Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Dealing with ankle sprain
Rotowire
McGowens sprained his ankle in a workout last week, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
McGowens will be limited throughout the first week of training camp, which starts Tuesday. The 20-year-old appeared in 46 games for Charlotte last season, but he faces new competition for minutes from rookies Nick Smith and Amari Bailey.
McGowens accumulated 22 points (6-11 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 9-10 FT), four rebounds, four assists and two steals across 33 minutes during Sunday's 106-95 win over the Cavaliers.
As the season came to an end, McGowens got plenty of opportunities. He started the final six games of the year while averaging 30 minutes. In those six contests, McGowens averaged 14.7 points on 48.3 percent shooting. The rookie cleared the 20-point plateau for the first time in his career, as he tied with Mark Williams for the team high Sunday. McGowens will have to fight for a bigger role next season in the Hornets' rotation.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Racks up season-best effort Tuesday
Rotowire
McGowens notched 20 points (7-12 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), six rebounds and three assists across 36 minutes during Tuesday's 120-100 loss to the Raptors.
McGowens hadn't tallied more than 12 points in a game prior to Tuesday's outburst, which came thanks to the vast majority of the team's regulars taking a seat. McGowens may continue to produce over the final two games of the regular season, but it shouldn't be viewed as indicative of things to come for the 2023-24 campaign.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Scores 11 points in spot start
Rotowire
McGowens closed Tuesday's 137-134 win over Oklahoma City with 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 0-2 FT), two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 24 minutes.
McGowens drew his second start of the season with Gordon Hayward (thumb), Kelly Oubre (shoulder), Terry Rozier (foot) and Dennis Smith (toe) all ruled out. The rookie second-round pick's 11 points were one shy of his career high, and he also tied his season high with two steals. When any of the aforementioned injured players return, McGowens' playing time will presumably take a major hit, but until then, the Nebraska product should be on fantasy radars.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Enters starting lineup
Rotowire
McGowens will enter the starting lineup Tuesday against the Thunder.
Gordon Hayward is getting the night off due to a thumb injury. McGowens has really struggled shooting the ball in recent games, and he hasn't scored in double digits since Feb. 15.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Logs 20 minutes in blowout loss
Rotowire
McGowens ended with nine points (2-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-5 FT), one rebound, two assists, one block and one steal over 20 minutes during Friday's 121-82 loss to the 76ers.
McGowens played at least 20 minutes for just the second time in the past 12 games, flashing some upside in the process. While it is unclear just where he fits in the Hornets' rotation beyond this season, he has shown enough to convince the coaching staff he can compete with the best on a nightly basis. While he isn't a player to add right now, fantasy managers should keep an eye on his playing time just in case the Hornets opt to hand him the keys at some point down the stretch.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Increased role Sunday
Rotowire
McGowens racked up five points (2-5 FG, 1-2 3Pt) and two rebounds over 20 minutes during Sunday's 102-86 loss to the Nets.
McGowens logged 20 minutes in the loss, an indication that his role is continuing to develop. While his production is yet to resemble anything close to 12-team value, managers in deeper formats will want to keep an eye on things moving forward. Given the Hornets have signed him to a four-year deal, they are likely going to want to get a look at him down the stretch.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Signs standard NBA deal
Rotowire
The Hornets converted McGowens' two-way contract into a standard three-year NBA deal Sunday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
McGowens' contract keeps him on the books through 2024-25 and includes a team option for 2025-26. The second-round rookie out of Nebraska has averaged only 4.1 points, 1.7 assists and 1.0 assists in 14.7 minutes per game while shooting 37.9 percent from the field in 26 appearances for the NBA team this season, but the Hornets saw enough from him to justify moving him to the 15-man roster.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Flirts with double figures
Rotowire
McGowens posted 19 points (7-19 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and one steal over 27 minutes during Saturday's 122-110 win over Maine.
McGowens finished third on the team in scoring while finishing one point short of reaching the 20-point mark Saturday. McGowens has averaged 22.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals over his last three outings.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Strong on both ends in loss
Rotowire
McGowens finished with 16 points (3-10 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 6-8 FT), six rebounds, four steals and three assists in 28 minutes during Wednesday's 110-100 loss to the Cleveland Charge.
