Sam Perley

It can be a long year on the defensive end for any NBA team that doesn’t stuff its roster with lengthy players possessing eagle-like wingspans. The Hornets aren’t the biggest team in the league in terms of verticality, but horizontally though? That’s been a different story. 

Since the beginning of the Mitch Kupchak/James Borrego era, Charlotte has made adding length a continuous priority. Over the past three seasons starting in 2018-19, the team finished 23rd (112.0), 25th (112.8) and 16th(112.0) in defensive rating, with its sights set on finally cracking the top-10 this year. 

“Any time you have more length, you should be a better defensive team, a better rebounding team,” explained Borrego. “We can play more defensive, protect the paint more, the rim more, rebound better. It allows us to switch and stay in front of the ball a little bit more. Make plays at the rim, deflect the ball more. It’s going to be really important for us this season.”

Added Ish Smith, “It helps you switch a lot. Length makes spots for guards or big men look a little more crowded. Offensively, when you have the type of length that we’ve added, it allows you to be very fast, very athletic, very quick. You have a lot of different guys who can do a lot of different things. Everybody wants length on the perimeter, on the wings and on the offensive and defensive interior. We did that and now we just have to translate it on the floor.”

More than half the roster features players that appropriately fit the lengthy mold relative to their height and position. This is certainly not an end-all, be-all requirement to be a productive NBA player either, but there’s strength in numbers, particularly with how the Hornets want to operate defensively. 

Specifically, PJ Washington (7’2.25” wingspan at the NBA Draft combine), Cody Martin (6’10.25”), Jalen McDaniels (7’0.25”), Terry Rozier (6’8.25”), LaMelo Ball (estimated 6’8-6’10”), Vernon Carey Jr. (7’1”), Nick Richards (7’2.25”), James Bouknight (6’8.25”), Kai Jones (7’1.25”), JT Thor (7’3.25”), Scottie Lewis (7’0”), Mason Plumlee (6’11”) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (7’2.25”) would all be considered on the higher end of the length category.

Richards also owns a sky-stretching 9’2” standing reach, which ranked second amongst all players at the 2020 NBA Draft Combine. Jones (9’2.5”) and Thor (9’2.0”) clocked in at fourth and fifth, respectively, at this event one year later. Again, all these measurements were taken a few months before players entered the NBA. Many of them have likely increased, especially if said player was a teenager when he was drafted. 

Charlotte’s offense is at its best in transition and creating live-ball turnovers. Generating deflections, which simply means getting a defensive hand on the ball via a non-shot attempt, is one way to do that. The squad clocked in the ninth-most deflections per game last season (15.3) after finishing 23rd in 2019-20 (13.7) and 20th (12.6) in 2018-19. Ball was 13th amongst individual players last year (3.0), with Oubre (2.7), Washington (2.3) and Rozier (2.1) all cracking the 2.0 single-game threshold. Through Monday night’s game, Ball is T-9th in total deflections (13; 3.3 per game), with the Hornets ranking 11th in this category (15.8) and also fourth in loose balls recovered (7.8).

Oubre’s length in particular was something that stuck out to Smith even before they became teammates this season. “With his length, he’s got the ability to space you, defend you,” said Smith. “I remember when I was in Detroit, he was in Washington and they put him on the point guard a lot. Obviously, John [Wall] and Bradley [Beal] were carrying a lot of the load, but he would defend the point guards and they’d switch him one through four.”

“I can utilize that length and be in multiple places at one time,” said Oubre. “Get my hands on a lot of passes, deflections, steals, things like that. You can’t utilize that length to its full ability if you’re undisciplined or out of the game with fouls. That can backfire really quickly by reaching or having my hands on the help side when guys swipe up and things like that. Just learning how to use that length has been something I’ve been honing in on over my career.” 

Even deflections that don’t lead directly to turnovers are beneficial to a defense because they can often force the opposing offense to regather itself, causing precious seconds to dwindle off the shot clock. Opposing takeaways is another area where the Hornets have continued trending upward, going from T-17th in 2018-19 (13.5), to 16th in 2019-20 (14.4) to ninth last season (14.7). After four games this year, they currently rank T-10th (16.3). 

