5 Things we learned from Hornets opening Summer League game
By Adam Taylor
#3 James Bouknight fails to shine for the Hornets.
As a player heading into his third NBA season, James Bouknight should be head and shoulders ahead of his Summer League competition. With multiple years of developing under NBA coaches, playing against NBA talent, and improving your game against the best talent in the world, Summer League should be a cakewalk.
We see it all the time. A second or third-year NBA guy steps onto a Summer League court, dominates for a few games, and then gets shut down for the rest of the tournament. Based on his showing against San Antonio, Bouknight needs all the minutes he can get. There were moments where Bouknight flashed his scoring ability while driving the lane, but they were too few and far between.
In 25 minutes of play, the UCONN product attempted just seven shots as he accepted a tertiary role behind Smith Jr. and Miller. There’s nothing wrong with accepting a role on a team, yet Bouknight is playing to prove himself after two disappointing seasons. There should be no room for passiveness this summer.
Bouknight should be looking to dominate as a scorer and facilitator; he should be going out onto the court with a clear-cut game plan to prove why he was a lottery pick just two years ago. Seven shots, when you’re among the most senior players on the floor, isn’t good enough. Not when you’re trying to convince the front office to pick up the player option on your contract for next season.
Fortunately, Bouknight will have a few more chances to show that he’s improving and can develop into the scoring threat we saw during his collegiate career. Otherwise, it’s tough to see how he earns impactful minutes for Steve Clifford’s team next season.