McGowens was one of three Swarm players with 15 or more points, leading the team in steals while posting a team-high-tying rebound total. McGowens has averaged 26.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.5 assists over his last two games.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Sent to G League
Rotowire
The Hornets transferred McGowens to the G League's Greensboro Swarm on Wednesday.
McGowens, James Bouknight, Kai Jones and Theo Maledon will all start the second-half schedule in the G League and figure to garner sizable roles during Wednesday's matchup against the Cleveland Charge. Across seven appearances with the Swarm, McGowens is averaging 25.1 points, 5.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 38.1 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Adds 11 off bench
Rotowire
McGowens notched 11 points (3-9 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), one rebound, three assists and two steals across 26 minutes during Wednesday's 120-110 victory over the Spurs.
McGowens reached double figures for the first time since Jan. 18 and surprisingly added support on the defensive end by securing a pair of steals, marking his sixth and seventh steals of the campaign through 26 games. The 20-year-old saw an uptick in playing time Wednesday with both Terry Rozier (hand) and Cody Martin (knee) sidelined, but both players could be back in action after the All-Star break.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Returns to bench
Rotowire
McGowens will not start in Thursday's game against Chicago.
McGowens appeared in the starting lineup for the first time in his career Tuesday with LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Gordon Hayward (hamstring) absent and managed five points, four rebounds and three assists over 22 minutes. However, with the pair healthy Thursday, McGowens will be relegated to his usual bench role.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Enters starting five
Rotowire
McGowens is starting Tuesday's game against the Suns.
McGowens will get a chance with the first unit with both LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Gordon Hayward (hamstring) ruled out for Tuesday's clash. This marks the first start of McGowens' NBA career.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Logs 21 minutes off bench
Rotowire
McGowens finished with 10 points (3-4 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds and three assists across 21 minutes in Wednesday's 122-117 win over Houston.
With Cody Martin (knee), Gordon Hayward (hamstring) and Kelly Oubre (hand) sidelined and with LaMelo Ball (ankle) exiting early, McGowens took on an elevated role in the second unit after he had only recently re-entered head coach Steve Clifford's rotation. The Hornets are still evaluating the statuses of Martin and Hayward on a game-by-game basis, but Oubre remains sidelined for the foreseeable future, and after spraining his left ankle for a third time this season, Ball could also be headed for a multi-game absence. McGowens thus looks like he'll have an opportunity to see some consistent playing time off the bench, though likely not enough run to make him a useful fantasy option outside of deeper leagues.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Back with parent club
Rotowire
McGowens was transferred from the G League's Greensboro Swarm to the Hornets on Saturday.
McGowens headed to the G League earlier Saturday, but he'll rejoin the parent club and will be available for Saturday's matchup against Brooklyn. He's averaging 4.1 points in 14.3 minutes per game with the Hornets this year.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Returns from G League
Rotowire
McGowens was recalled from the Greensboro Swarm on Thursday.
McGowens will make his way back to Charlotte after putting up 28 points in Greensboro's matchup Thursday against the G League Ignite. He's struggled to see playing time while with the NBA club, logging just four minutes since Dec. 12.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Near 30-point performance in win
Rotowire
McGowens posted 28 points (12-21 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 1-3 FT), seven assists, three steals and two rebounds in 35 minutes during Thursday's 109-90 win over G League Ignite.
McGowens finished second on the team in both scoring and assists, finishing three dishes shy of a double-double while sitting two points short of a 30-point outing. McGowens has averaged 23.2 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals in six appearances this year.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Near 20-point performance in defeat
Rotowire
McGowens tallied 18 points (7-15 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steals in 32 minutes during Tuesday's 108-91 loss to Sioux Falls.
McGowens returned to the Greensboro lineup after being assigned to the G League squad, finishing with a team-high-tying point total in Tuesday's loss. McGowens has averaged 22.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals in five G League games this season.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Bryce McGowens: Joins G League team
Rotowire
McGowens was assigned to the Hornets' affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm on Monday.
McGowens will join the Swarm and be available for their opening game in the G League Showcase on Tuesday against the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The rookie out of Nebraska held a spot in Charlotte's rotation for the first six games of December, but he logged just four minutes over the Hornets' last three contests following the returns of LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward from extended absences.