Deflections aren’t the most glamorous of stats (they don’t even show up in a traditional box score), but often times, a few pokes of the ball here and there can be the ultimate difference between winning and losing in an extremely competitive league. For a team like the Hornets, adding length has only helped create more and more of these extra opportunities. 

 “The margin of error is so small in this league right now, especially in the East,” said Borrego. “It’s all the little winning plays that are going to add up to victories for us. One or two plays made down the stretch could be the deciding factor. We have to win on the margins and these are areas we can do that. Turnover game, rebounding game, the 50-50 ball game, the deflection game, those are the areas we can win on the margins.” 

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Added Length Paying Off Already for Hornets

If the NBA has taught us anything recently, it’s that versatility and adaptability continue to breed success. The best teams and the ones playing regularly into May and June have handfuls of players who can do some of everything – shoot, score, rebound, pass, handle the ball, defend multiple positions, switch and function in a half-court or transition setting.

The Charlotte Hornets have their sights set on eventually becoming one of those teams that produces sustained yearly success. Enter soon-to-be ninth-year veteran center Mason Plumlee, who landed in Charlotte along with Auburn forward JT Thor as part of a draft-night agreement with the Detroit Pistons in exchange for the rights to another rookie in Florida State center Balša Koprivica.  

Plumlee averaged career highs in scoring (10.4 points), rebounding (9.3) and assists (3.6), while shooting 61.4% across 56 starts during his lone season in the Motor City. Charlotte was staring at a huge vacancy at the five position this summer with incumbents Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo both on expiring contracts. So, with Plumlee available plus moving up 20 spots in the draft, the Hornets jumped at the opportunity to add a player who should be a fantastic fit. 

“I’ve been a big fan of [Mason’s] for a while,” said Hornets Head Coach James Borrego. “His skill set fits what we’re trying to do here. He’s a willing passer, a smart player, can rebound at a high level. His playmaking ability – he can handle at the top of the floor, at the elbow. The more playmakers we have on the floor, the better. Adding that out of the five position with Mason is going to be tremendous for our group.” 

Emphasis on the aforementioned term ‘playmaking’. The 6-11 Plumlee is a massive boost to the passing department and somebody who can collapse defenses before quickly and creatively hitting open shooters. He finished seventh amongst centers in assists last season trailing only 2021 NBA MVP and former Denver teammate Nikola Jokić, Domantas Sabonis, Julius Randle, Bam Adebayo, Karl-Anthony Towns and Nikola Vučević, all of whom have been NBA All-Stars.

“I can help guys,” stated Plumlee, who also created the ninth-most points off screen assists (10.4) in the NBA last season. “My goal is always to make the game easier for the next guy and you appreciate that being a part of a team. I’ve always been ball friendly, had a good feel for passing, setting guys up. I’ve been fortunate to play with great guards my whole career, so looking forward to that. That’s really my approach.”

The pass-happy, ball-sharing Hornets ranked first in the NBA in assist percentage last year (67.2%), fourth in both passes (304.8) and potential assists (49.3) and then third in points off assists created (70.1). By utilizing this style of offense, it’s vital that all five players on the court – including the center – can push the pace and facilitate the basketball when needed. 

“When we played Charlotte, they were really physical on defense and they flew the ball up the floor,” recalled Plumlee. “They advanced it with the pass as well as anybody we played against and they really moved the ball well in the half-court, too. I was just so impressed with how quick [LaMelo Ball] got the ball up the floor and not always with the dribble.” 

He added, “To me, just that pace is something where it fits me as a player. I’d like to be a big in that up-tempo game, so it’s something that I look forward to. I was really excited about the [trade]. I think my skillset will fit in well. It’s a really well-coached team. It seems like there’s a lot of smart players and that always makes the game easier.”

One of the Hornets’ most glaring holes last season was finishing at the rim as the team registered the third-lowest restricted area field-goal percentage (60.3%) on the seventh-most attempts (28.9). Plumlee converted 76.5% of his shots from this zone (189-of-247), good for the NBA’s fourth-best efficiency amongst the 97 players with at least 200 such attempts behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeAndre Jordan and Michael Porter Jr.

Charlotte also finished ninth in offensive rebounding percentage last season (27.6%), with Zeller (2.5) and Biyombo (2.1) both accounting for 2.0+ offensive boards per contest. However, the squad was just 20th in second-chance scoring (12.7 points) despite the higher-than-average amount of extra opportunities. Perhaps now with Plumlee’s repertoire in the fold, the Hornets can start converting more of these particular takes into makes. 

In total, Plumlee has appeared in 60 career playoff games with Brooklyn, Portland and Denver, reaching as far as the 2020 Western Conference Finals. Only Terry Rozier (50) and Gordon Hayward (29) are anywhere close to matching the Indiana native’s postseason experience. “[Plumlee’s] won in this league, he fits our program. He fits our culture. I love his leadership qualities, his winning qualities, the DNA he brings with him here,” stated Borrego.

At 31 years old, Plumlee might not necessarily be the team’s long-term starting center of the future, but he is the center of the now and a pretty seamless fit into the current core. The young Hornets will look to keep running and sharing the basketball a lot this season, so expect their new selfless big man to be right in the middle of it all. 

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Mason Plumlee is the Passing Big Man the Hornets Needed

New Hornets point guard Ish Smith has been around the league quite a bit in his 11-year NBA career. In fact, when he first steps foot on the Spectrum Center floor for his regular season debut with Charlotte (presumably the Oct. 20 opener against Indiana), he’ll tie an NBA record by appearing with his 12th different franchise, a feat currently co-shared by four other players.

But for somebody so well-traveled in the sport, there’s some irony in that Smith is now right back where it all started, his hometown of Charlotte, NC. A former top-100 recruit at Central Cabarrus High School, Smith went on to star at Wake Forest beginning in 2006 before his long winding professional path began unfolding.

“Yeah, I wanted to be home, I’m not going to lie to you,” Smith stated. “I’m sure everybody is going mention it in every game we play. Every year, it’s about how many teams you’ve been on. I’m like look, somebody likes me. Eventually you’re going to have to say, ‘He can play and he’s here.’ I’m not tripping about that. [Being here] is something that I’m excited about, it’s something my family’s excited about. So, yeah it is something I wanted to do.”

Smith started out as an undrafted free agent in Houston, where he rotated between the Rockets and the then-NBA D League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers throughout his rookie season. From there (and buckle up) he was…

Prior to Buzz City, Smith averaged 9.2 points on 44% shooting and 4.5 assists in 112 outings (24 starts) over two seasons in Washington. He shot a career-high 36.7% from long range in both years and has also been to the playoffs two of the last three seasons. The six-foot Smith is known for his speedy transition play, crafty shot creation, stop-on-a-dime direction-changing footwork and perhaps most significantly, being an outstanding locker room presence.

Certainly, there’s a feel-good element to Smith’s signing and why wouldn’t there be? Few Charlotte natives have ever played for the franchise; Todd Fuller (Charlotte Christian) from 1999-2000 and then Jeff McInnis (West Charlotte) from 2007-08 are probably the two that come to mind. But Smith’s not coming home to just play in front of his friends and family – he wants to lead this young Hornets team and most importantly, he wants to win.

“[Leadership] is strategic,” Smith explained. ‘I tell people all the time, the loudest man in the room isn’t always the most right. You have to be very, very strategic and you got to know your guys. You have to get to know guys’ temperament. You got to know how you can get on them. We’re trying to come in here and win and… win big. This is a situation for us to take this thing to the next level and that’s what I’m here for.”

He added, “Honestly, we played against [the Hornets] last year on three different occasions and the way they played – the young guys, the athletic ability, the speed, the way they share the basketball, shoot and then how they defend – it was fun. They were hard to guard. It was fun to watch them play against other teams, scouting them. Now being on this side, [with] the speed and the pace that I play at, I think it’s a great fit.”

No NBA team played at a faster pace than Smith’s Wizards last year, clocking in at 104.67 possessions per 48 minutes – almost two full possessions more than the second-ranked Milwaukee Bucks. Charlotte hovered around the top-10 in this category before LaMelo Ball’s wrist injury in mid-March set in motion the squad tumbling down the league rankings.

And amongst the 263 players who averaged at least 20.0 minutes per game last season, Smith ranked second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.20), trailing only Denver’s Monté Morris. Again, that’s another area where Smith’s presence should have a resounding impact as the pass-happy Hornets are coming off a 25th-place finish in turnover percentage (14.9%).

