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The Charlotte Hornets, in typical Hornets fashion, traded their second round pick for cash considerations on draft day, 2017. However, as the late, great Billy Mays said, “But wait, there’s more!” The Charlotte Hornets also received the 40th pick that night. With that selection, Rich Cho made the decision to take Dwayne Bacon, an offensive-minded wing out of Florida State.
Bacon started the year starting on the wing for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who was out for personal reasons, while Jeremy Lamb started at the shooting-guard spot. In his first game, Bacon scored eight points while also tallying two rebounds, two assists, while going 50 percent from the field.
However, after a solid start, things were not as bright. Bacon would only appear in 52 more games and start five more. He would go on to average three points, two rebounds, and one assist on an average of 14 minutes per appearance.
Going into the season, many fans didn’t really expect much of Bacon, considering the reputation around second-round picks. However, those who followed the draft likely knew that there were 40+ players being graded as a first-round pick. Bacon was one of those players. He showed he could be more than an offensive player, as he worked his way into many late-game situations later on in the season.
One of the main highlights for Bacon this year was, surprisingly, when he appeared in the G-League for the Greensboro Swarm. In one particular game, Bacon scored 45 points and also recorded two steals. That clip set a Swarm-record for total points in a game.
While this NBA season may not have been an immediate success, Bacon showed many flashes of being a future role player and contributor. Bacon could break the trend of second-round busts in Charlotte’s arsenal.