Charlotte Hornets 2018-19 Season Grades: Devonte’ opens eyes in year one

Charlotte Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham impressed many during his rookie season, coming in ready to play as a second round draft pick.

Despite not making the playoffs, and stressing about Kemba Walker‘s upcoming free agency, Charlotte Hornets fans do have some positive things to look back on during the 2018-19 season, like the play of Devonte’ Graham.

Graham, who was drafted 34th overall by Charlotte in 2018, played four years at Kansas and entered the league NBA ready. By the end of the season, he leapfrogged NBA legend Tony Parker in the rotation and solidified himself as the teams backup point guard.

Just getting in the rotation period and making an impact on a team that was one game away from the playoffs as a rookie is a big time success. Overall, Graham had a good first season and is in the teams plans moving forward.

Graham averaged 4.7 points and 2.6 assists in 14.7 minutes for the Charlotte Hornets as a rookie. They may not be the sexiest numbers, but what stood out when watching him was how poised he was in his first year as a pro.

His shooting percentages weren’t the best either. Graham shot 34 percent from the floor and 28 percent from the three-point line. Despite those low numbers, he’s has solid shooting mechanics and will get better in that area moving forward.

There was a three-game stand when the Hornets were without Jeremy Lamb due to a hamstring injury, and Head Coach James Borrego decided to move Graham into the starting lineup. That move showed how much trust Borrego has in his young guard.

In those three starts, Graham averaged 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 40 percent from downtown.

Graham got better and better as the season progressed, and many fans think that he is the point guard of the future. He showed some promise during his rookie season, which earns him a grade of:

This is a pretty solid grade for Graham, and with the momentum he ended the season with, he could be in for a big summer.

He’ll likely be on the court for the Hornets in Summer League, so that will be exciting. It will be a great opportunity for him to showcase his improvements in front of a Summer League audience that continues to grow every year.

Plus, with Kemba Walker’s potential departure during free agency, Graham could be in line for a much bigger role during his second season. If the Hornets go all in on a rebuild, Graham will likely see a lot more playing time.

I would like to see Graham work on getting stronger over the summer, as well as becoming a more consistent outside shooter and be more under control on the drive. He’s a smart player, a pesky defender and a good leader.

Overall, there is a lot to like about Graham as a player and what he showed as a rookie. This will be a big summer for him in the franchise, so fans will be hoping to see an even better version of Graham next season.

The Charlotte Hornets made a great move selecting Graham in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, folks. Let’s see if he can build off this productive first season.