Charlotte Hornets: Frank Kaminsky is Showing Improvement

After a slow start, Charlotte Hornets forward Frank Kaminsky is developing into a solid NBA player.

Flash back to June 25, 2015. That was the day of the 2015 NBA Draft. After a mediocre regular season that saw them finish with a 33-49 record, the Charlotte Hornets sat with the ninth overall pick. Not typically an area where you expect to nab a franchise changing player.

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As the big names trickled off the board it was clear that one player that scouts were salivating over heading into the draft was slipping. That player was Duke wing Justise Winslow. Winslow was regarded as a raw offensive player, but one who could instantly enter the league and impact games with his advanced defensive ability. He is similar in that regard to current Charlotte Hornet Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

When the ninth pick rolled around Winslow was still on the board and the Hornets had a big decision to make. Do they grab the potentially elite talent that they didn’t realize would be available when they picked or do they stick to their guns and take the player they had their eye on all along?

Then, the Boston Celtics made it even more interesting. According to several reports, the Celtics offered Charlotte six draft picks, four of them being first round picks, for the right to slide into the ninth spot to draft the aforementioned Winslow. Many have deemed the proposed deal a “Godfather offer”. How could the Hornets refuse?

In the end the front office was not swayed by Winslow’s elite defensive potential or Boston’s bounty of draft picks. Michael Jordan, Rich Cho, and the rest of the brain trust took the player they reportedly wanted going into the draft. That player was former Wisconsin Badger and NCAA Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky.

It was a polarizing decision within the fan-base and one that drew criticism from the media, especially after the reports of Boston’s significant offer came out. There’s no changing the past, though. The Hornets wanted Kaminsky and they got Kaminsky. It was then time to turn him into an NBA player.

There was still plenty to like about Kaminsky after watching his senior season at Wisconsin. He may not have the physical gifts of some of the other top prospects, but he is smart basketball player and one that looked like he would be NBA ready right away. Not to mention he has an entertaining habit of breaking out funky dance moves, though that won’t help on the court.

Over four years at Wisconsin, Kaminsky developed from a little used role player to one of the best players in the country. During his senior season he even led the Badgers to the NCAA Championship Game. Kaminsky was a floor stretching big man that scored 18.8 points per game and shot 41.6 percent from three-point range.

The Hornets expected him to bring that same skill set to their post rotation this season. Steve Clifford and company intended to remodel their offense around three-point shooting and ball movement, Kaminsky figured to be a huge part of that evolution.

Unfortunately, his NBA career got off to a slow start. While Winslow was locking people down in Miami, Kaminsky was struggling to find minutes during the first two weeks of the season. As modern sports fans we crave instant results and lack the patience we once had to allow young players to develop at a slower pace.

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Kaminsky seemed to be a bit shy early in the season. He was playing limited minutes and was reluctant to pull the trigger even when he got open looks from outside. He was also struggling with the physicality of defending NBA centers and power forwards. Kaminsky was used to be taller and at least as strong as his opponents in college, the NBA was a whole new ballgame.

Then, it started to click. Since a DNP in the tenth game of the season against the Portland Trail Blazers Kaminsky has played at least ten minutes in each of his last ten games, usually averaging around 17 to 23 minutes per night. For the season Kaminsky is averaging 11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per 36 minutes on 41.9 percent shooting and 41.9 percent from outside.

One of the silver linings from Golden State’s recent beat down of Charlotte last week was more time on the floor for Kaminsky. In 27 minutes Kaminsky poured in a career high 16 points on 3-of-3 shooting from three-point range. It was the first taste of what Kaminsky is capable of when he gets major minutes and gets hot from outside.

He’s become more confident with his outside stroke and has knocked down 13 three-pointers on the season. After a difficult preseason, and Steve Clifford’s reluctance to play him significant minutes early in the regular season, Kaminsky looks like the floor stretching big Charlotte expected him to be back in June.

There are still weaknesses to his game, but for now the spacing he provides with his three-point shooting will make up for those deficiencies. His post-game leaves much to be desired, he’s only shooting 41.8 percent on two-point shots, and his defense is improving yet inconsistent.

However, Kaminsky is proving he has what he takes to be a legitimate NBA big man and that may give Charlotte the ability to let Al Jefferson walk in free agency after the season. That would give them the financial flexibility to max out Nicolas Batum and chase some other pieces next summer.

Next: Nicolas Batum Leading Charlotte to Solid Start

You could still make the argument that they should have taken Winslow or accepted Boston’s hefty trade offer, but for the moment Frank Kaminsky appears to be finding his footing in the NBA. Perhaps Michael Jordan wasn’t so crazy after all.

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