The Pundits are leery of giving Lance what he's about to receive. From ESPN Insiders 5 on 5, the question is "Which Free Agent Would You Not Touch With a Ten Foot Pole?"
Elhassan: Almost every player in the NBA is desirable for the right price, but I think I'd steer clear of Lance Stephenson, absent a tremendous discount (which does not seem realistic after he turned down a reported $44 million deal from the Indiana Pacers). I think Stephenson is the type of player who benefits from a very particular set of circumstances: a rigid structure, strong leadership in both the locker room and the front office, and a no-nonsense attitude from his teammates and coaches. When he's in check, he's a tremendous talent, but his maturity issues can drag him down.
Ford: Lance Stephenson. Lance has tons of talent, but he's inconsistent, still shows signs of major immaturity and he's done that playing in a contract year. What happens when he gets big-time guaranteed money? The Pacers were able to control him, in part, by surrounding him with veterans and an intricate player development program. If he's on his own as a star, you could see the second coming of J.R. Smith.
Penn: Lance Stephenson. Give me a 12-foot pole, maybe. He's too erratic, too volatile -- on and off the court. You don't know what you're getting quarter-to-quarter with him, and it's really hard to build a culture around that with other quality, high-IQ guys.
Thorpe: If I had to pick one high-dollar guy who would scare me the most, assuming he signed for a fair contract, I'd say it's Stephenson. He just seems like the opposite of what the Spurs and Heat had the past two years. When every single player buys into the concepts and mindset of a team, it gives a team its best chance to win big and survive late into the playoffs. I don't trust Lance to do that. Still, I allow for the likelihood that he will grow up, mature and fall in line, eventually.
I'm sure every employee in Charlotte Douglas will know if Lance Stephenson flies in.
