We Are Stuck With Him - The Lance Stephenson Thread II

[Liver_Pooty]

When and if we do trade him the amount of trash he's going to talk about Clifford will be insane.

[HornetJail]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/DustinPhifer/status/572969092908490752[/tweet]

I wish you could control the ball

[yosemiteben]

Once Kemba comes back there will be literally no point in playing Lance. He is terrible off the ball and plays poor defense. I think this is the beginning of the end for his PT here.

[Benjamin Linus]

He has to step it up next year, right? I mean, it will be a contract year for him. How much do you think he'll make if he continues to play like this? The minimum?

[BeesWax]

He has to step it up next year, right? I mean, it will be a contract year for him. How much do you think he'll make if he continues to play like this? The minimum?

I don't know. How much do they pay in China?

[LamarMatic7]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/rick_bonnell/status/573293685925912576[/tweet]

[yosemiteben]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/rick_bonnell/status/573293685925912576[/tweet]

Well that's interesting.

[TheKingofSting]

I didn't see that coming.

[Liver_Pooty]

This man better live in the gym in the offseason and put this season behind him.

[TheKingofSting]

I know he can do it I just hope he does.

[therebirth]

But it is so much easier to blame every bad signing on mj.

[yosemiteben]

To say Lance Stephenson’s first season in Charlotte hasn’t gone well is an understatement.

The Brooklyn native signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Hornets last summer — with the third year a team option — after spending the first four years of his NBA career playing for the Pacers. He gave up an offer of similar annual money in favor of a chance at a bigger role.

It’s a choice that, so far, looks like a disastrous one. After being part of a core in Indiana that gave the Heat all it could handle in three straight playoff losses, Stephenson’s season has been off the rails almost from Day 1 in Charlotte.

He hasn’t started a game since the New Year, he was the subject of trade rumors for two months leading up to the trade deadline, but the Hornets couldn’t find a taker, and he has dealt with various injuries that have caused him to miss double-digit games.

It’s far from the leading role into which many expected he would grow. Hornets coach Steve Clifford said that has been part of the problem.

“I think first of all, in some ways expectations were a little out of whack,” Clifford said before his Hornets beat the Nets, 115-91, at Barclays Center on Wednesday night. “I think secondly, he’s a young player, and unlike a guy like Mo Williams, who has played for seven coaches, seven systems and is used to adapting to new teammates and new cities, this is the first time.

“Lance played for one team, one coach with the same teammates for four years. … I think his injuries, though not significant, have hurt him from getting into the kind of rhythm he wanted to get into to play well.

“The reality is it is always going to play out. Some guys take longer. … I need to learn to do better to help him. It’s never one thing, but we also, we have 24 games left, and if we’re going to make it we need a couple guys to emerge, and he may be that guy.”

Stephenson’s season-long woes continued in Tuesday night’s home win over the Lakers, when he was benched for the entire second half after committing three turnovers in quick succession during his 10 first-half minutes.

He was a non-factor in his lone game this season in Brooklyn, his home borough, playing 21 minutes — and only a few meaningful ones — off the bench in Charlotte’s win Wednesday. He finished the game with six points, three rebounds and an assist, but was a non-factor, with his most explosive moment coming on a failed attempt to dunk over Mason Plumlee in the fourth quarter, when the Hornets had the game already well in hand.

“It’s tough,” the Nets’ Deron Williams said when asked why he thought Stephenson’s change of address has gone so poorly. “It’s a transition. It’s a new everything for him. That’s how things go sometimes.”

At various points leading up to the trade deadline, it seemed as if Stephenson might be headed home to Brooklyn. One specific trade in January that nearly came to fruition would have sent Brook Lopez to the Thunder as part of a three-team deal.

But that trade fell through, no others materialized, and now it’s up to Stephenson, Clifford and the Hornets to figure out a way to navigate the final six weeks of the regular season as Charlotte tries to snag one of the final two open playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. They sat in eighth place, half a game ahead of the Pacers and a game ahead of the Nets, after Wednesday’s win.

“I don’t think [the expectations] are unfair,” Clifford said. “I just think it’s part of our league. One of the reasons that these jobs are such great jobs are you have great players, great fans and media. It’s all fair. … I just think that because he played, and played well, by the way, in very big games, [they’re higher].

“I think it’ll play out [on the court], but the ‘He’s a great player,’ or this and that … he can be an excellent player, but to be a great player in this league, you have to do it over time, and it’ll play out.”

NY Post

Interesting quotes from Clifford, though nothing ground breaking.

[countryboi]

To say Lance Stephenson’s first season in Charlotte hasn’t gone well is an understatement.

