No wimps: Charlotte Hornets need rookie Washington to rub off on older teammates
If there’s a lesson in Charlotte Hornets rookie P.J. Washington’s 13 free-throw attempts Sunday, it’s this:
Play through contact, and you’ll be rewarded. Don’t be a wimp, and the referees will notice.
Washington, a 6-foot-7 forward out of Kentucky, has started all 25 games of his rookie season. He’s been surprisingly good from 3-point range, making 42 percent of his attempts. The Hornets expected him to be a physical post-up player, and Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks was telling that way: Washington had 20 points and took the most free-throw attempts by a Hornets rookie since D.J. Augustin a decade ago.
“He’s earning respect out there — he’s aggressive and putting pressure on officials to make calls,” said Hornets coach James Borrego. “We’ve got to continue to have him more aggressive in (the lane). He has a knack for that.
“The combination for him — the 3-point line and the interior — is a really nice combination.”
Borrego put Washington in the starting lineup after a head-turning preseason. The 12th overall pick out of Kentucky is top-five among NBA rookies this season in rebounds (5.0 per game), steals (1.08) and blocks (0.78). He’s fourth among Hornets in scoring at 12.1 points per game.
Only one other rookie — Miami’s Tyler Herro (a teammate of Washington’s at Kentucky) — has a higher free-throw game this season at 16. Typically, frequent trips to the foul line are among the last additions to a rookie’s resume, as he establishes a reputation with officials.
“I just need to be more aggressive in pick-and-rolls going to the rack, trying to get into people’s bodies and finishing through contact,” Washington said. “Some games I’ll get those calls, some games not. But the biggest thing for me is finishing through contact.”
Borrego would love for Washington’s aggression to rub off more on teammates. The Hornets average 20.7 free-throw attempts, sixth-fewest this season among 30 teams.
“You’ve got to do your part to put pressure on (referees) to make calls. You’ve got to show you’re being hit and do that with aggressiveness. If you shy away from the contact, you’re not going to get the call,” Borrego said.
“I saw that a few times (with other Hornets) — shying away from the contact, and hoping to get a call. That’s not coming your way. You’ve got to be demonstrative, strong, physical, fight through that initial contact. He’s done that.”
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 9:58 AM.
