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Wisconsin Basketball: Frank Kaminsky’s Role in Charlotte

By Noah Seligman

Apr 8, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky (44) celebrates a three point shot in the second half against the Boston Celtics at Spectrum Center. The Celtics defeated the Hornets 121-114. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky (44) celebrates a three point shot in the second half against the Boston Celtics at Spectrum Center. The Celtics defeated the Hornets 121-114. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Wisconsin Basketball’s Frank Kaminsky got a new teammate this week with the Charlotte Hornets.

This week, the Charlotte Hornets executed a massive trade with their neighbors, the Atlanta Hawks.  Charlotte gets Center Dwight Howard and the 31st overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft.  The Hawks received Center Miles Plumlee, Guard Marco Belinelli, and the 41st overall pick.

While the Hornets unloaded one Center, they added a much bigger one in Howard.  This move makes the depth chart a little trickier for Wisconsin Basketball’s Frank Kaminsky.

Kaminsky was Charlotte’s 1st round pick in 2015, the 9th overall selection.  Wisconsin Basketball’s Sam Dekker went nine picks later to Houston.

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In his two NBA seasons, Kaminsky has played 156 games but started just 19 total games:

  • 23.1 Minutes Per Game
  • 9.5 Points Per Game (+4/Game from his rookie year)
  • 4.3 Rebounds Per game
  • 1.7 Assists Per Game
  • 40.3 percent shooting

So Kaminsky has carved out a decent reserve role for the Hornets averaging the 6th most Minutes Per Game.  But he was effectively in a time share with former Indiana Hoosier Cody Zeller.

Zeller averaged 27.8 Minutes Per Game last season to 26.1 Minutes Per Game for Kaminsky last season.  The addition of Dwight Howard further muddles this position.  Howard has averaged 34.7 Minutes Per Game during his 13 NBA seasons, but 29.7 last year.

Howard is under contract for two more seasons.  The Hornets have a club option on Kaminsky for 2018 and will be a restricted free agent in 2019.  So the pressure is on Kaminsky to make a big impression in 2018 to stick in Charlotte.

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The Charlotte Hornets finished 11th in the Eastern Conference, five games out of playoff position and five games ahead of the New York Knicks.  So the Dwight Howard acquisition makes no sense to me.  This is not a team that is currently in serious contention in the top-heavy East and adding a mercurial talent at the end of his professional career won’t change that.   Charlotte need only ask the Lakers, Rockets, and Hawks how much Dwight Howard helps on and off the court.  The addition of Howard risks stunting Kaminsky’s NBA growth.  It’s hard to envision Howard and Kaminsky sharing a lot of minutes together.  Perhaps the Hornets will consider moving the former Wisconsin Basketball star yet this offseason or before the end of the 2017-18 season.