Complacency not an option for Hornets’ Bryce McGowens: ‘I put a lot of work in this summer’

Marlon Garnett has played basketball at all levels, giving him a certain perspective.

So now that he’s on the other side of the spectrum, handling key duties as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets, there are a few things that get the juices flowing inside Garnett. And being around teachable individuals who are eager to learn invigorates Garnett, creating a far better instructional environment for him to impart some knowledge.

In a nutshell, that describes Bryce McGowens.

“Yeah, ‘easy’ is a good word to use, ‘enjoyable’ is a good word to use as well,” said Garnett, who’s also the Hornets’ summer league coach. “These guys that come in, it’s always better for us as coaches to have guys that are trying to be sponges, come in not acting like they know everything. Just ready to work and being able to drop some nuggets and some tools to see their upside.

“And then you see them a few years down the line, and they are excelling, and they are having some prosperity, and it’s just fun to have a feeling to be like, ’I had a fingerprint in his development or his growth.’”

McGowens is among the Hornets’ most coachable players, a title he’s held since he arrived in Charlotte more than a year ago after his rights were acquired from Minnesota in a draft-day trade. He’s laying the foundation to be another one of the team’s solid second-round finds, which has become the norm these past five years.

Highlighted by his original two-way contract getting converted into a four-year, $7.5 million standard NBA deal deal in March, McGowens’ rookie season was solid. He finished extremely strong, posting a career-high 22 points in the finale in Cleveland in April.

The largest scoring outputs of his young career came in the last three games and he ended the season sinking at least one 3-pointer in eight straight games, representing the longest streak of his career, and also had multiple assists in seven consecutive games — another career best.

It’s a springboard for McGowens’ continued growth.

“Second offseason, I feel like it’s been going really good,” McGowens said. “ I put a lot of work in this summer. Work on my body, work on my game, just watching a lot of film, trying to correct things — the little things — to be able to give me an opportunity to get on the floor and play at the highest level. So, I feel like I’ve been doing a great job this summer working on my craft and working on my body.”

Stats aren’t always a great indicator during summer league, but McGowens is definitely using the action to sharpen his offensive repertoire. Through the Hornets’ initial four summer league games, McGowens hoisted a combined 47 attempts, taking no fewer than 11 shots in any of his appearances.

Asserting himself more is among the next steps in the 29-year-old’s development.

“I want him to be aggressive without forcing the issue,” Garnett said. “I want him to turn the corner on a couple of these plays and not shy away from contact and play through the contact. That’s what I want him to do. But he, like all the guys 1 through 12, (I want) to have an intensity, have a level of edge, have a level of defensive presence on the defensive end. That’s where we need to get better.”

McGowens spoke with The Observer about his comfort level heading into his sophomore campaign, his planned improvements, how he can separate himself among the Hornets’ crowded wings and more.

Roderick Boone: How did the games in Sacramento prepare you for the second part of summer league in Las Vegas?

Bryce McGowens: I feel like it’s a great learning experience for the whole group. Having coach (Steve Clifford) around just to tell us what we are not supposed to do, how the game is supposed to be played individually, as a unit, and just knowing our roles, I feel like you have to play a role here to prepare for the real game, just try to get in your comfort zone to do what you do. I like hearing from the coaches about what I’m supposed to do. It gets me right mentally. ‘Just do this’ and it will translate over.

RB: What’s been the main message you’ve received from the coaching staff?

BM: Really just be a two-way player. It starts on the defensive end with me. Just using my length, my athletic ability, slide my feet, be able to contest shots and be in gaps. So, I feel like it starts on the defensive end with me.

RB: With Miles Bridges coming back, there are a lot of players on the current roster who play the wing position? How can you separate yourself from everybody else?

BM: Like I said just defensively. Try to bring defensive energy and just make the simple play on offense. Not do too much. Just make the simple play, whether it’s the catch-and-shoot 3 or do a great job and catch and be able to make a play off that. So just defense and hitting the wide-open 3.

RB: How much more comfortable are you now than you were a year ago as a rookie fresh off the draft?

BM: Coming out of the draft, I was a lot leaner and I didn’t know what position I was going to be in and all this. But having one year under my belt and just being able to know the coverages, know the plays, know what is expected out of the coaches and myself, I feel like that is getting me a real leg up and just be able to come out here and play the right way.

RB: How would you assess your first season and what do you have to improve on in Year 2?

BM: Really me and coach Nick (Friedman) pretty much, we have different sections of defense, offense — catch and shoot, whether it’s off the catch and then just playmaking off everything. We have different sections that we watch every week and we just re-watch it so he can just drill it in me and just be sharp. So (working) on every area.