We Are Stuck With Him - The Lance Stephenson Thread II

Braggins · Post #1041 » by **Braggins** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 9:17 pm

yosemiteben wrote:Somehow this game was an improvement despite him only shooting 5 - 15 from the field. I think it's because he looked more committed on defense.

I've felt this way the last few games. He has played good defense, gotten some nice assists, and not turned the ball over. If he hits two more shots then its a really good game for him. Dude has just inexplicably lost his shot. I don't know that I've ever seen anything like it. Luckily, we have a miracle worker, when it comes to shooting, on our staff. MKG and Lance are going to really get to know each other this summer locked in a gym with Mark Price.

Liver_Pooty · Post #1042 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:08 pm

Braggins wrote:
yosemiteben wrote:Somehow this game was an improvement despite him only shooting 5 - 15 from the field. I think it's because he looked more committed on defense.

I've felt this way the last few games. He has played good defense, gotten some nice assists, and not turned the ball over. If he hits two more shots then its a really good game for him. Dude has just inexplicably lost his shot. I don't know that I've ever seen anything like it. Luckily, we have a miracle worker, when it comes to shooting, on our staff. MKG and Lance are going to really get to know each other this summer locked in a gym with Mark Price.

Hopefully Lance stays in Charlotte most of the offseason instead of spending the entire time in Brooklyn.

Post #1043 » by **yosemiteben** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:09 pm

I'm skeptical that Lance will be on our roster at the beginning of next season. We tried like hell to move him before the trade deadline - I think they move him in the offseason if they get a chance.

Who knows, it's going to be an interesting offseason regardless of how this season ends.

Braggins · Post #1044 » by **Braggins** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:17 pm

We will definitely try to move him this off-season, barring some sort of impossibly miraculous turnaround. I still don't know if that is a good or a bad thing. This situation is so bizarre.

I definitely think Lance staying in Brooklyn and his off-season in general are major factors in how he has played. I think he knew he was about to get a big contract, and got complacent or over-confident and stayed in Brooklyn playing street-ball all summer instead of working on his game and getting in shape. If he was putting up shots in the off-season there is no way his shooting could regress this much in such a short amount of time. He came into the season unprepared but also expecting to have a big year and win a bunch of games. Instead, everything fell to pieces for himself and the team and he seems to be mentally shattered.

I don't think its impossible or even unlikely that he could turn his game around by spending the next off-season working out in Charlotte, and most importantly working with Mark Price (who hopefully isn't a head coach somewhere, unless its here lol).

Hornet Mania · Post #1045 » by **Hornet Mania** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 2:02 pm

Yep, a trade in the offseason would be best for both parties.

I have zero confidence Lance will turn it around elsewhere though, to be honest. I'm not actively rooting against him or anything, I just see nothing to suggest it will happen. He does not play smart basketball and that isn't likely to change anytime soon. Indiana was the perfect cocoon for him to thrive in, and a glance at the numbers last year still look pretty mediocre. I'm not sure he'll ever find a situation that good again.

tondi123 · Post #1046 » by **tondi123** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 2:11 pm

Lances performance has improved from historically bad train wreck to only disappointing over the last few weeks. I don't know if its him getting healthy, getting comfortable with the second unit, or not pressing as much to justify his big contract, but its still progress. If nothing else, if it continues it may make it much easier to dump him this offseason.

Eoghan · Post #1047 » by **Eoghan** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 8:53 pm

Did anybody see that weird camera shot last game of Lance walking? It looked like Lance was grimacing and massaging his groin but there was no audio or anything, like it was a mistake in the truck.

Post #1048 » by **yosemiteben** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:08 pm

BrotherDave wrote:Did anybody see that weird camera shot last game of Lance walking? It looked like Lance was grimacing and massaging his groin but there was no audio or anything, like it was a mistake in the truck.

Saw that, it was clear that Steve and Dell didn't though because they didn't say anything about it. Odd.

SeanBobcats · Post #1049 » by **SeanBobcats** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:11 pm

I think the only type of team that will take him is a team that is not planning to make the playoffs next year. I don't think a team looking to make the playoffs will even want to bother to take a chance on him unless we add some type of asset to sweeten the deal.

