The winter season is here, the new year is just around the corner, and people around the world are celebrating their holiday of choice. For many people, that’s Christmas, and NBA Santa is coming to town. As they say, he’s got a list and he’s checking it twice – while he’s on his way to Charlotte, he’s going to decide which Hornets have been naughty and which have been nice. To save the big guy some work, here’s a quick report on some players that have done well this season, and some that deserve to find coal in their stocking.

Nice List

Kemba Walker: Walker continues to be Charlotte’s best player and one of the league’s most talented point guards. Even as the Hornets have struggled this season, he’s been a consistent offensive threat that’s kept the team from falling apart completely. If there’s any chance of the team making it back to the postseason, it’ll be thanks to Walker.

Dwight Howard: Ever since leaving Orlando, Dwight Howard’s reputation has been ruined by declining play and rumors of locker room friction. At 32 years old, he’s not the same player that he was in his prime, but he’s been effective in Charlotte with averages of 15.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. It’s possible the Howard/Hornets marriage will end poorly, but the honeymoon period isn’t over yet.

Jeremy Lamb: Playing with more confidence than ever, Lamb has become a legitimate scoring threat off the bench with 14.8 points per game. He’s been so productive, in fact, that it’s starting to become questionable why he’s not starting on a team with one of the league’s worst offenses.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: MKG is still first and foremost a defensive maestro, but he’s becoming an important offensive player as well. He’s always been good in transition, but his offense in the half court is coming along. The three-point jumper still isn’t there, but his midrange shot has become a legitimate weapon.

Treveon Graham: Graham hasn’t been one of the team’s best players, but he’s certainly done exceedingly well in the small role he has on the team. He’s shooting well and does enough on defense to keep himself on the floor and fill in while the bigger names are getting some rest.

Naughty List

Nicolas Batum: There’s no doubt that Batum is a talented player, but he hasn’t exactly shown it this season. His scoring is down to 10.2 points per game, the fourth-lowest average of his career. The team’s offense is equally bad whether he’s on or off the court, and the defense is only slightly better while he plays. Batum’s injury issues may be holding him back a bit, but he’s still been disappointing.

Michael Carter-Williams: There are flashes where you see it, the talent that won MCW Rookie of the Year back in 2014. From time to time, he’ll put his vision or passing ability on display, or you’ll see his athleticism when he goes for a rebound. But for the most part, you don’t see that. You see the reason he’s making less than three million in Charlotte just a few years later. 

Johnny O’Bryant: There shouldn’t be much playing time for O’Bryant behind Howard, Cody Zeller, and Frank Kaminsky. And for the most part, there hasn’t been. But injuries, foul trouble, and fatigue have resulted in about 10 minutes per game for the former LSU Tiger. And, credit to him, he’s trying to make the most of it. In that measly 10 minutes, O’Bryant is taking an average of five shots. That wouldn’t be too bad, but he’s missing over three of them. Good for him for trying to make the most of his opportunity, but… stop shooting, Johnny.

Malik Monk: At this point, the most logical explanation for Monk’s lack of playing time is that he did something terrible and Steve Clifford and company are punishing him for it. There’s no other reason that such a promising rookie can’t find consistent time on a bad team. We may not know what misdeeds he’s being punished for, but NBA Santa does. NBA Santa knows everything. On second thought, maybe there is another explanation.

The Hornets Coaching Staff: Between the complete offensive regression and questions about playing time for Monk and Lamb, there are reasons to point fingers at Clifford and the man who’s been filling in for him during an extended illness, Stephen Silas. As the end of the year approaches and the team is limping through a bad season, it’s time for the coaching staff to look at themselves and find some changes they can make to help the team.