The Charlotte Hornets have given KJ Simpson plenty of room to grow, but it might be time to shorten their leash on the young point guard. Justifying his two-way roster spot has been difficult, especially since the Hornets continue to deal with injuries and have little flexibility to address their worrying playmaking woes.
For instance, the team is currently playing the Denver Nuggets without LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, and Tre Mann, resulting in a spot start for Simpson.
The problem is that the second-year pro has not shown a lot of redeeming qualities this year. He has averaged just 12.7 points and 6.6 assists while turning it over 4.8 times per 36 minutes. He has also been unable to keep defenses honest with his atrocious 34.0 percent shooting.
On the bright side, Simpson's 3-point efficiency has increased from 25.4 percent last season to 36.8 percent this year. His energy on defense has also been evident, although he has looked lost on that end now and then.
So far, so good at Spectrum Center
The Denver Nuggets tiff on Sunday will be a good test of how far along the progress of the struggling Simpson is. The first half showed some signs of life from him, as he hit five of his eight field-goal attempts, with two of his makes a 3-pointer, to lead all Hornets players in scoring with 13 points. He recorded just a single dime, although he logged no turnover and one steal.
It remains to be seen if Simpson can fare any better the rest of the evening, but the Hornets will need him to take it up a notch on both ends of the floor for them to have a higher chance of upsetting the Nuggets. His ability to contain Jamal Murray whenever they match up will be key, as the star point guard scored 23 of his 27 first-half points in the first quarter.
Some might defend Simpson, arguing that he deserves some leeway considering that he is still young and holds only one of Charlotte's three two-way slots.
On the other hand, the team's lack of capable playmakers beyond LaMelo Ball and possibly Kon Knueppel has been an Achilles' heel, and opening a roster spot to accommodate a piece who can solve that particular problem is always an option.
Simpson will have to prove himself worthy of staying on the Hornets. Otherwise, this might be the last season we see him in the purple and teal.