The Charlotte Hornets took many superb moves during the offseason, although many were confused about the decision to sign Spencer Dinwiddie. Sophomore Pro KJ Simpson Lighting Summer League may further highlight how stupid the Hornets can be when adding Dinwiddie.
Simpson has been a revelation over the past few weeks, providing a stable presence in point guard position for the team. He averaged 17.0 points and 5.8 assists per game before the semi-finals against the Oklahoma State Thunder, both leading the team while shooting effectively (47.3% and 37.0% from three-pointers).
Perhaps even more impressive about the 2024 second-round draft pick, his leadership and defense thrives.
Summer League coach Chris Jent's challenge to the floor general seems to have been well received. Before heading to Las Vegas, Jent hopes Simpson “uses his voice and rule the defensive end.” That's the case, as KJ can be seen giving some guidance to his young teammates and is always a pest while protecting the opponent's golfer.
The two-way commitment on display at the University of Colorado Boulder University rookie year seems to be further shown in the Summer League. Unfortunately, it could take a long time before the title battle against the Sacramento Kings, and then Hornets fans saw more of Simpson as he was stuck in the team’s depth table and likely spent most of his time in the G League unless the injury piled up again.
Spencer Dinwiddie hinders KJ Simpson's development
Maybe Charlotte should wait until later in the offseason before deciding on the decision to hire Dinwiddie. If the front desk knew that Simpson would improve within this range, maybe it would retain another piece for the veterans’ lineup and give young people more opportunities to establish themselves as an NBA player.
Interestingly, Charlotte still needs a proven wingback who may regret having no choice but to get Josh Okogie into free agency. In fact, it still has to give up two more, with another large perimeter defender Pat Connaughton possibly the casualty.
Hopefully Dinwiddie will prove worthwhile and provide the Hornets with the game and leadership he expected. The jury is about whether he will adapt seamlessly with the other crew based on his skills. The traveler is significantly inefficient, especially outside the arc in recent years. His death may be better, as his average assists aren't completely inspiring every 36 minutes.
The good news is that Dinwiddie hit a team-friendly one-year contract. So if his partnership with the Hornets is going south soon, the group can trade in the middle of the regular season or give up his losses and let Simpson steal the spin.