Beat. Meet dead horse.
That’s the best way to describe Lance Stephenson‘s constant speaking of his awful tenure as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, specifically, Stephenson’s latest commentary refers to his ill fit with the franchise and how it deviated against ‘normal’ star treatment.
“I was just sitting in the corner. That’s not trying to be a star,” said Stephenson, via Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. “A star normally gets the ball. I think the way they wanted me to be a star isn’t the way my game is.”
As with any story there are two sides to every truth.
Some truth: many overlooked how Kemba Walker and Stephenson would play together on offense, but due to both players’ ball-dominant nature it forced the other into an uncomfortable placement in an offense already skimp on floor-spacers.
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For 2015-16, there’s hope placement in the offense changes. In Los Angeles, if things play out as Doc Rivers wants, Stephenson’s role in the secondary unit will be as the primary ball handler, splitting duties with the numerous ball handlers that’ll be beside him in the line — Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers, Josh Smith, and maybe Paul Pierce if Wesley Johnson gets the starting nod over PP. And in late-game units where Stephenson is tasked with guarding opposing team’s best wings, he’ll play, beside Chris Paul, a role combining what Darren Collison in 2013-14 and Matt Barnes since 2012 has provided the franchise — a ball-handling player (Collison) who’ll likely be in the corner when without the ball (Barnes).
“I think Lance is a better ball-in-his-hands when the ball swings and he catches it and the defense is shifting, and he’s running downhill,” said the Clippers’ head coach. “…That’s what we want him to do. If he gets a rebound, we want him to push the ball up the floor. (If) he doesn’t get a rebound, we want to throw it ahead to him, because now he’s got his speed and power.”
The lie? Lance was never a star, even with impressive numbers of 13.8 points on 49 percent shooting, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game and capable wing defense in his final season as an Indiana Pacer. But it’d be hard to label Stephenson as a star, as he’s much closer to “All-Star” talent if using the general Superstar-Star-All Star-Role Player-Rookie tier fans and observers use to tier off players. Given Stephenson’s typical attitude it’s no surprise he sees himself as a star, but the play just doesn’t match the label.
All that said, the past is the past and it’s time for Stephenson to look past his time in Charlotte. The close proximity to his former franchise doesn’t help much — both teams are in China for the global games — but what Lance needs to focus on is his current tenure with the Clippers, which could greatly determine his future as a NBA player.
Or China’ll become his permanent home.
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