Lance Stephenson

Stephenson played in just 18 games last season -- seeing six games each with three different teams. He was initially signed to a one-year deal by the Pelicans, but was waived after it was determined he would need surgery to address a groin injury. Then, he agreed to two 10-day contracts with the Timberwolves, but wasn’t given a year-long commitment after being slowed down by an ankle injury. Finally, he landed with the Pacers on a three-year, $12 million deal. He spent the first four years of his career in Indiana, playing like a borderline All-Star back in 2013-14, but has been a shell of himself since. During the six appearances he had with the team last season, Stephenson posted 7.2 points, 4.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds across 22.0 minutes per game in what was essentially a sixth-man role. That team still had the likes of Jeff Teague and Paul George on it, however. With their respective absences, Stephenson should theoretically have the ball in his hands more often and/or see more time on the court. He’s also a multi-positional player, capable of spending time at point guard through small forward due to a well-rounded skillset and high-intensity play, which boosts his Fantasy value as well. Overall, drafting Stephenson certainly comes with risk considering his performance over the past few seasons, though his stock is without a doubt the highest it’s been since he left Indiana the first time.

Perhaps no player was a bigger disappointment in 2014-15 than Stephenson. After a breakout year with the Pacers in which he posted near All-Star caliber numbers, Stephenson's performance took a nose dive in his first season with the Hornets. The 25-year-old posted modest averages of just 8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 26 minutes while playing just 61 games. Stephenson's efficiency also reached nightmarish levels for fantasy owners, as he shot just 38 percent from the field, 63 percent from the free-throw line, and a league-worst 17 percent from three-point territory. Stephenson is now hoping for a bounce-back year in 2015-16 as he suits up for the Clippers. Although coach Doc Rivers has stated that Stephenson could potentially be used as a starter, although the presence of both J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford should create a logjam of minutes at the shooting guard position. Stephenson could also potentially see minutes at the small forward position behind aging offseason acquisition Paul Pierce. Overall, Stephenson remains a massive fantasy question mark headed into the upcoming season. It remains to be seen whether Stephenson will be given a clearly defined role in LA and more importantly whether he is able to turn around his play after a disastrous stint in Charlotte.

It's been back-to-back breakout seasons for Lance Stephenson with the end result of which was a big payday and a new hometown. While his trajectory has seemed to plateau, he remains an interesting piece in his first year in Charlotte's offense. Of course, Stephenson excels at utilizing his athleticism and strength to get to the bucket. According to NBA.com/stats, of players that drove to the hoop at least 200 times last year (any touch that starts at least 20 feet away from the hoop and is dribbled within 10 feet of the hoop), only LeBron James, Manu Ginobili, and Kevin Durant shot a higher percentage on drives than Stephenson. That should help a Charlotte team with a slow pace get some more easy buckets, but it was Stephenson's outside shooting that was much improved over the second half of last season — while shooting noticeably worse overall — which could help the Hornets' dire need to space the floor. If he finds more consistency from outside (his monthly splits are all over the map last year), he'll truly be a perfect complement to Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker.

Stephenson is likely to come off the bench this season due to the return of Danny Granger, but the preseason will play an important part in determining the roles of these two players. Stephenson has stated that he trusts head coach Frank Vogel's decision-making and will come off the bench to do whatever it takes to help the team. It remains to be seen, however, if Stephenson's production will suffer a significant drop-off due to his change in roles.

Stephenson impressed the Pacers during summer league action, prompting coach Frank Vogel to say he’s deserving of a shot to become Indiana’s backup shooting guard. That sounds like summer-league hype to us. Stephenson’s entering his third season in Indiana and he’s barely sniffed the court (10.3 mpg). After a failed experiment at point guard and dealing with some maturity issues during his first two seasons, the Pacers are not ready to give Stephenson a big role just yet. He’ll have to earn a spot in the rotation during training camp/preseason, though we’re only talking about 12-15 minutes available as the reserve two-guard behind Paul George.

Stephenson didn’t ingratiate himself to coaches and teammates last season. The maturity issues that dogged him off the court carried into practice sessions and games. He was eventually demoted and pulled from the rotation for violating team rules. There’s been little said about Stephenson’s potential role on the 2011-12 team, though it will be hard for him to crack the backcourt rotation based on the personnel on hand, never mind the non-basketball stuff that showed up in his rookie season.

Dropping to 40th in the draft because of off-court issues, Stephenson was tagged with the low-risk/high-reward label. And it looked like all reward when he played well in the summer league. The Pacers splurged, signing him to a three-year deal and talked about having play some point guard (prior to acquiring Darren Collison). The good vibes unraveled in August when he was charged with assault. The Pacers are doing their best to re-condition him, but at this point, his role on the team is unclear. Obviously, character issues are a concern as is his ability to fit in with a team-oriented dynamic.