Charlotte Hornets: What each young player needs to work on this summer

PJ Washington: Low Post Scoring, Ball Handling

It’s a real bummer that we likely won’t get to see PJ Washington during Summer League due to an ongoing foot injury. The Hornets are being cautious with their 12th overall pick, and it makes total sense to sit him in case he were to aggravate the injury.

Washington was one of my favorite prospects in the 2019 Draft class. He’s a versatile power forward that can play multiple positions, hit the three-point shot and serve as a playmaking big man. He does a lot of things well at his age, and he’s only going to get better.

Being a rookie, you really need to work on everything to show that you belong. However, two things stood out to me when it comes to Washington — low post scoring and ball handling.

Right now, Washington is more of a playmaking stretch four. He doesn’t have a ton of moves down low, so I’d like to see him work on that aspect of his game. He is only 6’7″, so he may have a tough time adapting to some of the length in the NBA, but that will improve over time with experience.

I’d also like to see him work on his ball handling, as that would make him even more of a threat on the perimeter. I think he’s got the skill to put the ball on the deck and make plays, but he’s going to have to prove that he can do it on the NBA level.

The Charlotte Hornets have some bright young prospects with still a ton of developing to do. I think the fan base should be excited with the amount of upside these players possess.