PJ Washington

PF, Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets experimented with small-ball lineups by playing PJ Washington at center alongside Miles Bridges at power forward during their mini-camp.

Washington reportedly surprised the team with the quality of his play during the Hornets’ two-week camp. Giving him minutes at center seems to be a way for James Borrego to get him more playtime without sacrificing Miles Bridges’ role, who is expected to start at the four. The team really has no stand out big, so it wouldn’t be a tough call to run small-ball lineups more often. A few more minutes per game as the team’s primary big could give Washington a bump in rebounding numbers and a more consistent role. He started his rookie year strong but ended ranked outside the top-120 with per game averages of 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks, shooting 45 percent from the field and a rough 65 percent from the line.

Source: Rick Bonnell for the Charlotte Observer