There’s having a breakout year and then there’s doing what Devonte’ Graham pulled off in his second go-around in the NBA after serving as the Hornets’ third-string point guard and a frequent G League assignee throughout his rookie season.
A 23-point performance on 6-of-7 shooting from distance off the bench by Graham in the team’s Opening Night home win over Chicago certainly raised some eyebrows right off the bat. After notching another 24 points and six threes two days later against Minnesota, the excitement about Graham’s pending upward trajectory was here to stay.
Two weeks later, he dropped a then career-high 35 points and six assists in a home win over Indiana, setting a new single-game franchise record for scoring by a bench player.