Which players the Hornets plan to use in the preseason. Sorry, Duke and Kentucky fans
Following an offseason like no other, Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego will take a triage approach to this preseason and beyond.
“Right now, it’s about me getting the top 10, top 12 (players) ready to go opening night,” Borrego said. “That’s getting my focus.”
Translation: Blending Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball into the returning rotation is even more urgent than it would have been, had the pandemic not blown up a normal NBA offseason. If that means second-round rookies Vernon Carey (Duke) and Nick Richards (Kentucky) don’t get much attention or playing time this preseason, that’s the pandemic reality.
The Hornets play their first preseason game Saturday (7 p.m. on Fox Sports Southeast), at Spectrum Center against the Toronto Raptors. That’s the first of four preseason games before the season opener Dec. 23 at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Hornets haven’t played since the NBA season was halted March 11; Charlotte wasn’t one of 22 teams included in the restart on Disney’s campus near Orlando, Fla. While Borrego says he will mix and match player combinations, that isn’t the same as diving deep into the 20-man preseason roster.
At least for the first two preseason games, Saturday and Monday vs. the Raptors, this will be almost entirely candidates for roughly nine rotation spots.
“In the past, I’ve been able to structure the preseason a little differently,” Borrego said. “If I have to play the main rotation guys all four (preseason) games, I’ll do that.”
Compact NBA offseason
The Hornets were barred from practicing between March and November, except for a two-week mini-camp for each of the eight teams not in the restart. On top of that, the normal NBA offseason calendar was imploded: The draft and free-agency were moved from early summer to November. Las Vegas summer league — a key evaluation tool for incoming rookies — was scrapped. A six-week time window from the draft to free agency to training camp to the regular season is unprecedented in the modern NBA.
“By now (training camp), we would have already seen these (rookies) in summer league, and had a feel for who they are as players,” Borrego said.
The Hornets have been successful with a development program since Borrego and general manager Mitch Kupchak arrived in the spring of 2018. Four players who spent time with the G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, were in the rotation by the end of last season. The biggest success is starting point guard Devonte’ Graham. The others are Cody and Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels.
The G-League might not hold a season due to the pandemic, or at best greatly cut back on a schedule. Borrego and his staff — primarily assistant coach Jay Hernandez — are searching how to compensate with Carey, Richards and another second-round rookie, guard Grant Riller, on the roster.
“Obviously, it’s not ideal. We want them getting live reps in Greensboro,” Borrego said. “But we’ll do our best to make sure they’re not just sitting there.”
Hornets’ rotation and system
Drafting Ball No. 3 overall and acquiring free agent Hayward are two changes of huge consequence. It seems a given Hayward would start and play heavy minutes, likely at small forward. Regardless of whether guard Ball starts initially, fast-tracking him is an obvious priority.
Graham and power forward P.J. Washington seem like obvious starters. Cody Zeller will likely start at center, Borrego has said. Forward Miles Bridges and guard Terry Rozier will play heavy minutes whether as starters or key reserves. Other questions are more open-ended, such as how long it will take Malik Monk to get back into the rotation after missing training camp with a positive COVID-19 test. Or whether Cody Martin and Bismack Biyombo are in the playing group.
However, the absolute priority is integrating Ball and Hayward into the rotation. Media doesn’t get to watch Hornets practice, but the reviews so far are encouraging.
On LaMelo Ball: Borrego said he was impressed. When they installed some pick-and-roll actions, Ball looked NBA-ready to run them: “I don’t anticipate him seeing anything he hasn’t seen before.”
Graham said Ball has an inquisitive nature: “He asks a lot of questions, which is great for a young guy.”
On Gordon Hayward: Borrego is big on shot value, which means an emphasis on 3-pointers and drives to the rim. However, Hayward is one of the best mid-range jump shooters in the NBA, and took 47% of his shots at a distance between three feet and the 3-point line last season. He shot 49% in the 10-to-16 foot range last season; it’s a shot Borrego will accept.
“I’ve got to be flexible,” Borrego said. “He is elite in the mid-range.”
Graham has already seen why Hayward, who averaged 4.1 assists last season with the Boston Celtics, is often called a “connector” for his passing and decision-making.
“He’s just easy to play with,” Graham described. “It makes it easier on you. (Defenders) are attentive to him, so we get backdoors, or (other) guys getting easy shots because he is coming off of pick-and-rolls. He knows what he’s doing and he talks to you, to help you out.
“He definitely helps people connect.”
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 1:32 PM with the headline "Which players the Hornets plan to use in the preseason. Sorry, Duke and Kentucky fans."
