Just hours away from his first basketball game in nine months, P.J. Washington admitted after shootaround on Saturday morning to having problems sleeping the night before with the excitement too much to ignore.
“I couldn’t really sleep,” Washington said. “I’m super excited. I can’t wait to get on the court with my teammates and just finally get a chance to play somebody else. It’s been so long so I’m just excited to get out there.”
The Hornets will end a nine-month layoff on Saturday night when they open the preseason at home against the Toronto Raptors. After narrowly missing out on a chance to take part in the bubble, Charlotte was forced to watch from the sideline as 22 other teams resumed their seasons.
The consolation prize for their wait was LaMelo Ball, who was selected with the No. 3 pick after the Hornets jumped five spots in the draft lottery. By all accounts, Ball has adjusted seamlessly to life in the NBA. P.J. Washington talked about what he’s learned of his new rookie point guard after a week of firsthand experience in practice with him.
“LaMelo’s a lot taller than what I expected,” Washington said. “He passes the ball at a really high level. He’s ready. I’m excited to play with him. He’s young but I feel like he’s ready to come in and be big for us this year.”
More than just being a talented player, Ball’s attitude has been just as impressive. Like Devonte’ Graham before him, Washington noted that Ball is always seeking out answers and ways to improve.
“He asks a lot of questions during practice, during film,” he said. “Whenever he feels like he’s doing something wrong, he’s always asking ‘What do I do here? What do I do next? Where should you be?’ Stuff like that. He’s trying to learn the offense, trying to learn it as best as he can and that’s something you want to see from every rookie so I’m excited that he’s bought into the process.”
“He’s very engaged and he’s curious,” Washington added. “I feel like he’s definitely in a good place right now and I expect to see him a lot this year.”
Whether that means starting on Saturday night or in the regular season opener is still up in the air as head coach James Borrego has remained tight-lipped not just on a starting lineup but any lineups. Regardless of who are the first players to step on the court in Hornets jerseys on Saturday, it’ll be a welcome sight after nine long, long months off.
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