A stellar defender already, Stone won’t be the player he can be unless he becomes more aggressive on offense.
Julyan Stone is a Hornets’ player that gets little attention. It’s for a reason, too. Stone has shown glimpses of what he can do in the NBA team, but his longer-term trajectory is still anybody’s guess.
The Hornets appeared to be “all in” on Stone during the 2017 off-season. Stone played for the Umana Reyer Venezia and the Hornets tried hard to bring him back to the States. They got him, too, just before training camp. Then he became a forgotten man. That’s largely because Stone sat out most of the year on the healthy inactive list.
So the big question today is the same as it was over a year ago: What do the Hornets really have in Julyan Stone?
For starters, he’s arguably Charlotte’s third best defensive player behind Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Treveon Graham. His defense is aided considerably by tremendous size. At 6’6” with a 6’10” wingspan, Stone is one of the tallest point guards in the NBA. That size allows him to switch on defense and match up with either a shooting guard or a small forward. It adds up to a defensive capability that exceeds the Hornets’ backup Malik Monk and is slightly better than what Michael Carter-Williams offers.
Courtesy: ClutchPoints
Another positive about Stone is his playmaking. He consistently found open shooters during his stints in the NBA, G- League, and Euroleague. Consider this: Stone had an immaculate-size eight assists per game last year in the G-League. And with stretch players like Nic Batum, Treveon Graham, and Marvin Williams, the Hornets can really use an assist man who spreads out the floor on offense, especially when Kemba Walker leaves the game.
But Stone has a downside, too. Like LAL’s Ball, Stone has the tendency to become passive. His instinct to pass the ball means he gives up open shots. Take the Hornets recent game against the Grizzlies. Stone had zero points in fourteen minutes of playing time–the only Hornets’ player who didn’t score that night. There was no reason for Stone to be passive, either. Charlotte was up by a half-century. He could have (and should have) padded his scoring stats.
Another of Stone’s deficiencies is the relative inability to create his own shot. How so? He has below-average handles and an inconsistent shot from three. Both weaknesses yield a limited offensive game, similar to what plagues teammate Michael Carter-Williams. Stone excels on the inside and at the free throw line, but that’s just not enough.
Maybe Stone should modify his playing style by doing what Sean Livingston of the Warriors has done: attack with his back to the basket.
All in all, though, I hope the Hornets won’t give up on Julyan Stone. His veteran’s minimum salary allows him to be a bargain-priced, third-option point guard. A stellar defender already, Stone won’t be the player he can be unless he becomes more aggressive on offense. In today’s NBA, everyone–from the perimeter to low-post guys–needs to be able to score the ball one way or another.
Today, at least, Stone is a low-risk/high-reward proposition. That’s a scenario the Hornets seem to love.