The Brooklyn native signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Hornets last summer — with the third year a team option — after spending the first four years of his NBA career playing for the Pacers. He gave up an offer of similar annual money in favor of a chance at a bigger role.

It’s a choice that, so far, looks like a disastrous one. After being part of a core in Indiana that gave the Heat all it could handle in three straight playoff losses, Stephenson’s season has been off the rails almost from Day 1 in Charlotte.

He hasn’t started a game since the New Year, he was the subject of trade rumors for two months leading up to the trade deadline, but the Hornets couldn’t find a taker, and he has dealt with various injuries that have caused him to miss double-digit games.

It’s far from the leading role into which many expected he would grow. Hornets coach Steve Clifford said that has been part of the problem.

“I think first of all, in some ways expectations were a little out of whack,” Clifford said before his Hornets beat the Nets, 115-91, at Barclays Center on Wednesday night. “I think secondly, he’s a young player, and unlike a guy like Mo Williams, who has played for seven coaches, seven systems and is used to adapting to new teammates and new cities, this is the first time.

“Lance played for one team, one coach with the same teammates for four years. … I think his injuries, though not significant, have hurt him from getting into the kind of rhythm he wanted to get into to play well.

“The reality is it is always going to play out. Some guys take longer. … I need to learn to do better to help him. It’s never one thing, but we also, we have 24 games left, and if we’re going to make it we need a couple guys to emerge, and he may be that guy.”

Stephenson’s season-long woes continued in Tuesday night’s home win over the Lakers, when he was benched for the entire second half after committing three turnovers in quick succession during his 10 first-half minutes.

He was a non-factor in his lone game this season in Brooklyn, his home borough, playing 21 minutes — and only a few meaningful ones — off the bench in Charlotte’s win Wednesday. He finished the game with six points, three rebounds and an assist, but was a non-factor, with his most explosive moment coming on a failed attempt to dunk over Mason Plumlee in the fourth quarter, when the Hornets had the game already well in hand.

“It’s tough,” the Nets’ Deron Williams said when asked why he thought Stephenson’s change of address has gone so poorly. “It’s a transition. It’s a new everything for him. That’s how things go sometimes.”

At various points leading up to the trade deadline, it seemed as if Stephenson might be headed home to Brooklyn. One specific trade in January that nearly came to fruition would have sent Brook Lopez to the Thunder as part of a three-team deal.

But that trade fell through, no others materialized, and now it’s up to Stephenson, Clifford and the Hornets to figure out a way to navigate the final six weeks of the regular season as Charlotte tries to snag one of the final two open playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. They sat in eighth place, half a game ahead of the Pacers and a game ahead of the Nets, after Wednesday’s win.

“I don’t think [the expectations] are unfair,” Clifford said. “I just think it’s part of our league. One of the reasons that these jobs are such great jobs are you have great players, great fans and media. It’s all fair. … I just think that because he played, and played well, by the way, in very big games, [they’re higher].

“I think it’ll play out [on the court], but the ‘He’s a great player,’ or this and that … he can be an excellent player, but to be a great player in this league, you have to do it over time, and it’ll play out.”

NY Post

Interesting quotes from Clifford, though nothing ground breaking.

he sounds like a guy that things Lance can still play and help....but that may just be coach talk.

[Hornet Mania]

Well there goes any hope of benching Lance if he continues to play poorly. I understand optimism and trying to believe in your guys but...honestly, I just don't see anything changing with Lance.

[gipper08]

Lance needs to change his game(for now). Forget about the assist and getting guys easy shots and WAITING on them to cut/get open. Just focus and scoring and getting your best shots for you. Get to the hole with ONLY a scorer's mentality. If an assist opens up great, but look for your shots and drive hard.

Don't set the man up with your dribble in the halfcourt. get it and go. If you need space beyond bodying up, use shot fakes/headfakes. Do not use the dribble.

[Eoghan]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/rick_bonnell/status/573293685925912576[/tweet]

[JDR720]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/SInow/status/573954804831100928[/tweet]

[Elden Payton]

It's not all on Lance.

We can't hold the disappointment of our season to him imo.

Great article, cheers JDR.

[yosemiteben]

It's not all on Lance.

We can't hold the disappointment of our season to him imo.

He's been by far the biggest disappointment. He was supposed to be an upgrade, but he's been the least valuable player on our team.

[Elden Payton]

It's not all on Lance.

We can't hold the disappointment of our season to him imo.

He's been by far the biggest disappointment. He was supposed to be an upgrade, but he's been the least valuable player on our team.

Yeah I agree that he has but a myriad of things have gone wrong this season and they're not all on Lance.