Sitting dead last in the Southeast Division, the Charlotte Hornets are failing to live up to the expectations that sprouted from the franchise's playoff appearance last season and their signing of Lance Stephenson over the offseason.
Unfortunately, the Stephenson acquisition has yet to pan out for the purple and teal. The former Indiana Pacer is averaging just 9.7 PPG, while shooting 36 percent; the statistics are less than ideal.
After 16 games, it's at least possible that we may have expected too much too soon from Born Ready. At least, that's what his head coach Steve Clifford was telling onlookers when he spoke with the media yesterday, according to ESPN's Michael Wallace:
"To be fair, one of the things that's made it more difficult for him is that he came here and people proclaimed him as the next superstar," Clifford said Wednesday. "He's not a star. He's a guy that has talent to become a star. To be a star in this league, you have to do it over years."
Wallace also made mention of the fact that Stephenson has rode the bench in the fourth quarter during the team's last two games. When asked about the mysterious absences, Stephenson had little to say:
"I'm not hurt. I'm healthy," said Stephenson, who has seen his playing time reduced over each of the past five games. "There are no more excuses. Hey, it's Coach's decision if he doesn't want to play me in the fourth [quarter]. I'm just going to continue to work hard and do what it takes to win games."
Did we set the bar too high for Stephenson, or is it simply too early to say? Stephenson is hardly the only reason why the Hornets are struggling right now. So, while it's safe to conclude that his current production isn't befitting of a star (much less a $27 million contract), it's equally clear that the relationship between Stephenson is the Hornets is still very new. Let's at least wait until the All-Star break before we start panicking about Born Ready's flagging numbers.
[via Pro Basketball Talk]
