Sion James Opens Year Two With the Hornets as a Steady Role Player
Sion James is in his second season with Charlotte, wearing No. 4 and logging minutes at guard. He is not on the injury report. Early results are mixed, with two wins and two losses in his most recent four games.
By the Hornets Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightWhere Things StandSion James has already played four games in the 2026-27 season.
Sion James has already played four games in the 2026-27 season. He went 0 for the box score in points on October 16 against Memphis, a loss where he logged 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 22.7 minutes with a minus-20.0 plus-minus. Two days earlier against Boston, also a loss, he again posted 0 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 17.1 minutes, with a minus-1.0 plus-minus. His best outing of the stretch came October 11 against Milwaukee, a win, where he scored 11 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 20.5 minutes and a plus-19.0 mark. On October 6 against Brooklyn, a loss, he had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 17.3 minutes with a minus-16.0 plus-minus.
02Last Season by the NumbersJames played all 82 games for Charlotte last season, averaging 22.5 minutes a night.
James played all 82 games for Charlotte last season, averaging 22.5 minutes a night. He put up 5.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, with 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocks and 0.8 turnovers. He shot 37.1 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from three-point range and 83.7 percent from the free-throw line. His true shooting percentage sat at 53.1, with a usage rate of 10.9 and a plus-minus of 0.8 for the season.
03Profile and RoleJames is a 6-5, 220-pound guard wearing No.
James is a 6-5, 220-pound guard wearing No. 4 for Charlotte. He is 23 years old and enters this season with one year of NBA experience, having come out of Duke. Last season he played all 82 games for the Hornets, a workload that speaks to his standing as a trusted rotation piece even while playing a complementary role rather than a primary scoring one. His assist and rebound numbers from last season show a player built to do a bit of everything in a limited role.
04Injury ReportSion James is not on the injury report.
Sion James is not on the injury report. There is no injury history to note for him. That clean bill of health lines up with his availability last season, when he appeared in all 82 games for Charlotte.
05Recent Form, Including Last Season's CloseJames closed out last season with a run of games in April.
James closed out last season with a run of games in April. On April 12 against New York, a win, he had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a plus-4.0 mark in 21.5 minutes. He followed with a quieter night April 10 against Detroit, a loss, scoring 2 points with 3 rebounds in 16.8 minutes and a minus-9.0 plus-minus. Against Boston on April 7, also a loss, he had 2 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 18.9 minutes with a minus-1.0 mark. He bounced back April 5 against Minnesota, a win, with 5 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 22.4 minutes and a plus-8.0 mark. His high point of that stretch came April 3 against Indiana, a win, with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 22.9 minutes and a plus-26.0 plus-minus. He added 7 points, 5 rebounds and a plus-16.0 mark April 2 against Phoenix, also a win.
06OutlookFour games into the 2026-27 season, James has split results evenly, with his minutes staying in a similar band to…
Four games into the 2026-27 season, James has split results evenly, with his minutes staying in a similar band to what he logged across all 82 games last season. His one real scoring burst this season, the 11-point night against Milwaukee, also produced his best plus-minus of the stretch at plus-19.0. Last season's full-season averages of 5.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 22.5 minutes set the baseline fans should expect from him again barring a larger role change.
James5.4 ppg
Proctor5.4 ppg