Having just turned 33 years old, Smith is also old enough to recall first-hand the glory days of Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Muggsy Bogues and the original classic Hornets era. “I remember from 1988 to 1998, we held the attendance record for 10 years straight,” he said “Obviously, who got in the way of [us winning] was our now-owner, Michael Jordan. But I thought we had great teams and you want to get back to that level of play.”

Waived and traded more times than he can probably keep track of at this point, Smith grinded tirelessly for years to find his niche in the NBA. His career has finally come full circle and now, he’s ready to be part of another great Charlotte Hornets team, just like the ones he grew up watching all those years ago.

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More Than A Homecoming: Ish Smith is Here to Win

If the Charlotte Hornets entered free agency determined to add another jolt of flashiness and flare to their budding rotation for this upcoming season, they’ve certainly done so with the addition of veteran combo wing Kelly Oubre Jr. 

The soon-to-be seventh-year former Kansas Jayhawk now heads to Buzz City following one season in the Bay Area with Golden State. This notably marks the second consecutive offseason that the often-overlooked Hornets have landed a prominent player in free agency following last November’s inking of fellow forward and former All-Star Gordon Hayward.  

“It was the youth. It was the energy. It was the uphill, positive growth that we all have been seeing from this organization over the past couple of years,” Oubre explained when asked about what appealed to him most about the Hornets. “Just me being young and energetic myself, I knew that it would be a perfect fit. 

“I think there is a little bit of a buzz in the league about the Hornets’ style of play, the way we move the ball and how everybody’s involved,” added Hornets President of Basketball Operations and GM Mitch Kupchak. “Kelly was a very coveted free agent in this period. I’m not really sure a year or two ago we could have gotten a player like this. He makes us deeper and gives us some veteran leadership. We expect him to play and contribute.”

Oubre would presumably slide into the backup three behind Hayward, with veteran Ish Smith and rookie James Bouknight likely installed as the second-unit backcourt. The New Orleans native provides a major upgrade at the wing position and is exceptional at moving without the ball, slashing to the basket, putting pressure on the rim and running in transition.

The 6-7 Oubre was taken by the Atlanta Hawks one spot ahead of new teammate Terry Rozier in the 2015 NBA Draft, and then traded immediately to the Washington Wizards. Dealt to Phoenix in December 2018, Oubre posted career highs in scoring (18.7 points), field-goal (45.2%) and three-point (35.2%) percentage during the 2019-20 season before getting traded to Oklahoma City last fall as part of the Chris Paul blockbuster transaction.

Six days later, Oubre was on the move again to the Warriors in the wake of Klay Thompson’s season-ending Achilles tear. The now 25-year-old still averaged 15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 55 outings (50 starts) with Golden State, but shot just 31.6% from three and missed 15 of the team’s final 20 regular season games with a torn ligament and avulsion fracture in his left wrist. 

Playing mostly out of position at the two, Oubre’s fit with the Warriors was forced from the start, and perhaps more a panic-driven move than anything given that Golden State was coming off a dreadful 15-50 campaign in 2019-20. Maybe there were unrealistic expectations sliding into Thompson’s vacated role alongside MVP Finalist Steph Curry, but even though, Oubre still managed to learn from the challenging experience.

“I think that last year was a big step for me and just the mental aspect of everything,” he stated. “I have the physical tools, I have the skill set. Obviously, definitely have things that I need to get better at, which I am doing and I will continue to do. I just want to be the best player that I can possibly be. I know what I can do on the court and I’m a two-way player.” 

He added “So, I think this year, you’ll see my game be a little more sexy, but still the same passion, the same rage. For me, it’s just about smoothing everything over because when I first came in to the league, I was going 100 miles per hour at all times and now I’ve been working on changing speeds. Me playing at my own space, controlling the tempo of the game when the ball’s in my hands – that’s what I’m most looking forward to.”

And while this will probably be the first time in a while that he’ll be penciled in as a reserve to start the season, Oubre isn’t overly concerned about his immediate role necessarily. “I don’t know about anything logistics wise,” he said. “All I know is I’m going to bring my talents and go all out 100% of the time for this team.” 

Oubre, who is also known around the league by his good energy, good vibes, wavy alter ego “Tsunami Papi,” has earned a reputation for his off-the-court style and is highly regarded for his eclectic fashion ensembles and tattoo collection. He was one of the original founders of the “Valley Boyz” clothing line in Phoenix and played a significant role in helping promote the Suns’ black and pixelated City uniforms last season prior to getting traded.

