Is Nick Smith Jr. a long-term starter for the Hornets?

What does the future hold for Nick Smith Jr.?

Feb 12, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Thanks to a bevy of injuries, Nick Smith Jr. has been pressed not only into the Charlotte Hornets' rotation but into the starting lineup. The guard was a late first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He played sparingly last year, starting zero games and playing a total of 729 minutes on the court.

This year, Smith Jr. has started 14 games, and he's had 617 minutes by the All-Star Break. Without Brandon Miller and especially with LaMelo Ball on the pine for now, Smith has been playing a lot lately, and he's done fairly well.

Does this mean he's a long-term starter for the Hornets?

Unfortunately, probably not. Smith is starting now because of injuries, otherwise, he'd be purely rotational. The guard has played well at times and is seemingly adjusting to big minutes in the NBA pretty well for a second-year player, but he's not playing at an extremely high level.

Feb 10, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) reacts during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

His overall field goal percentage is 40.3%. He's shooting 34.1% from three, though, which is pretty solid. Smith is averaging 7.9 points in 18.7 minutes per game. The guard has also added 1.8 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game as well.

The advanced analytics unfortunately don't help his case. Among all Hornets, even those who've only appeared in a few games, Smith Jr. ranks 14th in offensive rating. Josh Green, DaQuan Jeffries, and Josh Okogie, all players not known for high-level offense, are among those ahead of him.

Sadly, the defense isn't helping Smith's case, either. The guard has an 113.4 defensive rating, 16th among all Hornets. He is 17th in net rating. Smith Jr. ranks ninth on the team in assist ratio, so he's not passing particularly well, either. His Player Impact Estimate is 17th on the roster. Nothing suggests he's a future starter at this stage.

There is still plenty of time. He's young and has less than 90 NBA games under his belt, and only 14 of them are starts. But if the Hornets considered trading LaMelo Ball for an absolute haul and using Smith Jr. and Brandon Miller as the guards of the future, one look at the stats might make them think again.

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