Charlotte Hornets Chase Playoff Spot Sans Lance Stephenson
By Phil Watson
When the Charlotte Hornets signed free agent Lance Stephenson to a three-year, $27 million deal last July, no one would have imagined that the club would be struggling down the stretch, trying to secure a second straight playoff berth with their prize catch on the bench.
Fast forward eight months and here we are.
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Stephenson took his second consecutive DNP-Coach’s Decision on Wednesday night as the Hornets beat the Detroit Pistons 102-78 to remain two games behind the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
The Hornets are also 1½ games in back of the ninth-place Boston Celtics.
Coach Steve Clifford was succinct in explaining why Stephenson hasn’t gotten off the pine in the last two games.
“I can’t find a group where we play well when he’s out there,” Clifford said via FOX Sports Carolinas. “I’ve been experimenting with all the things and I can’t find it. …
“I’m just trying to win. Part of my responsibility is to the team. I’m playing the lineups now that I think will work the best. This is like playoff basketball. When you get to that time of year, two minutes here and two minutes there could be your season.”
One thing Clifford did reveal Wednesday night—after general manager Rich Cho had taken the heat for the signing of Stephenson all season long: It was Clifford’s idea.
“Lance is here because of me,” Clifford said. “I’m the one that wanted him.”
Proof yet again that some coaches should leave the personnel decisions to the personnel people.
Regardless of who is ultimately responsible for Stephenson being in Charlotte, the bottom line is that he has been God-awful.
The Hornets have a minus-7.3 points per 100 possessions differential when Stephenson is on the court this season. That turns into a plus-1.0 when he’s not.
Even in the wildest of worst-case scenarios, no one would have figured the Hornets would be 8.3 points worse as a net result of Stephenson’s contributions.
The offense, in particular, has suffered. The Hornets average 97.2 points per 100 possessions with Stephenson and 104.2 without him.
The surprise is the deleterious effect he’s had on the defense, where he was allegedly pretty good. The Hornets surrender 104.4 points per 100 possessions with Stephenson, 103.1 without.
His player efficiency rating is 9.0—well below the NBA average of 15 and the third-lowest in the league among players averaging at least 25 minutes per game and playing in at least 50 games.
After a breakout season in 2013-14 with the Indiana Pacers during which he averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game on .491/.352/.711 shooting, it is almost as if he forgot to pack his game when he left Indianapolis for Charlotte.
Stephenson is averaging 8.3 points, 4.7 boards and 4.1 assists. His shooting is a remarkably bad .377/.160/.620.
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He began the season as a starter, during which the Hornets were 6-19 in his 25 games before he sustained a pelvic strain in mid-December and missed 14 games.
Charlotte went 9-5 without him, including winning streaks of four and five games.
And as the Hornets have gone down the stretch Stephenson’s playing time began to dwindle—from 21 minutes on March 23 in a loss at Chicago, to 14 minutes in a loss to the Nets, to 12 minutes in a loss at Washington, to eight minutes in a win over the Hawks and finally to the ignominious DNO-CD against Boston on Monday.
It’s a fall from grace that has been as rapid as it has been stunning.
In any event—playoffs or no—the biggest offseason priority for Cho, Clifford and the Hornets will be to figure out what’s next for Lance Stephenson because it’s become clear that there is no way the franchise can endure a second season of flushing $9 million down a black hole.
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