For a Hornets’ offense that really struggled to score amidst widespread injuries over the final six weeks last season, adding a player of Oubre’s caliber is significant for a young team looking to make a serious jump in the standings. There are few players and even fewer personalities as unique as Oubre’s in the NBA and his fiery, emotional bravado should blend in perfectly with one of the equally captivating young cores to watch. 

Said Oubre, “I would say [we’re] a team that you definitely don’t want to play [against]. It’s a team that has a lot of talent, but once we piece it all together, once we gel, once we mesh, I think that we’ll be very scary. It’s just been fun to compete against these guys and now, to be on the same team as them, it’s going to be super electric. I think Spectrum Center’s going to be rocking and we’re going to make some noise.”

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With Style, Passion and Rage, Oubre Jr. Ready to Make Noise

Monk Credits Recent Play to Increased Maturity and Dedication On and Off the Court

Midway through his fourth NBA season, Malik Monk closed out the Charlotte Hornets’ first-half schedule playing the best, most consistent basketball of his professional career thus far.

Over the team’s six-game road trip, Monk averaged 22 points, four rebounds and two assists, while shooting 50% and 40% from the field and three, respectively. Only two other NBA players – Utah’s Jordan Clarkson and Detroit’s Josh Jackson – had higher scoring averages off the bench in the month of February than the Hornets guard (16.6 points; mini. 10 games played).

For the past several weeks, the team has dealt with nightly absences for one reason or another, most especially to the backcourt. The spark Monk has provided off the bench lately has been invaluable to a Hornets squad looking to persevere through the adversity. “With Devonte’ out, somebody has to step up in every game,” he said. “Whoever is stepping up, we’re going to find who it is. That’s us being a team and that’s us maturing, too.”

What’s even more remarkable about Monk’s production this year is that he hardly played the first month of the season after missing most of a condensed training camp because of Health and Safety Protocols. He busted out for a career-high 36 points and nine three-pointers in an overtime road win over Miami on Feb. 1 and since then, hasn’t looked back.

Monk is currently putting up career highs in scoring (13.5 points), rebounding (2.9), field-goal (46.2%) and three-point percentage (43.9%; 16th best in NBA). The most specific area of improvement has been his above-the-break three-point efficiency, which has jumped from 30% on three attempts per game to over 41% on four-and-a-half tries a contest. Increased patience and discipline have been the two greatest contributors to his game, Monk said.

“I just grew up if I’m being honest. I started taking film seriously, I started taking everything serious. A couple years ago, I might not touch the ball for four or five possessions and then I’d shoot a bad shot. Now, I’m getting to the rim or finding somebody and the ball will come back to me if I make the right play. Every game I get on the court, my confidence just builds. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder. It’s going to take time, but I just have to keep getting better.”

Ball Adds 2nd Rookie of the Month Award, Rising Stars Designation to Growing Resume

LaMelo Ball’s trophy case continues to expand after he garnered another pair of accolades this week with a second consecutive NBA Rookie of the Month Award in addition to being named an NBA Rising Star.

Coming off a month in which he averaged 20.1 points on 45% shooting, 6.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 13 games started, Ball is the first Charlotte player since Raymond Felton in 2005-06 and fourth overall to be named Rookie of the Month on multiple occasions.

“He’s special. We have a star in the making,” said teammate Terry Rozier after Ball became the third-youngest player in NBA history to record a 30-5-5 game on Monday night, behind only LeBron James and Kevin Durant. “I would tell people to just enjoy it because you’re not going to see too many people like him. He’s a special talent and a great person. He deserves everything that’s coming his way. You aren’t going to see too many guys like this ever.”

Perhaps the biggest improvement to Ball’s game this month has been his three-point shooting: he shot under 30% from deep across 20 games in December and January and then finished at 41% in February on 6.6 attempts per game. His free-throw percentage also increased from 76% to 86% and the nightly turnovers rose a mere 0.8 despite playing nine more minutes per game with a much heavier usage rate.

“He’s just understanding the game,” added Rozier. “I would say that he was always a step ahead for his age, but when you get in the league, you really see what it can do for you. His mind is all the way slowed down and that’s why he’s having the success he’s been having versus earlier in the season. He’s getting more minutes, so he’s showing what he can do.”

