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Not a lot of Charlotte Hornets fans managed to see PJ Washington play much due to the injury he incurred in college. However, the Kentucky product clarified that he is more than ready to play basketball today.
The 12th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft was happy to share the news with the Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte News Observer that he is medically cleared to play basketball without any worries.
“I’m pretty much cleared to do everything,” Washington said, after throwing out the first pitch at a Charlotte Knights game on Monday. “After summer league, it was about two weeks.”
The 21-year-old rookie was not able to suit up for the Hornets' Summer League team due to a then-ongoing pain in his left foot. The Charlotte front office correctly took the necessary precautions with him and shut him down for the tournament.
He was not able to showcase his stuff to eager Hornets fans, but his college numbers show exciting signs of a two-way player. He averaged 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 blocks in his 35 outings as a Wildcat last season. His shooting clip was at a respectable 55 percent while his long-range accuracy was at a solid 42 percent.
Now that he is cleared to play basketball, his focus has now turned into adjusting to the speed and power of the professional game. He said Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne, who spent four years with the Philadelphia 76ers, has been working with him to help him get his feet set.
He had this to say with the things he has been working on with Payne:
“Pretty much everything: Finishing, shooting, pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop,” Washington added. “All the reads.”
In a draft class that features Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and RJ Barrett, there's hardly any spotlight left for the other rookies. But all Washington needs to do is work on his game and become an effective contributor to the Hornets.
