A Close Look at James Bouknight’s Rookie Campaign with Charlotte
Where is James Bouknight?
Whether you’re a die-hard UConn fan or an NBA fan that eyed him in the draft, you’ve probably asked yourself this question at least once or twice this season.
James Bouknight was one of the biggest names of the 2021 NBA Draft. Entering the draft, the dynamic shooting guard from UConn was mocked as high as 6th by Bleacher Report. In Bouknight’s sophomore season at UConn, he averaged 18.7 points and 5 rebounds on 44.7 shooting from the field. "Bouk" solidified himself as one of the best scorers in the draft so when he fell to 11th, Charlotte was thrilled with the opportunity of adding him to their young core. Mitch Kupchak emphasized the tempting calls he got from opposing GMs on the 11th pick, but he was set on drafting Bouknight. “There was as much demand for that pick this year as I’ve ever seen… but we’re very happy that we stayed where we are and got [James Bouknight] said Kupchak.
The 6’5" guard was excited to join the Hornets exciting young core. “We're gonna be one of the most exciting young teams, and I say that confidently. [We're] gonna be a team that's must-see TV.” Bouknight said in his opening presser with the team. Coming into the league with the talent and shot-making ability Bouknight has, many expected him to be a contributor off the bench for Charlotte with Devonte' Graham and Malik Monk being lost in free agency. Now after a full 82 game season, Bouknight has only logged 302 minutes for Charlotte spending most of his time in Greensboro or on the Hornets bench in street clothes. With Terry Rozier and the unexpected improvement from Cody Martin, Bouknight struggled to find minutes.
Bouknight's lack of minutes has been a constant debate among Hornets fans this season. Many have expressed their disappointment in James Borrego's inability to find him playing time. Bouknight was a highly remarked talent that Charlotte fans were excited to see alongside LaMelo Ball but after a full season, he’s played the 4th least minutes among 2021 first-round rookies. Charlotte kept their rookies out of the rotation in pursuit of their first playoff appearance in six seasons. Bouknight's frustration eventually boiled over in a heated dispute with head coach James Borrego after getting put in the game with 14 seconds left in the 3rd and being benched in the 4th against Miami. "He's in a tough spot, he obviously wants to play. I get that. I understand that." said Borrego after his confrontation with Bouknight.
With a rookie season full of uncertainty, Bouknight just had to stay ready and when his name was called upon, he rose to the occasion. In December, Charlotte got struck with COVID protocols and missed 4 key players: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Jalen McDaniels, and Mason Plumlee. This led to Bouknight getting his first real shot in the NBA. In a four-game stretch in early December, Bouknight averaged 12.5 PPG and 5 rebounds on 46.2% from the field and 50% from the perimeter. It all came together for Bouknight on December 12th against Sacramento where he exploded for a career-high 24 points and six three-pointers. Bouknight brought life to Spectrum Center and helped lead Charlotte to a win against the struggling Sacramento Kings. Despite his performances, once the Hornets' key rotation players came back from their COVID protocols, Bouknight was relegated to the bench. Soon after Bouknight was sent down to Greensboro with rookies JT Thor & Kai Jones to get some extra reps. There were some struggles for Bouknight navigating a new role as a primary point guard with Greensboro as he averaged 4.3 turnovers a game. Still in seven games with Greensboro, Bouknight averaged 21.4 PPG, five assists, six rebounds, and 1.9 steals on 44.8% shooting. He displayed his playmaking and his ability to attack the rim and shoot off the bounce.
Regardless of his lack of minutes, Bouknight projects to be a great player in the league with star potential. Although it’s a small sample size, he’s shown he can fill up the stat sheet. In the six games that he’s played 20+ minutes, Bouknight averaged 15.2 points & 4.5 rebounds on 44.8% from three. With Miles Bridges' looming free agency, Charlotte may not be able to retain Cody Martin leading a pathway for Bouknight to crack the rotation. Bouknight should be looking at a larger role as a spark plug and shot creator off the bench in the 2022-23 season.
Bouknight's time will come and when it does, I expect him to take full advantage.
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