The hole in P.J. Washington’s game and the next step for him and the Charlotte Hornets
Veteran Marvin Williams knew from the first day of training camp that P.J. Washington was no typical NBA rookie.
Washington, chosen 12th overall in 2019, was intellectually and emotionally mature. He assimilated information at a rapid rate that Williams, who retired Tuesday after 15 NBA seasons, had seldom witnessed.
Washington being an opening-night starter, and scoring a Hornets-record 27 points in his rookie debut, wasn’t that much of a surprise.
What did Washington learn from his first pro season? What must he improve? Washington talked to The Observer’s Rick Bonnell Wednesday, as he promoted a public stock offering with SportBLX on a corporation that bears his name.
Rick Bonnell: You obviously handled the college-to-NBA transition well. Did anything catch you off-guard about last season?
P.J. Washington: “I think the whole rookie season, I was pretty much expecting it. The biggest thing for me was I kind of hit a wall (of fatigue) before the All-Star break (in February) where I couldn’t make shots and wasn’t really playing well. I felt like I wasn’t playing my best basketball and I couldn’t find a way to get out of it.
“I feel like talking to (veterans) like Marvin helped me. I pretty much picked up the pace and got better. But that whole month was definitely tough on me. My body was wearing on me, I wasn’t making shots, I felt like I wasn’t playing my best basketball at all.”
RB: Rex Chapman (like Washington, a Kentucky star drafted by the Hornets) said the most important time for an NBA player’s development is the summer after his rookie season: That you need that first season to understand the holes in your game. Is there anything in particularly that you’re focused on, based on last season?
PJW: “My main focus is on play-making — handling the ball. That’s the biggest thing — making shots off the dribble and making plays (for teammates) off the dribble as well. I feel like if I add that, my game will be a lot better than it was last year.”
(Washington averaged an assist for every 14 minutes played and had a 1.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover average.)
RB: How does this stock offering work?
PJW: “Basically, it’s a way for me to connect with my fans and create wealth off the court. Investors will receive up to a 5% rate of return, plus upside, from operations in my corporation when they invest. They’re investing into my corporation and I’m investing as well. I’ll make contributions to the corporation that fund return to investors.”
(This is not tied to Washington’s NBA contracts now or in the future, or to his on-court performance).
RB: You and your teammates have been limited since the season was halted March 11 to individual workouts in the Hornets’ training facility. How difficult has it been not to be allowed to scrimmage under NBA COVID-19 protocols?
PJW: “We all want to play and we all want to play against opponents. Going in and just working out has been fun, but it’s been hard — we all want to play. We want more. We’re ready to work out together and return to bonding as a team.”
RB: The NBA will allow group workouts for the eight teams not in the restart later this month. What do you think the Hornets can accomplish in that two-week window?
PJW: “We’re going to see where everybody is at (in conditioning and skills). We’re going to see where we need to improve and that will allow us to continue to make strides in the off-season.”
RB: Participation will be voluntary. Do you have any sense how much participation there will be by Hornets players?
PJW: “I think everybody is excited for it. I think everybody is pretty much going. I’m not sure if anybody isn’t, but as of now, I think everybody is going. It will be great to see each other and get some bonding. Get a bubble look on things.”
RB: Have you watched much of the playoffs, and is there anything you can particularly glean from that?
PJW: “It’s just crazy watching the the Miami Heat in the Bucks series (when the Heat upset the top seed in the East). Just how hard the Heat has played and how good they are playing. We should have definitely been (invited to be) in the bubble. But we’re at our own pace right now.”
RB: You talked so much about how then-Kentucky assistant Kenny Payne helped get you ready for the NBA. Now, he’s been hired by the New York Knicks. What made Kenny such a resource to pros-to-be in Lexington?
PJW: “Guys like Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns (learned from him); he’s a great guy to pick his brain ... With him, it’s consistency; he’s there every day for all his players to work out and get better. We all bonded with him. Great guy, a funny guy, and very competitive. He shares the same (traits) we all have; I think that’s why we all gravitated towards him.”
RB: The Hornets jumped into the third draft spot in the lottery. Is there anything you’d particularly like to see accomplished with that pick?
PJW: “Whoever we pick is going to be a great asset to our team who is going to come in and try to win. That’s our biggest thing right now — trying to win (after four non-playoff seasons). We have a process we’re buying into as a team right now, and I expect nothing less of the person we pick.”
This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 9:44 PM.
