| Larry Johnson |
Primary Frontcourt Creator (1.1) |
40.4 |
High (1.2) |
20.5 |
8.4 |
4.4 |
1.2 |
91.1 |
Primary frontcourt creator, Johnson remained Charlotte’s physical hub, mixing face-up attacks, post work and passing from the forward spot rather than simply living as a scorer. He was also heavily involved in late-game offense, including a 20-point, 13-rebound performance against Denver in which he scored twice in the final 40 seconds of the second overtime. Contemporary Associated Press coverage |
All-Star voting: 4th among Eastern forwards (1996) |
| Glen Rice |
Elite Perimeter Scoring Engine (1.1) |
39.8 |
High (1.2) |
21.6 |
4.8 |
2.9 |
1.4 |
81.0 |
Elite perimeter scoring engine, Rice immediately gave Charlotte the movement shooting and floor spacing it had lost with Alonzo Mourning. His value went beyond stationary threes; he was the wing scorer defenses had to chase through Charlotte’s up-tempo attack, and a February win over New York featured a 28-point night with four threes as the Hornets generated a 30-4 fast-break advantage. Los Angeles Times game coverage |
NBA All-Star (1996); Three-Point Contest (1996); All-Star voting: 7th among Eastern forwards (1996) |
| Kenny Anderson |
Franchise Floor General (1.05) |
34.3 |
High (1.2) |
15.2 |
2.7 |
8.6 |
1.8 |
71.3 |
Franchise floor general, Anderson transformed Charlotte’s post-Mourning offense after arriving in January. His job was to push tempo, organize a perimeter-heavy attack and create downhill pressure; in his debut, he had 10 assists while coach Allan Bristow gave him the green light to dictate pace. Washington Post coverage of Anderson’s Charlotte debut |
All-Star voting: 11th among Eastern guards (1996) |
| Kendall Gill |
Two-Way Backcourt Creator (1.05) |
35.1 |
Medium (1.1) |
12.9 |
5.3 |
6.3 |
1.8 |
60.8 |
Two-way backcourt creator, Gill was used as a multipurpose initiator rather than a pure shooting guard during his short Charlotte return. His six-plus assists reflected how much ballhandling responsibility he carried before the January trade, while his defensive activity gave the Hornets another athletic perimeter presence. Charlotte Hornets retrospective discussion |
All-Star voting: 10th among Eastern guards (1996) |
| Scott Burrell |
Starting Two-Way Wing (1.05) |
34.7 |
Medium (1.1) |
13.2 |
4.9 |
2.4 |
2.1 |
52.2 |
Starting two-way wing, Burrell was supposed to provide athleticism and secondary scoring on the perimeter, but the season was derailed by injuries and Achilles surgery. His 20-game sample still showed the same blend of spot-up shooting, slashing and defensive versatility that had made him an important piece of Charlotte’s previous frontcourt. Sports Illustrated Hornets three-point coverage |
— |
| Matt Geiger |
Starting Interior Presence (1.05) |
30.5 |
Medium (1.1) |
11.2 |
8.4 |
0.8 |
1.4 |
50.4 |
Starting interior presence, Geiger supplied the size and rebounding Charlotte needed after Mourning’s departure, while his back injury briefly forced the team into a much smaller center rotation. His absence against New York left the 42-year-old Robert Parish and rookie George Zídek to handle Patrick Ewing, illustrating how central Geiger’s availability was to the frontcourt structure. Los Angeles Times coverage |
Most Improved Player voting: tied for 14th (1996) |
| Dell Curry |
Sixth Man Shooting Specialist (1.05) |
28.9 |
Medium (1.1) |
14.5 |
3.2 |
2.1 |
1.6 |
49.4 |
Sixth man shooting specialist, Curry remained Charlotte’s premier bench spacer and could swing a game quickly when defenses lost him beyond the arc. Even when injuries forced him into point-guard duties, he described himself as a limited-dribble shooter rather than a true initiator, which neatly captured how Charlotte tried to maximize his value. Washington Post coverage of Curry’s role |
Sixth Man of the Year voting: tied for 7th (1996) |
| Khalid Reeves |
Instant-Offense Reserve Guard (1.0) |
20.9 |
Medium (1.1) |
8.1 |
2.0 |
3.6 |
0.9 |
29.2 |
Instant-offense reserve guard, Reeves was asked to provide scoring and secondary creation while Charlotte experimented with its backcourt. His season was complicated by an ankle injury and the midseason trade that sent him to New Jersey, so his Charlotte role never had much chance to settle into a long-term identity. Contemporary coverage specifically noted that the ankle injury had already cost him 14 games before the trade. |
— |
| Michael Adams |
Veteran Backup Point Guard (1.0) |
15.7 |
Low (1.0) |
5.4 |
1.0 |
3.2 |
1.2 |
21.6 |
Veteran backup point guard, Adams supplied experienced ballhandling behind an unstable guard rotation, but injuries repeatedly interrupted his availability. His late-career value was less about volume scoring and more about organizing possessions and providing a dependable change-of-pace option when healthy. |
— |
| Anthony Goldwire |
Emergency Lead Guard (1.0) |
14.8 |
Low (1.0) |
5.5 |
1.0 |
2.7 |
0.4 |
19.2 |
Emergency lead guard, Goldwire suddenly became important because Charlotte’s normal point guards were unavailable. The clearest example came when he made his first start and delivered 20 points and 15 assists, a performance that briefly gave the Hornets a legitimate organizing presence while Muggsy Bogues dealt with his knee problems. Spokesman-Review Associated Press report |
— |
| Robert Parish |
Veteran Interior Stabilizer (1.0) |
14.7 |
Low (1.0) |
3.9 |
4.1 |
0.4 |
1.0 |
18.8 |
