Fansided

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 /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
May 28, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) drives the ball past Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) in the first half of game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
May 28, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) drives the ball past Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) in the first half of game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Experience

While Stephenson may only be 24 years old, he is still going to be bringing a lot of experience to a very inexperience Hornets’ team. They simply haven’t made the playoffs very much, and they have a lot of young pieces that haven’t had the opportunity. Stephenson has made back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances, and will be able to teach and mentor the younger players on what it takes to get there.

It’s always difficult for young teams to come through with the game on the line, but Stephenson has been there and done that throughout his career. There were quite a few times that Stephenson would begin a run by himself, simply by knowing what his team needed him to do to spark their energy. Charlotte is going to find out what it is like to have a player that knows what it takes to win big games in big situations.

The Hornets are a very talented team with the ability to contend with the better teams in the East, but you simply cannot teach experience. Stephenson may not have the veteran attitude, but he has the on-court experience. He will be a very key piece for the Hornets this coming season, and will be one of the main reasons that they move up in the playoff seeding this year.

Home/Charlotte Hornets