Tyler Hansbrough was one of the greatest college basketball players of all time at the University of North Carolina but since leaving Chapel Hill he hasn't been able to find nearly the same success in the NBA. Although Hansbrough has had a couple of decent seasons in the NBA he has never lived up to his college reputation. The latest news on Hansbrough signifies his fall from grace, as he will reportedly be joining the Charlotte Hornets, a team that is loaded in the front court, according to ESPN.
Since 2010-11, Hansbrough's best season in the NBA, his minutes have steadily declined. He spent his first four seasons with the Indiana Pacers and the last four with the Toronto Raptors. Overall he is considered a disappointment for not being able to carve out a consistent role for himself in the league.
Hansbrough is a 6-foot-9 power forward that was drafted 13th overall by the Pacers in the 2009 NBA Draft, yet he has only started 50 games out of a possible 384 he has played in. Hansbrough's career averages are 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 17.9 minutes per game.
Hansbrough will reportedly be joining a talented frontcourt, which might make playing time hard to come by. Al Jefferson is locked in as the starting center, while first round pick Frank Kaminsky, along with Spencer Hawes and Cody Zeller, will also be competing for minutes at the two frontcourt spots. Given the way the league is going it is also a real possibility for the Hornets to go small at times and put either Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, or newly acquired Nicolas Batum at power forward for stretches.
After a quick glance at the roster it appears Hansbrough might be the fifth best big man on the Hornets. It is unknown what other kind of offers he was getting but the fact that he reportedly signed with a team with such a crowded frontcourt may tell you exactly what you need to know. Hansbrough is an extremely hard worker and someone who plays with a lot of energy so it wouldn't be too big of a surprise to see him earn some minutes. A decline in playing time for the fifth straight year seems like the most reasonable outcome for the former Tar Heel.
