Is Lance Stephenson Set For A Coming Out Party?

After earning a starting spot in the Pacer' rotation, how will Danny Granger's return affect Lance Stephenson's development? Nathanial S. Butler/Getty Images

            Lance Stephenson. Adidas ABCD Camp Participant. Abraham Lincoln High School Alumni. Four-Time New York City Champion. New York State’s All-Time Leading Scorer. Two-Time New York City Player Of The Year. Sexual Assault. Born Ready Reality Show. Rucker Park Legend. Gunnin’ For That No. 1 Spot. McDonald’s All-American. United States Under-18 Team Camp Invitee. University of Cincinnati Recruit. Second Round Draft Pick. Indiana Pacers. Orlando Summer League. Third Degree Assault. Bench Warmer. NBA Starter.

Eight years ago, Lance Stephenson began his journey to basketball stardom in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. Coming off an impressive performance at the Adidas ABCD Camp the previous year, Stephenson enrolled at Abraham Lincoln High School. Basketball was at the core of Lincoln’s history. Having produced the likes of Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, Stephenson entered as a freshman hoping to write his own chapter in the book of New York high school basketball history. And after four years at Lincoln, Stephenson had accomplished all he had wished for, and more. Under Stephenson’s guidance, Abraham Lincoln High School became the first school in New York City history to win four straight city championships. Along the way, Stephenson became New York State’s all-time leading scorer, finishing with 2,946 points for his career. Additionally, Stephenson was twice awarded New York City Player of the Year honors.

As a consensus top-ten prospect, the Brooklyn teenager’s recruitment was a long and drawn out process. Eventually Stephenson decided to attend the University of Cincinnati, passing up the schools that occupied his original list, Kansas, St. John’s, and Maryland. After only one year at the “Dirty Nati,” Stephenson decided to forgo his three remaining years of eligibility and declare for the 2010 NBA Draft. The Indiana Pacers selected Stephenson with the 40^th pick.

With so much success on the hardwood, Stephenson has faced his fair share of off-the-court trouble. During his junior season, Stephenson faced a sexual assault charge for groping a female classmate at school. Later that year, he would miss two games for an altercation with one of his teammates. At the United States under-18 tryouts, he was sent home for “chemistry” reasons. In 2010, Stephenson was arrested for third degree assault for allegedly pushing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs. During his rookie season, his role in the rotation was diminished due to ongoing immaturity issues.

The record on Stephenson is not pretty. While his game made him a New York City basketball immortal, his off-the-court antics have diminished his professional standing. He has shown flashes of brilliance at times, but can still revert back to the selfish, out-of-control (and turnover-prone) playing style of his earlier days. However, Stephenson’s improved maturity over the past two seasons garnered the former high school star a starting spot for the 2012-13 season in wake of Danny Granger's absence.

Now, with Granger set to return to the Indiana rotation, Stephenson's role (along with Granger's) is one of the biggest uncertainties heading into the season. His development has certainly benefited from a place in the starting lineup, and his play has benefited the team as well. But with Granger's return, Stephenson's spot in the starting lineup may be in jeopardy. As a former all-star and winner of the Most Improved Player Award in 2009, Granger may not be comfortable in a role off the bench. If Granger returns to the starting lineup, Paul George will shift down to the shooting guard position while Stephenson would be relegated to the sixth man role. With both Granger and George in the starting lineup, this would definitely be the lineup with the most talent.

Even so, I do not think this would be the best maneuver for the Pacers in the long run. As fun as it would be to see a revamped lineup of George Hill, George, Granger, David West, and Roy Hibbert (Wow! I just realized how incredible that lineup would be), it simply does not make sense for the team. For two reasons, Paul George's emergence and for, my main focus of this entire article, Lance Stephenson's further development.

First off, let's cover the more obvious part, which is Paul George's emergence. This past season, the Pacers fan base and much of the NBA was blown away by Paul George's development into an all-star. While he still needs to cut down his turnovers and increase his efficiency from mid-range, there is no doubt that Paul George is a budding NBA superstar. His athleticism, improved ball-handling, increasingly deadly three-point stroke (and much more) all accounted for the 23 year old's breakout season. This was all accomplished as PG24 played in his natural position at small forward. If Granger were to return to the lineup, George would certainly shift to the shooting guard position, where he primarily played for his first two seasons in Indiana. There's no telling how this would affect George's further emergence into a bonafide NBA superstar, but i have my doubts. At shooting guard, PG will once again be playing out of position. He will face smaller, quicker players which may hinder his abilities to both defend and score on the offensive end. And on top of that, Granger will warrant his fair share of touches, especially if he returns to his pre-injury form. Granger's prescense in the lineup will only harm George's rise to superstardom.

Secondly, Granger's spot in the starting lineup will most definitely hinder Lance Stephenson's development. Within the starting role, Indiana fans were wowed by Stephenson's abilities to get to the rim and his electric playing style. He is a high energy player, which is something Indiana fans have always loved (Example: Ron Artest). Heading into the past season, Stephenson took the starting role and ran with it, impressive for a player who only average ten minutes per game the previous season. Over the course of the season, Stephenson emerged as a fan favorite, all the while delivering the supreme ups and downs of a first year starter in the NBA. His game is miles better than what it was when the season started in October. This man cannot be relegated to the bench; there is simply too much upside for the 22 year old Brooklyn native.

While off the court activities and immaturity issues have hindered his playing time during his first two seasons in Indianapolis, Stephenson worked hard to improve his game, hoping his troubles would go away. During his first two offseasons in the NBA, Stephenson stayed in Indiana to work on his game (and stay out of trouble). He improved his shooting abilities and showed an increased awareness on the court, which helped cut down on some of the detractions of his erratic style of play. After watching Paul George emerge into an NBA star, Lance Stephenson is ready for his own coming out party. There's no question that Stephenson's stock is on the rise, but how high is his ceiling? Personally, I think Stephenson can mature into a perennial all-star caliber player. He has all the tools of a prototypical NBA shooting guard. He's quick and decisive with the dribble. He possesses superior athleticism for a player his size. His three-point shot has shown vast improvement. He can burn defenders and finish at the rim. He is a high motor player.

Along with Paul George, Stephenson may emerge as one of the greatest steals from the 2010 NBA Draft. However, the question of whether or not he reaches his full potential is dependent on his role in the upcoming season. Fans have already seen a dramatic increase from his sophomore season, and he's ready to take the next step, a Paul George kind of step. I can definitely see Stephenson making a similar jump in production that George made last season. He has all the physical tools and the basketball talent to do so; it's just a matter of whether or not he will garner the chance to reach his full potential. Although a sixth man role would still provide Stephenson valuable minutes, his development will surely be hindered coming off the bench. To me, this is a great opportunity for Frank Vogel and his staff to aid Stephenson in his emergence onto the NBA's big stage. If he receives a starting spot next season, I do not see any reason why the Pacer's cannot celebrate two first time all-star selections in two consecutive years. After all, he’s known as Born Ready for a reason.