Devonte’ Graham is rapidly becoming a fan favorite in Charlotte after the departure of Kemba Walker last summer.
The “small” guard is making something more than his best Kemba “impression”. He is literally better in every statistical category than last season.
He is shooting better in a really “gigantic” leap in attempts per contest (from 5 last year to 15 this season) making them in a 40% clip (34% last season).
Also, Graham is one of the best shot creators in the league, producing 8.6 points per game on “pull-ups” in a 38% FG%, being in the same spectrum with the likes of Luka Doncic, D’Angelo Russell and Chris Paul concerning points production in these situations.
A couple of weeks ago, Graham made a career high 10-threes against the team that almost started the three point era four years ago, the Golden State Warriors.
When he is shooting from behind the arc, the shot-making of the ex-Kansas guard is at its best. Namely, he is taking 5.8 pull-up threes, making them in a 40.2% clip and being second in the league in that category among the players that attempt +5 pull-up threes per game.
In general, Graham is up to 41% from the three-point line (28.1% last season), while attempting 9 threes per game this season.
Moreover, he has made +6 three pointers in seven games so far this season, with Charlotte being on a 5-2 record in these contests.
He had his career-night in Brooklyn, where he scored 40 points with 7 made threes in 12 attempts behind the arc and 57.1% in FG%.
Charlotte won that game, after a couple of Graham’s clutch shots in the final minutes of the game.
The Hornets are on a 5-1 record, when Graham is scoring +25 points, while the Hornets are on the brink of becoming a playoff candidate, having 12 wins in 29 games in the weakened Eastern Conference.
Graham is the leading scorer of his team with 19.6 points per contest, while most of his production comes from between the 25-29 ft, with 53.8% being unassisted shots.
In that “deep” distance, Graham’s three point rating is going up to 42.5%, while having an incredible 63.8% EFG% on 214 shots.
Devonte’ Graham is currently making a name for himself and the Charlotte Hornets have maybe found the next “small” guard that will create a new continuity, after the “Kemba Walker era”.
The Hornets desperately needed new talent last summer and the young core of Graham, PJ Washington, Miles Bridges and the Martin brothers could easily become the nucleus of the team in the next 4-5 years.
