By Sam Perley, hornets.com

Gallery: Kaminsky Draft Night Experience

Making the jump from college to your first job in the “real world” is a big step for anybody – even professional basketball players. Just ask Frank Kaminsky.

Selected ninth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Hornets first-year big man has slowly been coming on and finding a rhythm in his rookie season with averages of 9.7 points on 66.6 percent shooting, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks over his last three games, although that doesn’t mean the transition has been seamless or easy.

Prior to arriving in Charlotte, the seven-footer originally from Lisle, IL (just outside of Chicago) was the face of college basketball, helping lead the University of Wisconsin to consecutive Final Fours in 2014-2015, while also garnering amongst many other accolades, Naismith College Player of the Year honors last season. After four collegiate seasons dawning the red and white for the Badgers, Kaminsky made the jump from Madison, WI to Charlotte, NC, although he admits it has taken some time to find his comfort zone playing professional basketball.

“The first couple games, as a rookie especially, you don’t really know what your role is. Trying to feel things out, where you fit in, what your spots are, what it takes day in and day out, night by night,” he said. “You just have to figure things out. Now I know what to expect going in game to game. I’m picking up details better. I’m working better with the guys on the team. I’m just more comfortable overall.”

The transition to the professional game is an adjustment for any player, but can be even more of a challenge for players who were used to being a major, integral part of every basketball team they’ve ever been on during their careers. Often big-time college players refuse to accept newer, more-secondary roles in the NBA, which can hinder their development for months, even years. Kaminsky shed light on what can be a tricky dynamic in switching from the go-to player in college to coming off the bench in the pros.

“You just have so many old habits, me especially, that I have from college because I got accustomed to playing a certain way for four years. I’m almost learning a lot of different things all at once. So it can be difficult but the coaches are there and there is a lot of people there to help you. I’m a visual learner. Once I see it and know what I’m doing, I can pick it up pretty quickly.”

Besides the glaring obvious in that professional basketball players offer a much higher level of competition then what collegiate players are used to facing on a nightly basis, the off-court adjustment can be just as big a transition as the one on the court says Kaminsky.

“Off the court, you have your free time to yourself. You got to fill your days doing things [now that] you don’t have class anymore. Guys on the team have families, they have their own lives and [they’re] doing the things they're doing. You really got to find things that are fun to do and pick up some new hobbies. Just really trying to make up your time but take care of your body at the same time.”

After spending four years at Wisconsin (a rarity in the current one-and-done era of college basketball, especially for somebody with Kaminsky’s skill set), Kaminsky was also quite accustomed to being one of the leaders on the team, often playing a mentor role to other players, a handful of whom including Sam Dekker (Houston) and Duje Dukan (Sacramento), have also gone on to play professional basketball. Less the teacher and more the student now, Kaminsky was quick to recognize his Hornets teammates for helping him ease the transition into the NBA.

“Spencer [Hawes] has been one of the biggest helps. Spencer and Al [Jefferson],” he said. “They’re kind of the guys I looked up to, the veterans on the team. They’re constantly telling me new things and telling me what to expect.”

Even for players with a seemingly never-ending list of accomplishments at the collegiate level like Kaminsky has, the transition to the NBA is not nearly as simple as many might realize, even away from the basketball court. While some players might refuse to adjust their play or accept lesser roles on their new teams, others like Kaminsky have done a remarkably impressive job in not only learning things quickly, but being prepared to execute when they are in fact called upon in the professional ranks.

Key Matchup vs. the Wizards: Kemba Walker vs. John Wall

Two of the quickest point guards in the NBA will go head-to-head on Wednesday night when Kemba Walker and the Hornets welcome John Wall and the Washington Wizards to Charlotte… Walker has been on fire lately for the Hornets with averages of 24.4 points on 58.4 percent shooting, 4.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.2 steals over his last five games, which included a season-high 39 points against Sacramento on Nov. 23… Charlotte will look for Walker to keep things going against one of the speediest players in the NBA in John Wall, who is coming off back-to-back All-Star appearances for the Wizards…Wall is posting averages of 16.6 points and team highs in assists (8.4), steals (2.0) and blocks (1.4), although the former Kentucky Wildcat is shooting just 41.5 percent from the field, which is his lowest shooting percentage since his rookie season in 2010-11… Whether its Walker or Wall that is able to put together a strong performance against the other could ultimately be the deciding factor in Wednesday’s night showdown between the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards.

Key Matchup vs. Cavaliers: Nicolas Batum vs. LeBron James

Nicolas Batum will have the toughest challenge of his Charlotte Hornets career as he’ll try to slow down LeBron James and his stacked Cleveland Cavaliers team on Friday night at Time Warner Cable Arena… Following a disappointing final season in Portland, Batum has shined in his first year in Charlotte, averaging 16.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists so far, the last two of which are ranked third and seventh in the NBA amongst shooting guards, respectively… the Frenchman is also shooting 42.7 percent from three-point range, which is sixth-best in the NBA amongst players at his position… Charlotte will hope Batum can put together another one of his sensational all-round performances, particularly on the defensive side, when he squares off against four-time NBA MVP LeBron James… With averages of 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists, James remains one of the best players in the NBA and is arguably the most difficult player in the league to guard because of his ability to excel playing all five positions on the floor… Charlotte will need Batum to put together a spectacular effort on Friday night if the Hornets want to pull off the shocker against the reigning Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers.

Key Matchup vs. Bucks: Al Jefferson vs. Greg Monroe

It will be a battle of two of the NBA’s more traditional post players when Al Jefferson and the Charlotte Hornets take on Greg Monroe and the Milwaukee Bucks in a Sunday matinee showdown at Time Warner Cable Arena… Jefferson has scored in double-figures in five-consecutive games for Charlotte with averages of 18.6 points on 54.1 percent shooting, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 blocks during this stretch… Charlotte’s big man will look to keep the momentum going when he squares off against former Georgetown Hoya and new Milwaukee Buck, Greg Monroe… Signed in the offseason by Milwaukee after spending his first five NBA seasons with Detroit, Monroe is picking up where he left off with the Pistons, posting double-double averages with a career-high 16.4 points and team-high 10.1 rebounds, the later of which is tied for seventh-best overall in the NBA this season… Fans should expect to see plenty of post play and heavy contact in the paint when the Hornets’ Jefferson and the Bucks’ Monroe go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte.