Lance Stephenson played well with the Indiana Pacers and it was expected that he would be a significant help to the Charlotte Hornets. It was not a unanimous decision however, there were concerns about how well he would fit with the team and those concerns ended up being justified.
Stephenson shot 37.6 percent from the field, 19.1 percent from 3-point range and 62.7 percent from the free-throw line. His usage rate was actually higher than it was in Indiana but if you ask Stephenson, he wasn’t given the chance to do much.
Lance on being cast as a star in CHA ““I was just sitting in the corner. That’s not trying to be a star. A star normally gets the ball.”
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) October 12, 2015
Stephenson is right that he wasn’t treated like a “star” and it’s because he wasn’t one. Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford said early last season that he had a long way to go in that regard. Point guard Kemba Walker and center Al Jefferson were the two top options there. Stephenson shot 18 percent on catch-and-shoot attempts and, when he did try to create, bad things usually happened.
With the Clippers, Stephenson wlil again have to deal with standing on the perimeter and playing off other players. He will be given the opportunity to make plays, but he can’t be the focal point. With Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Jamal Crawford on the roster, Stephenson is going to be challenged to do what he couldn’t do with the Hornets: fit in.
