Lance Stephenson hurt by Hornets trade, was 'mentally down' last season
Don't let Lance Stephenson's on-court braggadocio fool you. Born Ready is still human, and the enigmatic guard admitted he was hurt by the Charlotte Hornets' decision to trade him to the Los Angeles Clippers after only one season.
"It just didn't work," Stephenson told Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling about his brief Hornets tenure. "I felt like me and Kemba (Walker) do the same type of stuff, and it just didn't click."
Stephenson signed with the Hornets last summer after a breakout season with the Indiana Pacers in 2013-14, then logged less than 26 minutes per game in only 61 contests with Charlotte.
| Lance Stephenson | MPG | PPG | eFG% | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 (Pacers) | 35.3 | 13.8 | 54.0 | 7.2 | 4.6 |
| 2014-15 (Hornets) | 25.8 | 8.2 | 39.3 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
"And then my jump shot wasn't falling, so it was a tough season," Stephenson told Zwerling. "I had toe and groin injuries. I'm telling you, this was worse than my rookie year when I didn't even play. I was really mentally down."
In a separate piece published Wednesday on The Players' Tribune, Stephenson wrote that he believes Clippers president and head coach Doc Rivers will help him bounce back.
"I have the utmost respect for him," Stephenson said of Rivers. "He has an ability to analyze players and figure out a way to make the most of their abilities. He puts you in the best position to succeed on the floor."
Stephenson will earn $9 million next season, with the Clippers holding a team option for 2016-17. The 24-year-old said he tried not to pay attention to the amount of money teams spent on free agents this summer.
"It's not about the money; it's about status," Stephenson told Zwerling. "I want to be ranked amongst all the players. I don't want to just have all this money. I want to be that guy."
Stephenson also touched on the offseason drama surrounding new teammate DeAndre Jordan, who appeared Dallas-bound before spurning the Mavericks to return to the Clippers. Stephenson said he was "about to cry" when he heard Jordan was leaving.
The famous Brooklynite already has a specific goal in mind as he looks ahead to playing for L.A.
"I want to be the best rebounding guard," Stephenson said.
If he plays and shoots well enough to stay on the floor for Doc Rivers' team, that shouldn't be a problem: Stephenson led all guards in rebounding (7.2 per game) during that aforementioned 2013-14 season, collecting 11.4 percent of available boards.
Only eight other guards 6-foot-5 or smaller have rebounded at such rates in NBA history.