SpearNMgicHelmt · Post #1050 » by **SpearNMgicHelmt** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 5:40 am

tondi123 wrote:Lances performance has improved from historically bad train wreck to only disappointing over the last few weeks. I don't know if its him getting healthy, getting comfortable with the second unit, or not pressing as much to justify his big contract, but its still progress. If nothing else, if it continues it may make it much easier to dump him this offseason.

I think he's looked better in the past couple of games. Maybe it takes some pressure off of him for the trade deadline to be passed.

Liver_Pooty · Post #1051 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 6:05 am

Lol. The past five games hes averaging 6 pts 4 assist and 2 rebounds on 30% shooting and 14% from long land in 24 minutes. He is complete and utter garbage. Terrible. No team in the NBA or the NBDL would have him right now. Just a bad, bad basketball player, horrible.

So to anyone that says hes been better lately, he hasn't. He sucks.

SpearNMgicHelmt · Post #1052 » by **SpearNMgicHelmt** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 7:06 am

Liver_Pooty wrote:Lol. The past five games hes averaging 6 pts 4 assist and 2 rebounds on 30% shooting and 14% from long land in 24 minutes. He is complete and utter garbage. Terrible. No team in the NBA or the NBDL would have him right now. Just a bad, bad basketball player, horrible.

So to anyone that says hes been better lately, he hasn't. He sucks.

I wasn't saying he was good. Just maybe less bad. He's averaged 8 points per game in the three since the trade deadline that I was talking about. And he's seemed a little less out of control to me. Horrible shooting percentages still though.

In the last game before the trade deadline, he had zero points and five turnovers. It's the stupid turnovers that drive me nuts.

If it were me, I'd give his minutes to PJ.

Post #1053 » by **yosemiteben** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 1:01 pm

Based on the eye test I'd say his defense has been better.

BobsBuddy · Post #1054 » by **BobsBuddy** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 2:57 pm

Lance....Don't let these guys get in you head..Stay focused on your game....defense,slashing to basket,assists, rebounds and steals...will either get you more minutes on this team or get you traded to a contender in off season....Screw what the rest of the world thinks...Your teammates,Coachs,Cho and MJ is all that matters....

BeesWax · Post #1055 » by **BeesWax** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 3:08 pm

Liver_Pooty wrote:Lol. The past five games hes averaging 6 pts 4 assist and 2 rebounds on 30% shooting and 14% from long land in 24 minutes. He is complete and utter garbage. Terrible. No team in the NBA or the NBDL would have him right now. Just a bad, bad basketball player, horrible.

So to anyone that says hes been better lately, he hasn't. He sucks.

That is wrong. He has been much better. His shots are not as crazy and normally come within the natural flow of the offense. He has cut down on the turnovers and is playing much better defense. I would love for his shot to start falling more but to say he is not any better than he was to start the season is crazy.

I am not saying he is good now but he is nowhere near the detriment he was just a month ago. If you treat him like Zeller and do more than box score watch you can see his attitude has improved and along with that his game has settled down.

Post #1056 » by **yosemiteben** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 3:21 pm

Agree completely with jdm3.

mrknowitall215 · Post #1057 » by **mrknowitall215** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 3:29 pm

I would say that Stephenson started the season off better in November/December than he's played the past few games

BeesWax · Post #1058 » by **BeesWax** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 3:48 pm

December may be debatable but his defense is so much better now that I would argue this is the best so far. In those months his offense was still very hit or miss and his defense was nonexistent.

MasterIchiro · Post #1059 » by **MasterIchiro** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 3:57 pm

What I do like about him is he finds his teammates even though many of his tries are higher risk compared to Roberts. I think he's tougher to deal with for a defense than Roberts who is incapable of raising the level of his teammates completely, even though he rarely makes mistakes. Lance is better than what many teams have on their 2nd units and gives us an advantage but too bad his shot is not falling and we are overpaying for that advantage. Nevertheless, the talent gap between Roberts and Lance is immense.

Post #1060 » by **yosemiteben** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 4:10 pm

MasterIchiro wrote:Nevertheless, the talent gap between Roberts and Lance is immense.

As is the contract that each signed.

To state the obvious, Lance won't come anywhere close to what we are paying him until he remembers how to shoot. What we're talking about now is what can he do to not be a detriment to our success. He is FAR from being an asset.