Veteran interior stabilizer, Parish was no longer a featured offensive center but remained useful through positioning, rebounding and experience. His importance rose whenever Geiger was unavailable; against New York, he logged the difficult assignment of helping defend Patrick Ewing and produced his first double-double as a Hornet. |
NBA Champion (1981); NBA Champion (1984); NBA Champion (1986) |
| Pete Myers |
Veteran Utility Guard (1.0) |
14.2 |
Low (1.0) |
2.9 |
2.1 |
1.5 |
0.8 |
14.6 |
Veteran utility guard, Myers returned to Charlotte late in the season after beginning the year in the Miami trade and was primarily used to stabilize the second unit. His value was situational rather than offensive, giving Charlotte another experienced perimeter body during a season defined by constant backcourt changes. |
— |
| Darrin Hancock |
Defensive Utility Wing (1.0) |
13.3 |
Low (1.0) |
4.3 |
1.6 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
14.2 |
Defensive utility wing, Hancock occupied the connective role behind Charlotte’s higher-usage forwards, with his minutes largely tied to lineup needs rather than designed scoring volume. Contemporary coverage around the team identified his shooting development as an area of interest, while his eventual NBA reputation rested more heavily on defensive versatility. |
— |
| Muggsy Bogues |
Veteran Table-Setter (1.0) |
12.8 |
Low (1.0) |
2.3 |
1.2 |
3.2 |
0.3 |
14.0 |
Veteran table-setter, Bogues’ season was almost entirely defined by the knee problem that limited him to six games. The injury was serious enough to require multiple injured-list stints, leaving Charlotte scrambling for point-guard alternatives and eventually making Anderson and Goldwire central to the team’s perimeter organization. Associated Press coverage in the Spokesman-Review |
All-Star voting: 6th among Eastern guards (1996) |
| George Zídek |
Developing Post Reserve (1.0) |
12.5 |
Low (1.0) |
4.0 |
2.6 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
14.0 |
Developing post reserve, Zídek entered a difficult situation as a rookie center immediately after Charlotte traded Mourning. He earned attention for his hustle and physical strength, but the arrival of Geiger reduced his development minutes; one contemporary profile described Charlotte as needing to add size while allowing Zídek time to develop. Los Angeles Times profile of Zídek |
Rookie Challenge (1996) |
| Greg Sutton |
Deep-Rotation Point Guard (1.0) |
10.6 |
Low (1.0) |
3.4 |
0.8 |
2.2 |
0.4 |
13.6 |
Deep-rotation point guard, Sutton’s role was largely about surviving stretches of a constantly changing backcourt rather than creating offense in volume. Charlotte waived him in January, underscoring how unstable the reserve point-guard hierarchy became once injuries began reshaping the roster. |
— |
| Rafael Addison |
Veteran Forward Reserve (1.0) |
9.7 |
Low (1.0) |
3.2 |
1.7 |
0.6 |
0.4 |
11.8 |
Veteran forward reserve, Addison provided experienced depth on the wing and at forward but never secured a consistent rotation role. His season was interrupted by a hamstring strain, another small example of how Charlotte’s frontcourt depth was repeatedly disrupted. |
— |
| Joe Wolf |
Emergency Frontcourt Reserve (1.0) |
18.0 |
Low (1.0) |
0.0 |
2.0 |
0.0 |
2.0 |
8.0 |
Emergency frontcourt reserve, Wolf’s Charlotte stint amounted to a single appearance before he was waived, so there is little independent season-specific reporting to support a deeper role assessment. The limited record points to a short-term depth function rather than a meaningful rotation assignment. |
— |
| Corey Beck |
Deep-Reserve Ballhandler (1.0) |
6.6 |
Low (1.0) |
1.0 |
1.4 |
1.0 |
0.2 |
7.2 |
Deep-reserve ballhandler, Beck was used in brief emergency stretches rather than as a regular rotation guard. His five appearances included a 12-minute outing against Detroit in which he produced three assists and two steals, illustrating the defensive-energy role available to him in spot minutes. |
— |
| Gerald Glass |
Short-Term Wing Reserve (1.0) |
3.0 |
Low (1.0) |
1.0 |
0.4 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
3.2 |
Short-term wing reserve, Glass arrived in the January Anderson trade but never established a meaningful rotation role before Charlotte waived him in February. Contemporary trade coverage noted that he had appeared in only 10 games before the deal, making his Charlotte stint more roster-deep than tactical. Washington Post trade coverage |
— |
| Donald Hodge |
Emergency Center Depth (1.0) |
1.0 |
Low (1.0) |
0.0 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
Emergency center depth, Hodge was essentially a roster insurance piece, appearing in only two games after Charlotte signed him late in the season. With almost no independent contemporary discussion of his on-court role, the available evidence supports viewing him strictly as temporary frontcourt depth. |
— |
| Team Totals |
— |
242.4 |
— |
102.8 |
39.5 |
23.3 |
10.5 |
646.6 |
Charlotte’s 1995-96 rotation was built around a perimeter-heavy attack after the loss of Alonzo Mourning, with Johnson and Rice supplying the primary scoring while Anderson’s arrival reshaped the team’s pace and ballhandling. The roster’s instability was a major theme: Bogues’ knee injury, Geiger’s back problems, Burrell’s injuries and multiple midseason guard changes forced Allan Bristow to constantly alter the lineup. |
41-41; no playoffs |
