After being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets 11th overall, James Bouknight did not disappoint in Summer League action. He averaged 16.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in four games of action. The potential is there for Bouknight to be a special player in the NBA and he should be able to provide some good minutes off the bench for the Hornets. That's why in this post we're going to look at some NBA superstar comparisons.
Cracking the rotation should be easy with the kind of scoring ability he displayed over the course of the four games. However, after seeing his talent on display, there are a few players he resembles.
Here are three NBA player comparisons that Bouknight should feel honored to have and hopefully replicate their production.
James Bouknight – NBA Superstar Comparison
Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson came into the league as a raw project after being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. After a couple of seasons, he found his niche and began to put up numbers as the team's sixth man. He struggled to find his groove when he was traded to Cleveland, but after making it into Utah, Clarkson exploded. He took home the Sixth Man of the year award in the 2020-21 season.
James Bouknight is about the same size as Clarkson and has shown he can create his own shots like the Utah Jazz guard can today. Clarkson put in the work to transform himself into the killer he is today and if Bouknight embraces his role, it is possible he can have a similar impact on Charlotte.
CJ McCollum
When healthy, CJ McCollum is a certified bucket. He has been the perfect scoring compliment to Damian Lillard for the last several seasons. McCollum is another smooth-scoring playmaker and seems to be a borderline All-star year after year. However, CJ was regulated to a bench role when he was drafted in 2013 and was playing behind Wes Matthews.
Bouknight's path will look very similar to start out his career because he will be playing behind LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. CJ has established himself as a good scorer in the open floor or half-court sets and is a reliable defender. James Bouknight seems to be comfortable on the offensive side of the ball, but maybe he can build his game up to become a good defender as well.
Zach LaVine
No! James Bouknight is not flying out of the gym like Zach LaVine does on a nightly basis, but over the past couple of seasons, LaVine has shown he is more than that. He has become an excellent shooter as he developed over time and now he will have a real shot to contend for a playoff spot with Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan. Bouknight is arguably more polished as a scorer than LaVine was when he came out of UCLA, not a better athlete, but he may have more to his arsenal as a rookie.
It will be an interesting season for the Hornets' top pick this season. It is sure to have its ups and downs, but hopefully, there is a lot more success and learning than anything else. Bouknight has the potential to be right on par with all these guys on the list someday. Playing with a guy like LaMelo Ball early on in your career will help you get those similar scoring numbers.
It is all up to James Bouknight to just put in the work.
Follow Us
Subscribe