Charlotte Hornets: Don’t Sleep on Jeremy Lamb

The Charlotte Hornets have invested a lot of time and money into Jeremy Lamb and even though it hasn’t quite paid off, don’t sleep on the guard just yet.

While many have written off Jeremy Lamb as nothing more than an average bench player in the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets see him as so much more. He has shown glimpses of promise this season. Don’t count out the 24-year old just yet because he has the skill set to be a special player in the league.

Lamb may never be a starter in this league but a role coming off of the bench fits him better and even more so with the Hornets. Even though injuries have held him back a bit this season, Jeremy is still putting up good numbers alongside Marco Belinelli with the second unit. And since returning from injury, he has looked as good as ever.

While Jeremy is in his fifth year in the NBA, he is still a young player that continues to develop his game. For the most part, his three-year stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder to begin his career was a waste. He played inconsistent minutes and was never able to find a groove next to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Once he came to Charlotte after the Hornets traded for him, Steve Clifford and company gave him a defined role that they believed he could live up to.

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The organization believed in Lamb so much that they gave him a three-year. $21 million extension only two regular season games into his Hornets’ career. Nearly a year and a half later, the team’s still searching for consistent play from Jeremy. Injuries have been a problem for him but also getting used to actually having a defined role with regular minutes each game.

He has done a much better job this season but there is still another step for the University of Connecticut product to make. Charlotte needs 12+ points a game off the bench from Lamb. He has the skill set and ability to do so. Jeremy just has to put it all together.

Even though he has his downfalls on the defensive end, he is capable of being a deadly offensive weapon. His length, athleticism and shooting ability make him a threat at all times. In reality, Lamb should probably be a top-15 or so shooting guard in the league but he hasn’t had the best development and/or work ethic up to this point. He can be described as lackadaisical at times but now, in one of the most important season of his career, Jeremy is beginning to figure things out.

Since returning from a foot injury (metatarsal inflammation) that kept him out for nine games, Lamb is averaging 10.7 points per game in his last four outings. That’s better than his current season average of 9.2 PPG. Jeremy is also averaging 4.7 rebounds per game this year.

This is where he’s at his best:

Even though he isn’t an exceptional ball handler, Lamb is best with the ball in his hands for the second unit. He can attack off the dribble and is great in the mid-range game. Coming off of a screen, he has been killing it from mid-range and also attacking the basket.

Even though he won’t add much else than scoring when on the court, that’s exactly what the Hornets need out of him. They lost second unit scoring when Jeremy Lin and Al Jefferson left this past summer and the team wasn’t able to find suitable replacements. Belinelli and Lamb have been the only two bright spots off the bench so far this season.

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Keep an eye on Jeremy Lamb for the remainder of the season. If he plays well, the Charlotte Hornets are sure to have a pretty good game. Along with Marco, he is their spark off the bench and if he can put it all together, the 6’5 wing can not only make the team better as a contender for the postseason in the Eastern Conference but also turn himself into once of the best sixth men in the NBA. So even though he has been a bit underwhelming, don’t sleep on him just yet.