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Charlotte Hornets: Frank Kaminsky Was One of the Best Sophomores Post All-Star Break

By Jerry Stephens

Mar 22, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky (44) sticks his tongue out after he made a three pointer against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Charlotte Hornets defeated the Orlando Magic 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky (44) sticks his tongue out after he made a three pointer against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Charlotte Hornets defeated the Orlando Magic 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Even though many consider Frank Kaminsky a bust, the Charlotte Hornets’ big man was one of the best second-year players in the league this past season.

Frank Kaminsky’s sophomore campaign got off to a bit of a slow start but once the calendar hit February, he turned things around. After going off in the Rising Stars Challenge game, the Charlotte Hornets‘ second-year big man got more opportunities and made the most of them. Looking ahead, the late stretch of games from former first round pick could give him confidence going into next season.

Kaminsky has a lot of unnecessary pressure on his shoulders because of the situation surrounding his draft selection. The Hornets reportedly turned down four first round picks from the Boston Celtics when they drafted Frank. Many were quick to write the 7-footer off as a bust but he’s slowly started to turn that around with his play at the tail end of the year.

From the start of the season to January 31st, the 24-year old only averaged 9.9 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 38.6% from the field and 30.1% from three. He was only averaging 24.1 minutes per game at that point and he didn’t record a single double-double. Kaminsky was struggling to find any sort of rhythm at the start of the year as he ranked 11th among sophomores in scoring. (NBA.com)

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After February 1st, Frank upped his averages to 14.6 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game. His shooting also went up to 41.6% from the field and 36% from the three-point line. He also recorded four double-doubles in 29.4 minutes per game. Even though he missed five games due to a minor shoulder injury, he still was much better after the all-star break than before. (NBA.com)

Those stats put him as the sixth highest scorer among second-year players during the time from February 1st until the end of the season. That ranked ahead of players like Jahlil Okafor, Willie Cauley-Stein, Mario Hezonja, Emmanuel Mudiay and Stanley Johnson who were all selected ahead of Kaminsky in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Here’s a look at some of his highlights from this past season:

Kaminsky doesn’t have as much upside as the rest of those players but by looking at the numbers, he is the one producing the most. Maybe that will change when we look back at this draft class in 10-15 years but for the time being, Kaminsky is one of the top-10 players out of the group and better than some of the guys selected ahead of him.

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Maybe Kaminsky isn’t quite the bust most made him out to be. He isn’t a superstar but Frank is proving to be, at the very least, a quality contributor. If this trend continues, the Charlotte Hornets could have a consistent scorer and stretch four going forward.

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