Jeremy Lamb: The Development of a Role Player

During his first season with the Charlotte Hornets, Jeremy Lamb has gone from draft bust to reliable role player.

In 2016, we like things to happen fast. Thanks to Apple Music the latest albums are available straight to our phones. No more going out in public and interacting with other human beings to buy copies of music.

Instead of brewing pots of coffee we opt for single-serving Keurig cups to be more efficient. It’s all about speed. We want what we want when we want it and not a second later. So, it makes sense that we would feel this way about our favorite athletes.

When our team drafts the latest hotshot prospect, we expect results as soon as that player steps on the court. There’s no time for development and patience. Either contribute right away or you will be labeled a bust.

But, that’s not always how the NBA works. For every Karl Anthony-Towns or Kristaps Porzingis that bursts onto the scene during their rookie season, there’s a Jimmy Butler or a C.J. McCollum that takes time to reach their full potential. If an organization lacks the patience to stick by a young player while they develop that team runs the risk of watching that player reach their full potential on a different team.

The Charlotte Hornets have been the beneficiaries this season of the impatience of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jeremy Lamb is enjoying a breakout season during his first campaign with the Hornets, perfectly settling into his role as a scorer and rebounder off the bench.

Lamb started his career with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets selected him 12th overall during the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft. However, Lamb would never take the court in Houston. He ended up being one of the centerpieces of a multiplayer trade that would send him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for James Harden.

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The Thunder, and draft analysts, expected Lamb to develop into a potent outside shooter and a player that could eventually replace Harden as a high-scoring sixth man or even the starting shooting guard of the future. Lamb would never reach that ceiling with the Thunder.

His first season he only played 23 games with the Thunder, spending the rest of the season in the NBA Development League. His second season saw things improve significantly. He played in 78 games, averaging 8.5 points per game on 35.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 19.7 minutes per game. Not close to the production James Harden provided during his time in OKC, but Lamb was still showing promise.

The 2014-15 season would be a step back for Lamb in terms of development and production. The Thunder brought in wing players like Anthony Morrow and Dion Waiters which severely cut down on his minutes. His play suffered as well. In 13.5 minutes per game Lamb averaged only 6.3 points on 41.6 percent shooting. Was the pressure of living up to the hype of being traded for an MVP candidate too much to handle or was he just not a very good NBA player? There were more questions than answers for Lamb in Oklahoma City.

During the summer of 2015, the Thunder traded him to the Charlotte Hornets for Luke Ridnour and a second round pick, essentially nothing. It’s a trade that was an absolute steal for the Hornets and a trade that possibly saved Jeremy Lamb’s career.

Lamb has come into his own with the Hornets. He’s found a role that suits him, and he is playing it perfectly.

In 36 games Lamb is averaging 11.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 46.7 percent shooting. He hasn’t shot the ball well from three-point range, he’s currently shooting 31.4 percent from deep, but he makes up for it with efficiency around the rim. Lamb’s shooting percentage at less than three feet from the basket is at 65.3 percent.

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He’s also developed a nifty midrange jumper. Steve Clifford has frequently run Lamb off of screens that end with him curling into a catch and shoot opportunity either at the free-throw line or just in front of it. It’s a shot that Lamb excels at (51.2 percent shooting percentage from between three and ten feet) even if it is a bit peculiar in a league that’s more focused on three-pointers and shots at the rim.

Lamb is a career 34 percent three-point shooter, so as the season progresses expect his outside shooting numbers to creep up near league average. If that doesn’t happen, he could improve his overall numbers by cutting down on outside shots and attacking the basket.

He’s made an effort to do that this season, but there’s still room for improvement. Particularly when it comes to getting to the free-throw line. He’s only attempting 2.1 free-throws per 36 minutes despite his improved ability to get to the rim. He’s an 83 percent foul shooter for his career, more trips to the line can only be a good thing for Lamb and the Hornets.

Before the season was even two weeks old the Hornets signed Lamb to a three-year, $21 million contract extension. It’s a deal that looks like it’s going to work out well for both sides. The Hornets have a reasonably priced double-digit scorer off the bench and Lamb has a contract that pays him $7 million per season, a figure many would have deemed an overpay before his recent play.

Lamb is only 23, and given his unexpected development this season, there’s still hope that he could get even better. Sometimes a change of scenery can be the best thing for a professional athlete. With Lamb that certainly appears to be the case.

After a promising start, the Hornets have fallen back to earth. Their 17-20 record has them within striking distance of the playoffs with plenty of time left to correct their course, but the turnaround has to happen soon.

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Even if this season doesn’t end with a playoff appearance, they can take solace in the fact that they’ve seen development from Lamb and that he will be an important part of their rotation for the foreseeable future.