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Charlotte Hornets: Devonte’ Graham looked promising in Las Vegas

By Jerry Stephens

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 8: Devonte' Graham #4 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball against the Miami Heat on July 8, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 8: Devonte' Graham #4 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball against the Miami Heat on July 8, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Charlotte Hornets’ rookie Devonte’ Graham was able to show a glimpse of his potential during the Las Vegas Summer League.

For the Charlotte Hornets, all eyes were on their young players during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League. Those prospects included second-year players Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon as well as rookies Miles Bridges and Devonte’ Graham. The 2018 second-round pick was probably the most overlooked of the bunch but after an impressive display, he gained everyone’s attention.

Charlotte traded up to draft the former Kansas guard in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. They traded two future second-round picks to the Atlanta Hawks in order to grab Graham with the 34th overall pick. With the way that Devonte’ played in summer league, the Hornets may have gotten themselves a steal with the 23-year old.

Unfortunately, Graham’s summer league was cut short as he went down with a condylar lesion in his right knee. The Hornets held him out for the remainder of the summer league and announced that Devonte’ would be out indefinitely. Luckily, he will avoid knee surgery and should be able to return this season.

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In the three games that he did play in, Graham averaged 10.0 points per game, 6.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 steals while shooting 37% from the field in 26 minutes per game. Although his numbers weren’t outstanding, Devonte’ did lead the team in assists. His best game came against the Miami Heat where he nearly put up a double-double with 12 points and seven assists.

Graham looked the part during his three appearances in Las Vegas. It’s important to remember that everything in the NBA summer league should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, Devonte’ showed real potential.

He showed that he has the ability to run a team, score inside the paint, and most notably, get others involved. His passing and playmaking ability were on full display during the summer league. Graham consistently found open teammates, put them in positions to score, and made tough passes through tight spaces in both transition and in half court settings. Devonte’ managed to total 18 assists in only three games.

While Tony Parker is set to be Charlotte’s backup point guard for the 2018-19 season, Graham looks to be the team’s backup of the future and a long-term solution behind Kemba Walker. His performances in Las Vegas made some wonder if he is ready to be inserted into the rotation immediately.

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Even though he did have an impressive summer league, the best move for Graham and the Charlotte Hornets is for them to slowly develop him. They should gradually increase his minutes and wait until he has enough experience and confidence to take over the backup point guard role. He may never be a starter in the NBA but Devonte’ could be the solid backup PG that the Queen City team has been searching for going forward.

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