Mason Plumlee could be this year's Taj Gibson for the Hornets

Mason Plumlee has returned to the Charlotte Hornets just a couple of years after being traded away. Plumlee proved to be a resourceful center who can rebound, pass, and give a high level of effort.

At this point in his career, Plumlee is no longer someone who expects to be dicing teams up as a starting center in the league. Instead, he understands that his role is to be a veteran presence who can still eat up some minutes off the bench.

That's the role that Taj Gibson played for the Hornets this season. Despite his advanced age, Gibson was able to give Charlotte decent minutes when he was called upon this year.

It looks like the Hornets brought in Plumlee to be this year's Gibson, and that's not a bad thing. While he was with the Clippers and the Suns, Plumlee showed a strong abilty to get the job done off the bench, while being a mentor to younger players.

Plumlee is still an elite finisher, scoring on almost 62 percent of his shots from the floor this year in Phoenix. He's not going to be someone who ever stretches his game out to the three-point arc.

Yet, at age 35, Plumlee is still a serviceable NBA backup. Charlotte has added a cacophony of veterans to the roster to help offset some of their younger starters, including LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

Having someone like Plumlee helping those guys go through the ups and downs of a grueling NBA season is a worthwhile endeavor for the Hornets. Bringing him in was a no-brainer.

Plumlee is better than Gibson. He's not just with this team to sit on the bench and mentor; he's out there to still contribute in winning ways on the court, too. This was a savvy move by the front office.

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