Charlotte Hornets: Josh Perkins worth a look in Training Camp/G-League
Undrafted guard Josh Perkins signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets yesterday. He’s someone to keep an eye on, even though his odds of making the roster are slim.
With Training Camp awaiting next month, the Charlotte Hornets are putting the final touches on their roster. They added Josh Perkins, along with Joe Chealey, to the roster yesterday afternoon. Perkins is unlikely to make the team, but he may be a guy to watch closely with Charlotte’s G-League team, the Greensboro Swarm, next season.
Perkins had a great four-year career at Gonzaga, but went undrafted in June. He played for Charlotte in Summer League and showed some flashes, but overall, he’s a project but he does have talent that will carry over.
He’s an experienced lead guard that can run an offense. He takes care of the ball and makes smart decisions. As a senior, Perkins ranked 16th in the nation in assist to turnover ratio. He could make a living professionally as a backup point guard, whether that’s with Charlotte or another team.
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Despite a down shooting season at Gonzaga, Perkins also proved that he can hit from outside. In 153 career games at Gonzaga, Perkins shot 39 percent from deep. He shot 37 percent as a senior, but that was two percent lower compared to his junior year.
Overall, Perkins averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists during his college career. In my eyes, he was one of the more underrated guards in all of college basketball.
It didn’t hurt playing with legit NBA talent in guys like Washington’s Rui Hachimura and Memphis’ Brandon Clarke. He also played with Portland’s Zach Collins a couple of years ago.
During the Summer League, Perkins averaged 7.0 points and 3.0 assists. He appeared in four games for Charlotte, and while those stats don’t jump off the page at you, he did have some good moments.
He’s not a pure shooter, not the best athlete and his defense is going to need a lot of work, but that’s what the G-League is for. Barring any surprises, Charlotte will waive Perkins prior to the start of the season, and if he clears waivers, he’ll join the Swarm.
This move would give Mitch Kupchak and the Hornets the opportunity to keep a close eye on him throughout the season. If he shows some improvements, perhaps he will have another opportunity to make the Hornets roster next season.
The G-League will be great for a player like Perkins, who is knocking on the NBA door. NBA teams have used the G-League more and more often and it has become a very important piece in terms of developing talent.
Next. Robert Franks could be something next year. dark
The Charlotte Hornets will be searching for talent in many places during this rebuild, so if Perkins can play well, he may catch the eye of Charlotte and even other organizations in the NBA and around the world. I think he has the talent to play in the NBA as a bench guard, though.