Film Breakdown: The James Bouknight Experience
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In his rookie year, James Bouknight only played 304 minutes for Charlotte and spent most of his time in and out of the G-League, which is unheard of for a No. 11 overall pick.
With a new head coach in Steve Clifford and Charlotte's injuries this season, Bouknight got valuable playing time and the opportunity to show why he was regarded as one of the best prospects in the 2021 Draft.
"When you have a coach that believes in you, it's dope. There's nothing like it. I met with him every day at 8 a.m. during Summer League to watch film and understand what is expected of me." - James Bouknight on Steve Clifford."
Unfortunately for Charlotte fans and Bouknight, his season hasn't gone half as well as anyone could've wanted. Through 17 games Charlotte is averaging 5.3 points on 41.7 TS% with 17 minutes a game. Bouknight has more shots (101) than points (90) and has the 2nd least points per shot in the entire league (0.90).
Breaking Down The Film
Coming out of UConn, one of Bouknight's greatest attributes was his athletic ability. Bouk was an explosive athlete in college, and this was expected to translate to the NBA.
However, it's been completely the opposite in the NBA. Bouknight struggles to blow by defenders and create advantages while lacking the vertical pop to finish over defenders. In addition, Bouknight's shooting a putrid 39.5% on LAYUPS (per Synergy), which limits what he can do in the half-court.
In addition, shot selection has been a significant issue for Bouknight. James gained a reputation as a tough shot-maker throughout high school and college, but your entire shot diet can't consist of tough shots in the NBA. Bouknight's been making the game hard for himself and has taken numerous ill-advised shots from the perimeter rather than putting pressure on the rim to collapse the defense.
Bouknight's shooting 17-61 (21.8%) on jumpshots partly due to the difficulty of the shots he's taking. To be fair to Bouknight, he hasn't gotten the opportunity to play much time at will with LaMelo Ball, who makes his job much easier, but Bouk's going to have to become a better jump shooter and a smarter player to last in this league.
James Bouknight's decision-making with the ball in his hands is also pretty concerning. On these two plays below Bouknight runs in transition at 100 miles/hour with only himself and the basket in mind which leads to him missing a dump off to Plumlee in the first clip and a frustrated Jalen McDaniels running the floor in the second clip. As a guard James Bouknight has to be more cognizant of his teammates in transition.
My biggest concern with James Bouknight on the offensive end is his processing speed. At times it feels like the NBA is too fast for him and that he's still adjusting to the difference between college and the NBA. For example, in this play, there's a lack of urgency with 6 seconds left on the shot clock. Instead of taking the open three, Bouknight wastes dribbles trying to shake off Terrence Ross and air balls the shot.
On the defensive end, James Bouknight has worsened as the season progressed. He's all over the place on defense. He gets lost on simple sets, is too slow on close outs, and bites too hard on fakes. His defensive lapses are more mental than anything and will hopefully improve as he gains more experience.
Don't give up on James Bouknight yet
James Bouknight has had an ugly start; he doesn't even look like an NBA player, but it's still too early to give up on him. Fans must remember that Bouknight is only 22 years old and is in the beginning of his 2nd year in the NBA. Everyone progresses differently, and we have to recognize that. We're seeing that firsthand in Charlotte with Nick Richards, who has emerged at 24 years old in his 3rd season as a high-impact player. James Bouknight has shown impressive flashes this season that make you stop and think about the player he could become.