Ball is almost halfway to joining an exclusive list of players in recent memory to sweep the NBA’s Rookie of the Month awards since it was divided into separate conferences in 2001. Luka Dončić (2018-19), Karl-Anthony Towns (2015-16), Damian Lillard (2012-13), Blake Griffin (2010-11), Chris Paul (2005-06), LeBron James (2003-04) and Carmelo Anthony (2003-04) all pulled off this feat, with all but Anthony also eventually winning Rookie of the Year.

It goes without saying, but Ball continues to be absolutely everything the organization could have envisioned and more when he was taken third overall back in November’s NBA Draft. And the current trajectory indicates there is still plenty more to come from the 19-year-old sensation.

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Malik Monk Details Breakout Season, More NBA Recognition for LaMelo Ball

The best teams in the NBA experience the most sustained success because they continue to get better as the season transpires, year after year after year. This ongoing improvement isn’t confined to just younger players with seemingly the most room to grow though, but comes from everybody on the roster regardless of age, experience or skillset.

In the two-and-a-half years since President of Basketball Operations and GM Mitch Kupchak and Head Coach James Borrego took the reins of the Charlotte Hornets organization, internal development has and continues to be the top priority. It’s certainly hard to disagree with that notion, particularly after witnessing so many players performing their best under this umbrella.

“[Development] is our bread and butter,” said Borrego. “Our job here and my focus when I took this job was on internal development and I’m fairly pleased. Everybody in our program for the most part has gotten better. We’ve had career years going back to Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb [in 2018-19] and all the guys last year. Every draft pick that we’ve brought in here has gotten better every single year. It’s our lifeblood and I’m proud of it.”

He added, “It’s not by accident. We work at it. It’s a credit to our guys that they’re invested in it, they trust it. They trust the G League process as well. Our staff does as good a job as anybody preparing these guys, working with them every single day. Our assistant coaches are a big part of this. It’s a combination of everybody and more than anything, it’s our culture. It’s what we do and what we’re about. We’re about development as coaches, as players, as an organization. To me, that’s what defines success.”

Younger players normally have more room to grow physically and mentally upon entering the NBA, although improvement doesn’t natural transpire with experience. Likewise, development isn’t accelerated by just dumping heavy minutes on rookies and hoping for the best. A major part of the process is determining the proper role for a player and then inserting that player into said role in order to maximize individual and team success. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, that player needs to fully embrace the designated role as well.

Amongst the team veterans, look no further than 2017 NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward (22.3 points) and Terry Rozier (20.6), who are both averaging career highs in scoring, while shooting the best they ever have from three-point range (42.2% and 44.5%, respectively). Centers Cody Zeller (11.1) and Bismack Biyombo (7.4) posted the highest scoring marks of their careers last year and are now each putting up personal highs in assists this season (2.5 and 1.3).

Devonte’ Graham thrust himself into the league’s Most Improved Player conversation as an NBA sophomore in 2019-20 (4.7 to 18.2 points per game) following a heavy dose of G League reps as a rookie. Now playing more off the ball this season in conjunction with the additions of Hayward and rookie LaMelo Ball, Graham has seen his scoring average expectedly dip, although has a positive net rating for the first time as an NBA player (team-leading 4.0 points per 100 possessions) and is posting a career-high 4.06 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Another player who’s made a jump this season has been Miles Bridges. A former lottery pick who started 25 games as a rookie and then all of last year at the three, Bridges has moved back to a reserve role as a small-ball four, where he’s spent 94% of his on-court minutes this season. Bridges is currently shooting personal bests from the field (47%), three (36%) and free-throw line (94%), while also averaging more rebounds (5.8), assists (1.9) and blocks (0.8) than he had in either of his first two seasons.

And after an up-and-down three years in Charlotte, 23-year-old Malik Monk has blossomed into a more-microwave-like scorer off the bench, leading to an efficient and career-high clip of 10.5 points across 15 appearances this season. Monk shot a combined 40% and 32% from the field and deep, respectively, from 2017-20, but is now converting 45% of his attempts and ranks an impressive second in the NBA in three-point percentage (50.0%) amongst qualified players.

One of the most challenging balancing acts for any NBA head coach is juggling player development with wins and losses. Everybody knows and recognizes it’s a results-driven business, although the two elements are more intertwined at times than meets the eye.

