Jeremy Lamb to Hornets: Guard Will Get Chance to Showcase Skills in Charlotte
Jeremy Lamb can't single-handedly solve the Charlotte Hornets' three-point shooting problems, but he can be a part of the solution.
The team formally announced Thursday that it had acquired Lamb from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Luke Ridnour and a 2016 second-round draft pick. The deal came a day after the Hornets confirmed they sent Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh to the Portland Trail Blazers for Nicolas Batum.
"Jeremy Lamb is a quality young wing player who we believe has the talent to help our team," said Hornets general manager Rich Cho in the press release. "We look forward to adding him to our rotation next season."
Lamb has been a long-term target for Charlotte. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported on January 15 that he was a piece in a potential three-team deal involving Brook Lopez and Lance Stephenson. While that trade fell through, the Hornets eventually got their man.
Over his three-year career to date, the 23-year-old hasn't exactly been a difference-maker on the court. He averaged 7.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists a game in Oklahoma City. His per-36 numbers (16.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG) are a little more impressive.
Lamb is also a career 34.8 percent three-point shooter. While that might not sound too great, it's worth noting just how bad the Hornets have been from behind the arc over the past five years:
| 2010-11 | 393 (27th) | 1203 (26th) | .327 (29th) | .189 (23rd) | .482 (25th) |
| 2011-12 | 263 (29th) | 892 (27th) | .295 (30th) | .169 (27th) | .439 (30th) |
| 2012-13 | 469 (27th) | 1,399 (26th) | .335 (27th) | .210 (25th) | .460 (30th) |
| 2013-14 | 516 (25th) | 1,471 (27th) | .351 (23rd) | .219 (27th) | .481 (25th) |
| 2014-15 | 498 (26th) | 1,566 (24th) | .318 (30th) | .226 (24th) | .456 (30th) |
It would be unrealistic to expect Lamb to transform overnight and become the second coming of Kyle Korver, but some level of improvement is quite possible in 2015-16. We're talking about a player who's still in his early 20s and only just coming into his prime.
This isn't like Charlotte signing Lance Stephenson last year to try to get better on the perimeter. Lamb is a more proven commodity with regard to long-range shooting.
A change of scenery might also be just what the doctor ordered for his career in general.
One could argue that Lamb, one of the centerpieces in the deal that saw James Harden move to the Houston Rockets, was set up to fail in Oklahoma City from the very beginning. Lamb and Harden would be inextricably linked for as long as Lamb remained with the Thunder.
Suffice it to say, Lamb hasn't quite matched Harden's production. And with each disappointing season he had, the more OKC fans essentially held the Harden trade against him. He was a constant reminder of the team the Thunder once had.
Lamb's inability to spread the floor for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook was a glaring problem, as evidenced by general manager Sam Presti's desire to add Dion Waiters to the fold.
ESPN.com's Royce Young added his thoughts on why Lamb couldn't make it work with the Thunder:
Now that he'll be away from Oklahoma City and outside of Harden's massive shadow, Lamb may finally prove why Houston drafted him 12th overall in 2012, and why the Thunder traded for him in the first place. He's still young, and plenty of past NBA players haven't fully blossomed until after four or five years in the league.
Playing with Kemba Walker, a teammate at Connecticut for a season, might also serve to benefit Lamb.
At this stage, it's fair to say that Lamb doesn't have the look of a potential All-Star, but he could certainly become a solid contributor in the Hornets rotation over the next few years.
Note: Stats are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
