Which Charlotte Hornets Player Has the Most Upside Right Now?
A huge reason why the Charlotte Bobcats went out with a bang was due to the emergence of Josh McRoberts as a multi-talented unique power forward. He improved so much that he went from hitting 58 threes over his first six seasons, to nailing 105 last year alone. McRoberts was also second in the entire NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio only to Chris Paul at 4.01 per game. He was the only player in the top 20 who was not a point guard.
Aside from the truly elite teams, the only way to succeed in this league is to have at least one player on the team make a leap. Whether he goes from bench warmer to role player, or star to superstar, striking gold where it wasn't likely to be found is one of the biggest elements for success in this league.
Charlotte is bringing back the buzz with a bevy of young talent, but the man most capable of pushing this team to the next level in 2014-15 is the new acquisition Lance Stephenson.
Rookies P.J. Hairston and Noah Vonleh have tremendous upside, but their respective roles on this roster are murky at best for the time being. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller can be big X-factors, and while they both should make some big improvements, they will not shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference quite like Stephenson will.
Hopefully Stephenson can put his rap career on hold for the time being, because Charlotte has invested heavily into him. He very well should blossom this year and be this team's missing link.
With the Indiana Pacers last year, Stephenson's usage rate was a mediocre 19.4. By comparison, Paul George's was 10th in the league at 28.3, and Gerald Henderson's was 22.1 Imagine what Stephenson could do with a more featured role even after leading the league in triple-doubles this past year.
Without another wing player of that caliber to compete with, Stephenson will instead be heading into his age-24 season with a roster mostly devoid of playmakers from the shooting guard and small forward positions.
Stephenson gambled on himself by bolting Indiana, accepting a deal for three years with Charlotte that ideally will set him up for an even bigger deal at his age-27 season. Indiana loved to spread the ball around as a team, but Charlotte is not wired quite like that, which is what appealed to the enigmatic shooting guard as an opportunity to capitalize.
The biggest recent improvement in Stephenson's game has been his jumper. He couldn't throw it into the ocean for his first two seasons, but this past year he worked himself into a respectable 35 percent outside shooter. With the majority of Charlotte's shooting gone after this offseason due to McRoberts, Anthony Tolliver and Chris Douglas-Roberts jumping ship, Stephenson will have more freedom to operate.
Stephenson improved markedly last year to the point where he was a borderline All-Star, but with a chip on his shoulder and a bigger role, the table is set for him to keep getting better. He is on a similar team that loves to hit the glass and play defense without aggressively pursuing steals, except now it is a certainty that he will be allowed to create more plays.
The big resource that Stephenson also has at his disposal cannot be overlooked. Of course, I am talking about Michael Jordan.
His Airness finally has a player on the roster whom he can relate to a little bit. Clearly him pummeling MKG in 1-on-1 has gotten the franchise nowhere. Jordan was on-hand during Stephenson's signing of the free-agent contract, and the former Pacer spoke fondly of his new boss.
“He told me what he likes about me, he told me what I need to calm down on,” Stephenson told the Observer after the news conference. “He told me how I can contribute to the team. And he told me he believed in my talent. He likes my competitive edge.”
Learning when to hit the gas and when to pump the brakes is going to be critical in his development, but having guys like Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Steve Clifford and Al Jefferson around should make this a non-issue.
Charlotte has accumulated many strong prospects for the future, but it is difficult to imagine any of them reaching the ceiling that Stephenson presently has. The fit is perfect alongside a fellow slightly braggadocious Big Apple backcourt mate, along with an intense defensive coach and a premier center. It was only fitting that Charlotte would bring in a star who can ruffle a few feathers to help usher in the new era.
Fans should have little doubt about Stephenson's ability to continue his improvement as a scorer, distributor and lockdown defender. The icing on the cake is the playoff experience and confidence that he brings. This is not a team that will be satisfied with being mediocre anymore. Stephenson is another big piece in the continued reinvention of this franchise's makeup.
The buzz is most definitely back, and Stephenson will not have to blow into anyone's ear this time to let it be known. Charlotte is ready to reach the next level with the help of its shiny new toy.
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