Bryce McGowens Is Everything the Hornets Need Him to Be

It has not been an ideal offseason for the Charlotte Hornets. Whether it was Kenny Atkinson turning down the head coaching position, the draft night trade of Jalen Duren, the quiet free agency thus far, or Miles Bridges’ off-court situation, Charlotte needs some positive energy. With that said,  the Summer League performance did give fans some reason for hope, particularly rookie guard Bryce McGowens.

The Hornets made it clear how much they valued McGowens when they traded up to select him during the draft. A talented scorer coming out of Nebraska, McGowens was the highest-rated recruit in the history of Cornhuskers basketball. His scoring acumen was on display during Summer League, as his 14.6 points per game led the team. McGowens showed his explosive athleticism, shot-creation skills, and finishing craft at the rim that made him a sought-after commodity.

Like his time at Nebraska, much of McGowens’ production in the Summer League came via slashes and at the free-throw line. He also had moments where his three-point shot was falling, and when that is the case, he can put up points in a hurry.

With Charlotte’s Summer League team, McGowens was mostly used as the offensive engine. Given his scoring prowess, McGowens operated in isolation quite frequently. It is in these situations where he can genuinely punish defenses, especially when he gets a favorable matchup. McGowens has no issues creating space for jumpers and while he shot just 27.4% from three-point range in college, he increased that number to 42.9% during Summer League. While a five game sample size is a small one, it was an encouraging development nonetheless.

McGowens’ interior scoring took a back seat to his pull-up jumpers during Summer League, but he still showed flashes of what made him such a great multi-level scorer in college. McGowens possesses great athleticism and his scoring inside the paint is not limited to just the impressive dunks we see on his college highlight tapes. He has nice touch around the rim and improving his ability to finish through contact is the next step for him to take as an interior scorer.

While the offensive theatrics made for nice highlights, McGowens will still need to work on his ability to create for others and will need to improve his overall playmaking ability. His 2.6 assists per game in Summer League does not jump off the stat sheet, but it was encouraging to see some of the reads he made for a team that was operating without a true point guard.

Defensively, McGowens has the tools to succeed with his size and length. He has the mobility and footwork to be an above-average defender, but his defense did not materialize at Nebraska and looked shaky at best in Las Vegas. Under a defensive-minded head coach in Steve Clifford, McGowens should be able to improve on this end of the floor.

Bryce McGowens could be the perfect complement to LaMelo Ball

Charlotte is hoping to pair LaMelo Ball with another guard that can open the floor for him to fully utilize his passing ability. While McGowens still has a ways to go in his development, he fits the mold of the type of guard who can create a lethal backcourt tandem alongside Ball.