Chuck Burton/AP
Charlotte is 4-12. They've lost seven in a row, and nine out of their last 10.
The most worrying part of their slow start is what's going on with Lance Stephenson. The Hornets signed Stephenson to a three-year, $27-million contract this summer. He was supposed to give the team some much-needed wing scoring and bolster a defensive unit that was already ranked 5th in 2013. Hornets owner Michael Jordan even described him as a LeBron-stopper in a preseason interview.
Stephenson is a mess right now. He's averaging fewer than 10 points per game and shooting an abysmal 37% from the field (including 20% from 3-point range). One NBA scout called him out of shape.
In Wednesday's loss to the Blazers, he was benched for the entire fourth quarter. After the game, coach Steve Clifford said he's not a star player:
"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. 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."
Stephenson has taken the high road in the media, saying it's up to him to work himself back into the lineup (via Charlotte Observer):
"Hey it's the coach's decision. If he doesn't play me in the fourth I'm just going to continue to work hard and do what it takes to win. Other than that I think I'm good. We just need to work harder."
To make matters worse, there's now a report that Stephenson was the reason for Roy Hibbert's perplexing late-season slump last year in Indiana.