25-year-old Hornets guard in the second year of a $21 million contract is having the season of his life after a grueling summer

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November 29, 2017 4:53 PM

Jeremy Lamb dedicated himself to improving his game over the summer, and the hard work is paying off as he's having a career year.

Jeremy Lamb is having a breakout season for the Charlotte Hornets, averaging career-highs in nearly every major statistical category.
After playing limited minutes off the bench the first five years of his career, Lamb spent nearly the entire offseason working feverishly on his game.
The hot start has shown Lamb has another level to his game and could alter the course of his career.

Jeremy Lamb and Stephen Silas both point to the same stretch of games that led to the most work-intensive summer of Lamb's life.

With the Charlotte Hornets out of the playoff picture last April, Lamb, a reserve guard-forward, got a chance to play extended minutes, and produced, averaging 13 points per game on 50% shooting.

It was something of a revelation for Lamb, encouraging him that if he put the work in, he could continue to thrive for the Hornets.

"You go into the summer with that in your mindset and knowing that you have a role and can flourish," Silas, the Hornets associate head coach, to Business Insider. "That's usually when guys lock in and hopefully kinda turn the corner, and that's what he’s done so far."

Lamb, 25, is in the second year of a three-year, $21 million contract extension that raised some eyebrows when he signed it in November 2015. Lamb had shown flashes of being a long, versatile guard capable of scoring in bunches, defending, and finding the open man, but had never done it with much consistency. He has career averages of just 8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in limited minutes. Last season, Lamb had moments where he fell out of the Hornets' rotation altogether.

However, his strong finish to the season encouraged him, and Silas and the team gave him a distinct set of goals for the offseason: improve his shooting, improve his defense, and get stronger.

Lamb took it to heart and began a grueling offseason regimen. His daily routine included a morning shooting session, followed by work in the weight room, then game-speed simulations led by Silas. At times, he would return to the gym at night for more shooting work.

In preseason, Hornets starting guard Nicolas Batum tore a ligament in his elbow, sidelining him for 8-12 weeks. Lamb suddenly found himself in the starting lineup.

He immediately showed off the hard work he put into his offseason. His handle and shot creation has improved.

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