PJ Washington had the best season of any Charlotte Hornets player. Not only did he have a career-high in points per game (15.7), but the 6’ 7 forward posted it in a career-defining year. Washington’s contract is up and he will be a restricted free agent this offseason. He was offered an extension last offseason. According to reports, the Hornets offered a four-year $50-$52-million contract extension.
By not agreeing to it, Washington essentially bet on himself. He likely earned a larger contract offer this off-season. Even if it’s not from the Charlotte Hornets. Washington has proven that he can play high-level basketball. His 43-point career-high explosion late in March against the Oklahoma City Thunder showed how good the four-year player has become. He was 16 of 24 in the game with five made three-pointers. What’s more, he got to the line seven times, making six of them.
That’s not to say his 2022-23 NBA campaign was without issue. While he never averaged more points per game, his efficiency took a noticeable drop. The largest difference was his shooting profile incorporating more long two-point jump shots. He had 119 field goal attempts between 10 feet away from the basket and the three-point line. He virtually eliminated that shot in 2021-2022, with only 80 of those shots attempted.
Much like Terry Rozier, Washington was asked to play out of his natural role. He’s a forward but was often tasked as a small ball center. The results weren’t good. Washington is a scorer, but not much in the way of being a rebounder. His 4.9 rebounds per game during the 2022-23 season was a career low. And the lineups with him at the center position were ineffective defensively.
With Mark Williams and Nick Richards getting a larger role after Mason Plumlee’s trade, Washington likely won’t be called on to play much center moving forward if he stays with the Hornets. By spending more time in his natural position of forward, his game should improve. Taking out the long two-point jumpers would also help, but some of that may have been attributable to Washington being the only usual starter/reliable scorer on the floor. Playing alongside usual NBA-caliber starters might mean fewer shots for Washington, but more efficient play overall.