“I’ll always stay committed to development because that’s how you grow and that’s how you get better,” stated Borrego. “The performance will take care of itself I believe long term if you stay focused on the development and getting better. That’s any organization. Results and performance are important, but what gets you there ultimately is internal growth. Over the course of this season and into next season, the performance will take care of itself if we focus on our development and our commitment to getting better every single day.”

He added, “At the end of the day, you have to win games and part of that buy-in for your young players is performing and winning games. If we’re winning and performing, well guess what? My guys buy in more to the development program and getting better every single day. That does help. These two things go together for me, but at the core of it is development and that’s our focus every single day.”

Another major element of the developmental process is learning how to win, particularly close games. In Borrego’s first season, the Hornets finished 20th in the NBA in clutch-time win percentage (.462; 18-21), a measurement of wins and losses when the score is within five points with five-or-fewer minutes remaining. The team vaulted up to 13th in this category last season (.500; 17-17) and now sits seventh through Feb. 14 (.615; 8-5).

The 2020-21 NBA campaign has certainly been unpredictable and already unlike any other in recent memory. But one thing that remains constant is the commitment by the Charlotte Hornets to internal growth and player development and the results slowly, but surely and steadily are speaking for themselves.

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Under Hornets’ Development Program, Veterans and Younger Players Both Flourishing

An 11-month hiatus officially ends for the Charlotte Hornets’ G League affiliate this afternoon at 3 PM EST when the Greensboro Swarm kick off their condensed 2020-21 campaign against the Westchester Knicks on ESPNU.

Hornets Assistant Jay Hernandez is tasked with leading the squad throughout its upcoming 15-game regular season schedule, which will be played entirely on the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World resort near Orlando, FL. Of the 18 total teams participating, the top eight will advance to a single-elimination tournament starting on March 8th with the championship game taking place three days later.

“I’m thrilled and very appreciative of our organization to invest in something like this,” said Hornets Head Coach James Borrego. “It’s such an unprecedented time right now. The lack of Summer League, practice time, shootaround time, live-game reps – we just don’t have them right now. It would have really set back our development program. We want to go full throttle on this, use it to our maximum, get our guys reps. I’m thrilled they get to experience some type of development program this season.”

Like Borrego, Hernandez is in his third year with the Hornets organization and was the team’s NBA Summer League Head Coach back in 2018. Before arriving in Charlotte, the Hofstra alum and former pro spent four years as an Orlando Magic assistant and from 2011-14, ran Pro Hoops Inc., where he managed predraft training for 14 NBA Draft selections, seven of which landed in the lottery.

Borrego added jokingly, “I told him ‘Good luck!’ You get to make all the decisions now. It’s easy when you’re sitting in that one seat and then you move over six or twelve inches. He’ll do fantastic. I’m excited for him and he’s ready for it. This is part of his development and taking this opportunity. It fits for our group because he knows me, he knows our system better than anybody. He’s got development at his core, so he understands the development piece. He’s a great worker, communicator and he’s got relationships with those guys already.”

The current Swarm roster is highlighted by second-year forward Jalen McDaniels, rookie center Vernon Carey Jr., high-scoring two-way guards Grant Riller and Nate Darling and recently-drafted guard Admiral Schofield, who was a second-round selection of the Washington Wizards in 2019. Charlotte training camp invitees Keandre Cook, Kahlil Whitney, Javin DeLaurier and Xavier Sneed are also on the squad.

Other notable personnel include Charlotte’s 2019-20 two-way signee Kobi Simmons and Ray McCallum Jr. and KJ McDaniels (no relation to Jalen), who are both former second-round picks of the Sacramento Kings (2013) and Philadelphia 76ers (2014), respectively. While a handful of the Hornets’ assignees saw some action mostly towards the end of preseason games in December, much of the roster hasn’t played a full meaningful game in almost a calendar year.

Devonte’ Graham, Cody Martin, Caleb Martin, and Jalen McDaniels have all recently benefitted immensely from time down in Greensboro. The G League shouldn’t be viewed as a demotion or punishment for young players, but rather a valuable resource instead. It’s been a major point of emphasis since Borrego arrived in Charlotte from San Antonio, an organization with one of the NBA’s premier player development programs over the past couple of decades.

