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2017-18 Season Recap | Dwayne Bacon

Dwayne Bacon put together a promising rookie campaign in the 2017-18 season as the Hornets hope to see more continued development moving forward from their most recent second-round selection.

Acquired in a draft day trade with the New Orleans Pelicans last June, Bacon parlayed a strong Summer League and Training Camp showing into an opening night start with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist away from the team. Bacon became just the seventh rookie in franchise history – and second non-first-round pick - to accomplish this feat as he finished with eight points, two rebounds and two assists against the Detroit Pistons.

When Kidd-Gilchrist returned for good, Bacon remained in the team’s rotation as Nic Batum worked his way back from a preseason left elbow injury. The Florida State product appeared in the first 20 games of the year, posting averages of 4.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 19.1 minutes.

A healthy roster and perhaps a rookie wall soon forced Bacon to the bench for much of the middle of the season. During this time, he made a handful of assignments to the organization’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. He averaged 26.5 points on 42.3 percent shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals in four appearances, which also included a franchise-record 45 points against the Wisconsin Herd on Dec. 28.

Michael Carter-Williams’ season-ending shoulder injury on March 4 pushed Bacon back into the rotation and he closed out his final 13 games of the campaign with averages of 5.2 points on 40.0 percent shooting, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.6 minutes. A right ankle sprain suffered in Washington on March 31 forced him to miss the final five games of the year.

A hard-nosed defender who already has NBA size and physicality, Bacon showcased an enticing combination of skills throughout his rookie year and will look to make big strides this summer heading into his sophomore season with the Hornets.

Dwayne Bacon Through the Season

Check out scenes of Dwayne Bacon during the 2017-2018 Season.

By the Numbers

  • Bacon finished his rookie season with averages of 3.3 points on 37.5 percent shooting and 2.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes over 53 appearances, six of which were starts.
  • He scored a season-high 18 points in San Antonio on Nov. 3 and grabbed a personal-high 11 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks in the team’s home opener on Oct. 20.
  • He posted the best defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of any Charlotte player with at least 50 games played this season (103.9). Bacon ranked seventh amongst NBA rookies taken in the second round or later in this category and 13th amongst first-year players overall.

What’s Next

Bacon has one more guaranteed year remaining on his rookie deal with a team option for the 2019-20 NBA season.

Exit Interview Quote

“I feel like coming into this season, I have a lot that I didn’t show… that I can do. I got tremendously better on the defensive end, but I have a lot I didn’t show on the offensive end. This summer, that’s what it’s all going to be about. I’m just going to come back a different type of player. A dog mentality like I’ve had in college and high school and just bring it back. This time it’s going to be on both ends, locked in and ready because I want to get better and that’s my goal this summer.” – Dwayne Bacon.