Nick Smith Jr. is finding his stride with the Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets second-year guard is developing quickly.

Austin Leake | Feb 8, 2025

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Charlotte Hornets

Nick Smith Jr is in his second season with the Charlotte Hornets after being a one-and-done at Arkansas. The young guard has suffered many setbacks in his basketball career, dealing with injuries during his time in college, and spent the majority of his rookie season with the Hornets on the bench.

His sophomore season started out similarly as he was at the end of the bench to start the year. With the injury to Brandon Miller, who is ruled out for the season, it has given Smith an opportunity, and he has taken full advantage of it.

Confidence for a young player can go a long way, and it seems it's done just that for the former first-rounder. The 20-year-old has had a lot of up-and-down stretches since having a more prevalent role on the team due to injuries, but he's taken a positive step in the right direction as of late.

Feb 3, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) brings the ball up court against Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) during the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

In Smith's last four games, he's averaging over 21 points per game, along with 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Another impressive feat in these contests has been his shooting splits. In the four-game stretch, he's shooting over 58% from the field and over 53% from three on seven attempts a game.

While his offensive game has steadily improved, so has his defense. Smith has been active on both ends of the floor and seems to take pride in playing with an extra bounce in his step while guarding.

One of the more impressive aspects of Smith's game recently has been his ability to create for himself and others. For the entirety of his rookie season, he was known as being the catch and shoot guy, but this season, he's had more responsibility with the ball in his hands and has done a really solid job of making the right reads.

The development from Smith this early in his career is something that could make a very noticeable difference when looking at the Hornets' future. When talking about the Hornets core, many mention LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Tre Mann, Dalton Knecht, and others, but they tend to forget or not even mention Nick Smith Jr.

Feb 7, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) shoots over San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It's been exciting watching the development and maturity that he has gained in just two seasons spent in the NBA. One of the crucial aspects has been the G-League, which has helped instill confidence while also giving him important game reps that have, without a doubt, made a positive difference today.

The remaining 33 games should be a good telling to see what else Smith has left on the table for the Charlotte Hornets.

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