Hornets' Stephenson surprised by benching: 'I feel like I can help this group'
Hopes and expectations were high when shooting guard Lance Stephenson unexpectedly chose the Charlotte Hornets in free agency last summer.
The thinking was, Stephenson would bolster an already stout defensive backcourt while adding a much-needed dash of freewheeling creativity to a stagnant offense.
Things haven't exactly worked out that way - for the Hornets or Stephenson. While the team's defense has mostly held steady, the offense has actually gotten worse, ranking 28th in the NBA.
Stephenson deserves a good deal of the blame. His numbers have cratered after a career year, and his shooting touch seems to have completely abandoned him. He's shooting 37.7 percent from the field and 16 (!) percent from 3-point range. As bad as the Hornets' offense has been, it's been 7.2 points per-100 possessions worse with him on the floor.
So here we are. The Hornets (who have actually outscored their opponents this season with Stephenson on the bench) are 10 games under .500 with eight to play, and are lucky to still have a puncher's chance at an Eastern Conference playoff spot. With every game from now on effectively "the most important game of the season," Stephenson has found himself out of the rotation, receiving DNP-CDs in the team's last two contests.
As the Hornets prepared to take on his former team, the Indiana Pacers, in a must-win for both teams on Friday night, Stephenson admitted to being surprised by the recent benchings.
"Definitely I'm surprised," Stephenson said, according to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. "I feel like I can help this group but it's out of my hands and I'm just (trying to) stay ready and stay focused."
Hornets coach Steve Clifford seems as disappointed as anyone that things have gotten to this point, but can't see any way around it.
"Lance is here because of me. I'm the one that wanted Lance," Clifford said. "It's simply that I can't find a group that plays well when he's out there."
Stephenson looked back nostalgically on his time with the Pacers, when he seemed to feel more comfortable in his own skin.
"I feel like the Pacers' system, I could play freely and I could be myself," he said. "Here, it's like I got a little button on me, like, 'Dang! Don't do that.' I've just got to be able to play free and play relaxed and play through mistakes."
His old coach, Frank Vogel, also expressed concern.
"I just hope he's doing OK," Vogel said. "It's a tough situation for everyone. I'm not involved with it so I don't know the ins and outs to what's led to that. But I'm very fond of Lance and I want to see him do well, so hopefully it turns around for him."
Asked whether he'd take a mulligan on free agency if he had the chance, Stephenson wouldn't bite.
"I have no regrets," he said. "Just learning this system and trying to be the best player I can be here."