Charlotte Hornets: Jeremy Lamb Looks To Bounce Back From Inconsistent Season
After losing several key role players from last season’s 48-win team, the Charlotte Hornets will expect more production from Jeremy Lamb. Can he bounce back from an inconsistent season?
Jeremy Lamb knows all about expectations. That’s what happens when you’re involved in a trade for a player that becomes a superstar.
It’s easy to forget how difficult it is to succeed in the NBA. The best of the best make it look so easy. But, for every superstar there is a journeyman that struggles to carve out a niche in the league.
Players have to overcome obstacle after obstacle. Obstacles come in the form of other players trying to take their jobs, their own bodies breaking down due to injuries, and even the weight of expectations placed on their shoulders.
Being part of the James Harden trade was a blessing and a curse for Lamb, it seems. A blessing because, initially, it allowed him to play for a team that was ready to compete for a championship.
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A curse because no matter what he does, for the rest of his career, he’s never going to measure up to Harden.
Last season appeared to be the start of something special for Lamb, early on at least. Three years after the infamous trade he was now a member of the Charlotte Hornets, after his time in Oklahoma City didn’t go as well as either side had hoped.
The Hornets showed faith in their recent acquisition two weeks into the season by inking him to a three-year $21 million contract extension.
The beginning of the season made that contract look like a steal. For the first time he looked like a solid NBA role player. Through 36 games he was developing into a vital bench piece for the Hornets.
At that time, he was averaging 11.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 46.7 percent shooting. A willingness to attack the rim and an improved mid-range jumper made him a valuable scorer off the bench.
Frequently paired with Jeremy Lin, the two Jeremys became fan favorites at Time Warner Cable Arena. Lin’s success lasted all season, Lamb’s did not.
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Swarm and Sting
Unfortunately for Lamb, an NBA season is a long and arduous grind. A sprained toe, sore hip, and sore wrist started his decline. Once he was healthy again his production still dipped.
His stellar play turned out to be unsustainable, a flash in the pan.
By March there would be games where he would struggle to even get onto the court. The dreaded “DNP-CD” next to his name became a regular sight in the Charlotte box score. He only played in three of Charlotte’s seven playoff games against the Miami Heat, totaling 11 minutes played.
His final season averages dipped to 8..8 points per game on 45.1 percent shooting and a dismal 30.9 percent from three-point range.
He also struggled defensively. After a game in January, back when his offensive output was still impressing,
Steve Clifford seemed to call him out after a particularly troublesome defensive performance against the Phoenix Suns. This quote from Rick Bonnell’s game story that night was quite telling, and was indicative of the frustrations Clifford would have all season with Lamb’s defense.
"“A lot of it is just one-on-one. You don’t have to make a stop, but you have to make it hard (to score) so we can help.”It was obvious Clifford’s comments above applied to Jeremy Lamb. He entered this game with a sore wrist and hip suffered against the Warriors. But Lamb played all of seven minutes – none in the second half – and Clifford said health had nothing to do with the decision not to use Lamb."
Clifford can forgive a few missed shots, but the one thing he doesn’t stand for is defensive lapses. Once Lamb’s offensive performance started to suffer there was no reason to keep him in the rotation.
This season Clifford will have no choice. Lamb has to play significant minutes.
Jeremy Lin and Courtney Lee are both in the Big Apple which means the Hornets need Lamb to be more consistent on both ends of the court.
Ramon Sessions and Marco Belinelli don’t exactly scream “offensive firepower” or “defensive stopper,” Lamb and Frank Kaminsky are arguably the best scorers Charlotte has on their bench.
Lamb seems focused on improving his game in 2016-17. In a video on NBA.com he discussed his summer and how he is working on getting better and focusing on his physical strength.
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“You know, I’ve been in Charlotte pretty much the whole time, trying to stay around the coaches and get their feedback,” Lamb said. “I’ve been working on my mindset and my physical strength. Just trying to get better every day.”
He also notes that he will try to “keep my mindset positive, whether things are going good or bad.” Having the right mindset can be helpful when navigating the peaks and valleys of an NBA season. So can being in better physical shape.
Would Lamb have struggled so mightily towards the end of last season had injuries not slowed him down?
The opportunity is there for him to be an impact player on this team. They don’t have the depth to bury him on the bench if his defense suffers, so his minutes should remain consistent for most of the season.
At only 24-years old there’s still hope for Lamb. His contract with the Hornets runs through the 2018-19 season, so they have an incentive to get him playing time and help him develop.
The expectations are no longer monumental. All that’s left is for Lamb to put together a full season of consistent play.