“It’s tough to develop in this league and the last few years, we’ve been successful in developing our program,” Borrego stated. “Second-round picks, undrafted and first-round guys have all gotten better in our program. We believe in our development program and we’ll stand by it. This has been a difficult year to do that. Putting our stamp on our development has been challenging, but I give our staff credit, our organization credit. We’re going to get a lot of live reps there and I’m thrilled for our young guys and our staff.”

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Greensboro Swarm Finally Return to Action with Start of G League Bubble

Gordon Hayward Exceeding All-Star Numbers from Four Years Ago

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward has been an NBA All-Star once before and through 20 appearances this season, his numbers are nearly identical or in some cases, surpassing his marks from that breakout 2016-17 campaign with Utah.

Through Monday night’s overtime road win against the Heat, Hayward ranks 11th in the Eastern Conference in scoring (career-high 23.0 points), while shooting personal bests from the field (50.3%), three-point range (43.0% for a career-high 2.3 3PM per game) and free-throw line (85.6%). He’s also averaging 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals, while giving the Hornets a reliable go-to scoring option from virtually anywhere on the court this season.

“He should absolutely be in that [All-Star] category,” said Hornets Head Coach Borrego. “He’s been everything we could have imagined and more. Career highs across the board – scoring, shooting, fourth-quarter efficiency. And then what he’s done for our young guys, he’s raised their level and our level with his competitive spirit.”

“For me, I’ve just been trying to focus on us as much as I can,” stated Hayward. “All the individual stuff usually takes care of itself. I have to continue to get better as a player to help us win games. That’s the important thing for us. It certainly would be nice to get that nod again, but I’m just trying to focus on our team.”

Hayward’s first All-Star appearance took place four years ago, when he put up averages of 22.2 points on 47% shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal in 50 appearances prior to the NBA’s midseason showcase event. The Jazz were 35-22 at the time and went on to play in the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time in seven seasons. Months later, Hayward sustained the well-documented leg injury in his Boston Celtics debut and since then, has worked tirelessly to get back to the level he was at towards the end of his Jazz tenure.

“You look at what he’s been through with the injuries, you never know if you’re going to come back from something like that,” added Borrego. “The way he’s responded and put himself back in that category speaks to his character, his work ethic and to me, this would be a great reward for that.”

Hayward’s chances of making the All-Star team will continue to increase the longer he plays at this high level and the more the Hornets continue to win as a team. Others in positional contention with the 30-year-old for a spot on the Eastern Conference squad include Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, Orlando’s Nikola Vučević and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.

LaMelo Ball Becomes First Charlotte Player to Win Rookie of the Month Since 2012-13

Now roughly six weeks into his NBA career, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has just racked up his first significant honor since entering the league after he was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December and January on Tuesday afternoon.

The 19-year-old’s play has been nothing short of spectacular so far, as he currently ranks third amongst all first-year players in scoring (12.2 points on 42% shooting), second in rebounding (5.9) and steals (1.4) and first in assists (6.1). He became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double back on Jan. 9 and scored a career-high 27 points three weeks later.

“He’s a wonderful kid, a great person,” said Coach Borrego prior to Ball’s first-ever NBA start on Monday night in Miami. “Genuine, humble, hungry, coachable, joyful – all those things as a coach, I love to be around. He’s really ignited our program. He brings great joy and spirit every day in practice, shootarounds and games. And the biggest thing is his teammates love him and love playing with him.”

Ball is the first Charlotte player to be named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month since Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in November of 2012 and the eighth to do so overall. Other notable Hornets to garner this particular award include Kemba Walker, Raymond Felton, Emeka Okafor, Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson.

Charlotte was put in position to select Ball third overall back in November after jumping up five spots in the NBA Draft Lottery, a rare stroke of good fortune that looks more and more impactful each day. The highlight-generating Chino Hills, CA native has played a large role in the Hornets receiving more national attention this year, regularly appearing on SportsCenter’s Top-10 plays segment and becoming one of the most aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable teams to watch by the casual NBA observer.

Borrego added, “His spirit is infectious, his game is infectious. We’re first in the league in assist percentage and assists and he’s a big part of that. It started with our program last year when we laid a foundation and he’s continued that. He’s fearless, he’s confident, he plays with a wonderful joy. I love being around him and I love coaching him.”