Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford has kept guard Lance Stephenson on the bench for the entire fourth quarter in two consecutive games, and after Wednesday's home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Clifford said that part of Stephenson's problem is that he'd already been annointed as a star before he'd earned it. From ESPN's Michael Wallace:
"To be fair, one of the things that's made it more difficult for him is that he came here and people proclaimed him as the next superstar," Clifford said Wednesday. "He's not a star. He's a guy that has talent to become a star. To be a star in this league, you have to do it over years."
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"It's different. It's not easy," Clifford said of Stephenson. "He started two years before he got here. He played on a really good team, so everybody saw him play when no one else was playing. When Al Jefferson came here, he'd [averaged] 19 [points] and eight [rebounds] for like 10 years. You knew what you were going to get. And that's what Lance needs to become. In many ways it's not fair."
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"I've told [Stephenson] this," Clifford said. "I've been fortunate. I've been around Kobe [Bryant] and [Tracy] McGrady. They were superstars. I was also around Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell. They were two-, three-year All-Stars. [Stephenson has] got a lot of work to get to that level. Everybody proclaimed him as this guy, and if you remember the first time we got him, I said he's got to develop into that."
Stephenson signed a three-year, $27 million contract with Charlotte in the offseason, and to say it hasn't been a perfect marriage would be an understatement. The Hornets have lost seven straight games and have a 4-12 record. Stephenson is averaging 9.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 33.6 minutes per game, shooting just 36.8 from the field and 20.6 percent from the 3-point line. It's been a more-difficult-than-anticipated adjustment, and lately Clifford has preferred to use role players in his place. Backup guard Brian Roberts played 32 minutes to Stephenson's 23 against Portland, and he scored 24 points. Rookie guard P.J. Hairson saw 21 minutes of playing time, too.
To his credit, Stephenson is not complaining about this development. He said he just needs to work harder and "it's Coach's decision" to sit him. If Charlotte is going to turn things around, though, Clifford will have to integrate Stephenson more successfully. While he's right that Stephenson has more to prove on this level, this shouldn't be the norm. Stephenson has a rare combination of strength, speed and size, and he is skilled with the ball in his hands. He can help the Hornets, even if he hasn't.
Fortunately for Charlotte, a slow start in the Eastern Conference is hardly a death sentence. Brooklyn is in eighth place with a 6-8 record. Stephenson and the Hornets have been disappointing, but there's time to turn things around.
