Hornets' Henderson: 'I don't feel I played my best [last season]'
Charlotte Hornets wing Gerald Henderson believes he didn't perform up to snuff last season despite posting respectable numbers across the board.
“I don’t feel I played my best. It was an up-and-down year,” Henderson told the Charlotte Observer. “For how I played the last 30 to 40 games of the 2012-13 season, I just didn’t play as well.”
Henderson averaged 14 points, four rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in 2013-14, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from deep. Those numbers are certainly acceptable for a starting wing, but pale in comparison to the aforementioned 30-game stretch in 2013, when the Duke product averaged 18.9 points on 46.2 percent shooting.
Henderson's dip in performance prompted the Hornets to upgrade on the wing this offseason. In addition to drafting sharpshooting guard P.J. Hairston, Charlotte also inked talented guard Lance Stephenson. As a result, Henderson's starting role isn't guaranteed for the first time in three seasons.
The former first-round pick is fine with the competition, though, calling it "good." Henderson notes that, "What’s important is how these guys shape a winning basketball team."
Given his reliable spot-up shooting and sturdy defense, it's unlikely Henderson loses his job to the rookie Hairston, so long as he continues to remain effective and reliable.
However, a return to his 2013 form would certainly be ideal for both Henderson and the Hornets.