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2014-15 Season in Review | P.J. Hairston

By Matt Rochinski, hornets.com

2014-15 Season in Review | P.J. Hairston

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Tipping Off
The Hornets acquired the rights to guards P.J. Hairston (26th overall pick) and Semaj Christon (55th overall pick), along a 2019 second-round draft pick and with cash considerations, from the Miami Heat in exchange for the rights to guard Shabazz Napier (24th overall pick) during the 2014 NBA Draft on June 26. The Hornets then traded the rights to Christon to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for cash considerations.
“When we made the trade to move back a couple of spots, with all the intel we acquired, we felt that P.J. would be there at 26, so we got some additional assets,” said General Manager Rich Cho. “P.J. was one of the best shooters in the draft. We followed him for a long time and did a lot of background work on him. He had a great year in the D-League in Texas and is a guy that really fills a need for us. Another thing we wanted to come away with in the draft was shooting, and he provides that for us in a big way.”
Hairston finished his rookie season averaging 5.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 steals in 15.3 minutes while seeing action in 45 games.

Double Digits
Hairston had his first big game on November 29 in Atlanta and was a bright spot off the bench, dropping a team-high 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting with three 3-pointers. Hairston added four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal. After cracking the 20-minute mark just once in the first month of the season, Hairston had the first double-digit scoring performance of his career while playing 27 minutes in the loss to the Hawks.

Heating Up
Hairston’s best stretch of the season came on Jan. 10 in New York followed by a Jan. 14 matchup with the Spurs at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hairston dropped 15 points in a 110-82 win over the Knicks, including three treys. After a few days off in Charlotte, Hairston came out and scored 11 points, including three more from long range against the defending champs. In the two-game stretch, Hairston averaged 13.0 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including 6-of-11 from outside the arc, and added 3.5 rebounds for good measure in 22.0 minutes off the bench.
“I think he’s learning the NBA game,” said Head Coach Steve Clifford. “I think he’s learning not only the intricacies of the game itself, but also what it takes to develop a routine and to learn how to take care of himself physically. He’s a talented guy, and I think he’s got a great future.”

Career Night
Hairston came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points, which included a career-high four 3-pointers on 4-of-9 shooting from long range at Time Warner Cable Arena on Feb. 10 against Detroit. It was the only game Hairston saw action in between a Jan. 31 appearance in Denver and a March 27 slate in Washington.

Winning Ways
Hairston thrived in Hornets wins in his first season in Charlotte, averaging 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.6 steals in 19 victories compared to 4.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 steals in 26 defeats. Hairston also shot 6.3 percent better from the field, 2.6 percent better from long range and 8.7 percent better from the free-throw line in Hornets wins.

2015-16 Outlook
It was a rookie season of ups and downs for Hairston playing in essentially what is his hometown, but at season’s end he looking at his first year in the NBA as a tremendous learning experience and knows what he’ll be looking to do in 2015-16. As a knockdown shooter with nearly-unlimited range, Hairston’s next goal is working on being able to create off the dribble and knock down tough shots with defenders, knowing that if he’s able to add that to his game it will also help him get his teammates more involved.
“Things started off pretty well for me (in his rookie season),” said Hairston. “I had those games sometimes where I didn’t play, but I was always ready to play. I went into a little shooting slump, but those are the types of things that are going to happen in your career. It’s good for me that it’s happening early. I think this summer can be a big one for me – just coming in, staying in the gym every day and getting better at everything. (I want to) come in next year with a strong start and hopefully can make some changes.”