Charlotte Hornets: Devonte Graham to avoid surgery on injured knee
The Charlotte Hornets got good news this week with rookie Devonte Graham likely avoiding knee surgery.
The team the Charlotte Hornets sent to the Summer League earlier this month showed great promise and got fans excited for the future, as well as the present. One of those players that really shined in Las Vegas was guard Devonte Graham.
However, Graham’s time in the Summer League was cut short due to a knee injury. There was some question on the severity of the injury and if it would require surgery. According to Charlotte Observers’ Rick Bonnell, it appears Graham will avoid surgery and return to basketball activities on a “conservative schedule.”
The former Kansas Jayhawk showed promise in the three games he played, averaging 10 points, six assists in 26 minutes per game. He also was a perfect 8 for 8 from the free throw line.
Entering the NBA Draft, Graham was one of the most polished point guards in this class according to Sports Illustrated’s scouting report. He helped the Jayhawks reach the Final Four and won Big 12 Player of the Year awards as a senior. This was likely one of the reasons the Hornets wanted to trade up for Graham and were willing to give up two second round picks.
The question is what impact will this injury have on the season and could it impact Graham’s chances at getting regular minutes in the rotation. As Bonnell notes, first year head coach James Borrego said before the Summer League that he had a chance at rotation minutes this coming season.
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If Graham is healthy enough to start training camp, he would be competing for the job to back up Kemba Walker. However, he will have a tough challenge ahead of him as he will be competing with veteran Tony Parker. The former Spurs point guard signed a two year deal this offseason and is familiar with Borrego from their time in San Antonio.