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Lance Stephenson: 5 ways he’ll impact the Charlotte Hornets

By Evan Massey

Mar 28, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards Verizon Center. Washington Wizards defeated the Indiana Pacers 91-78. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards Verizon Center. Washington Wizards defeated the Indiana Pacers 91-78. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 20, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; IIndiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) warms up before game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
May 20, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; IIndiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) warms up before game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Extra Wing Scoring

One of Charlotte’s biggest issues last season was the lack of scoring on the perimeter, and Gerald Henderson simply wasn’t cutting it. Stephenson hasn’t been the most efficient scorer throughout his career, but he took huge steps in the right direction last year. The Pacers relied on him to be the number two option quite often behind Paul George, and Stephenson showed off his offensive talent a few times during their playoff run last season as well.

Stephenson ended up averaging 13.8 points per game last season, and shot 49.1 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from behind the three-point arc. He will add exactly what the Hornets needed last season, and will be allowed to play the type of game that he is most effective at playing. The Pacers handcuffed him a bit with Frank Vogel’s offense, but the Hornets made it very clear that they see Stephenson fitting in with their offense very nicely.

It was very obvious last season after Stephenson was snubbed from the All-Star game that he wanted to focus on putting up bigger offensive numbers. He is going to get the chance to do that in Charlotte, and he will have to do that in order for them to contend in the Eastern Conference against better teams. Expect to see Stephenson improve his scoring average quite a bit, and be exactly what the doctor ordered for Charlotte’s offense.

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