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Lance Stephenson: I wasn't treated like a star in Charlotte, didn't get the ball

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Last summer, the Charlotte Hornets thought they had a steal when they signed Lance Stephenson to a three-year, $27-million contract.

Here was a 6-foot-6 guard who could handle the ball, create his own shot, chip in on the glass, set up his teammates, and shoot from deep. Stephenson seemed like the missing piece on a Hornets team looking to build upon a promising 43-win season.

Hornets general manager Rich Cho went so far as to hail Stephenson as "one of the best young players in the league."

It was all for naught, however, as Stephenson was nothing short of a disaster. He averaged 6.6 points and 3.4 turnovers per game on 26.7 percent shooting over his first five games in Charlotte, before finishing the campaign with averages of 8.2 points and 2.1 turnovers on 37.6 percent shooting from the floor.

Looking back, Stephenson - who was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason - didn't feel like received the star treatment.

"I don't feel that," Stephenson told the OC County Register's Dan Woike of Cho's starry comments. "I was just sitting in the corner. That's not trying to be a star. A star normally gets the ball."

Stephenson has a point about not receiving the amount of touches a star player normally commands. Stephenson averaged the fifth most touches per game on the Hornets last year, behind decidedly average players in Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller, per NBA Stats.

When he had the ball, however, Stephenson would often refuse to pass. He averaged the most time of possession for a non-point guard, while putting up a career high in usage rate.

Stephenson blames that on the Hornets for misusing his skillset.

"I think the way they wanted me to be a star isn't the way my game is," Stephenson said.

Conversely, Stephenson feels far more comfortable in Clippers head coach Doc Rivers' system, despite his struggles in preseason thus far.

"I've got the ball in my hands," Stephenson said about the Clippers' offense. "We're moving; we're screening for each other. Everybody touches the ball in this unit."

The biggest difference, meanwhile, may be the expectations surrounding Stephenson. Instead of being asked to be a star, he'll be looked upon as one of many talented pieces on the Clippers' bench. That should afford Rivers the luxury of giving Stephenson a more defined role, instead of asking him to carry the offense.

"We're excited to have him here," Rivers said of Stephenson.

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