last season, and barely rose from the bench for a mediocre team.
Don’t expect Bacon to get major minutes, especially at the beginning of the season with Batum, MKG, Monk and possibly Jeremy Lamb ahead of him in the swingman rotation. But it was good to see some of Bacon’s strengths translate to some semblance of NBA competition.
If nothing else, Bacon showed Charlotte fans he’s got some sizzle to him.
