A Charlotte Hornets review: All about kids, and they were alright this season
When the Charlotte Hornets had won 10 games or the 23 they did or 40, this season was never about the record.
It was about developing and evaluating the young guys. By that measure, at the end of their abbreviated season than they were at the outset.
Coach James Borrego called his shot in September, several weeks before training camp, saying he didn’t view it as his job to worry about salaries or contracts or how high someone was drafted in doling out playing time. He promised to play the young guys without going so overboard with that agenda that competition for minutes seemed unfair.
He did exactly that. Six players in their first or second NBA season totaled 7478 minutes -- 47% of the total playing time. Three of those guys -- Devonte Graham, Miles Bridges and rookie P.J. Washington -- were starters most of the season.
As far as evaluation, here’s how it looked when the NBA declared the Hornets season over, not inviting them to be one of 22 teams resuming in July: Graham, Bridges, Washington and Cody and Caleb Martin all helped their cause. Dwayne Bacon, Malik Monk and Willy Hernangomez, not so much.
The Hornets hoped to be included in the resumption of the season, to be held entirely in suburban Orlando, Fla., starting July 31. Now, they won’t play again until early December, making for an excessively long off-season.
My five biggest takeaways from the 2019-20 season:
Borrego’s voice
Borrego asserted himself in his second season. As veteran Marvin Williams described in the preseason, Borrego probably tried too hard in his first season in Charlotte to keep everyone happy. Borrego has strong people skills; he is transparent about what he expects, doesn’t avoid conflict and listens well. Those skills were key in making over the rotation, which meant shrinking roles for veterans.
Graham’s breakthrough
Point guard Devonte Graham didn’t start the opener, but he shared top scorer with Terry Rozier. His improvement from his rookie season was striking, particularly as a 3-point shooter. The Hornets have him for next season on an absurdly team-friendly contract ($1.66 million and not even fully guaranteed). The Hornets can offer Graham an extension this off-season, but with limitations under salary cap rules. They could offer him more once he reaches restricted free-agency in the summer of 2022.
Strong draft
The fans weren’t particularly excited about drafting Washington in the first round and Cody Martin in the second. However, Washington was a starter and will likely be all-rookie, and Martin was Charlotte’s top reserve by the end of the season. Mitch Kupchak’s first two drafts as Hornets general manager, particularly his second-round selections, have been a big improvement on predecessor Rich Cho.
Awful rebounding
They were the worst team in the NBA in defensive rebound percentage (i.e. opponent misses rebound). As Borrego said in a media conference call, even when their defense improved in March, their defensive rebounding was still awful. Combined with 14.6 turnovers per game (14th in the NBA) and the Hornets had to be incredibly efficient offensively to win any game.
The doughnut
The Hornets now have a young cast of complementary players and the Hornets will start an off-season with cap space for the first time since Kupchak and Borrego arrived in the spring of 2018. The thing this roster still lacks is the hardest thing to acquire: A star of such potential he can be the centerpiece of a team that advances deep in the playoffs. Whether it’s by the draft, a trade or a free-agent signing, this team needs a young version of what they had in All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker.
The Players
A play-by-player review of this season:
Dwayne Bacon: He went from a starter to out of the rotation to a long G-League assignment. While in Greensboro, he wondered aloud if the coaching staff still has faith in him. Free-agency will probably mean a fresh start elsewhere.
Nic Batum: The highest-paid player in Hornets history didn’t play a minute in the last 19 games. He makes more than $27 million guaranteed next season. Is there a trade out there in the last season on Batum’s contract? Would he be a buyout candidate?
Bismack Biyombo: He made 29 starts in a constantly-changing center rotation. He provided strong leadership late in the season. A solid free agent this summer who the Hornets should consider re-signing.
Miles Bridges: He had a rough first half of the season, but that was partially about raised defensive responsibility and playing multiple positions. The long-term question is whether he and Washington are complementary or redundant as starting forwards.
Devonte Graham: His jump in scoring (4.7 ppg., as a rookie to 18.2) is remarkable, particularly his 3-point shooting (218 makes on 37% shooting). But Graham has got to improve his mid-range game off the dribble. When teams ran him off the 3-point line, his efficiently plummeted.
Willy Hernangomez: His game hasn’t particularly evolved over 2 1/2 seasons in Charlotte. A free agent-to-be, he’s still a decent scorer and rebounder, but a defensive liability. The Hornets could re-sign him, but they’ll certainly consider other options at center.
Caleb Martin: An undrafted free agent, he scored 23 points vs. the Atlanta Hawks (on 5-of-6 from 3-point range) in March. He and Jalen McDaniels show benefits from the emphasis on G-League development in Greensboro.
Cody Martin: He is the versatile defender the Hornets hoped he’d be when they used a second-round pick on him. He also helps with ballhandling. Needs work on his outside shot.
Jalen McDaniels: A late second-round pick, the Hornets anticipated him spending all season with the Swarm. But he got into Charlotte’s rotation just before the season was interrupted. Desperately needs to gain bulk and muscle.
Malik Monk: Monk is serving a suspension of indefinite length for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. Right before suspension he was playing the best he has in the NBA, attacking the rim and cutting down on bad shots and turnovers.
Terry Rozier: He was arguably this team’s MVP; he had his best season as a scorer and shooter, playing both guard positions. The long-term question is whether a Graham-Rozier backcourt is big enough as this team pursues playoffs.
P.J. Washington: He scored 27 on opening night, his most points as a rookie. Washington is Charlotte’s best post-up scorer and a better 3-point shooter (38%) than anyone expected. A keeper, for sure.
Cody Zeller: After playing in only half the games Charlotte’s prior two seasons, it was progress that center Zeller missed only two this season with injury. He’s the only center under contract for next season at the position most likely to be shaken up this off-season.
This story was originally published June 7, 2020 at 3:15 PM with the headline "A Charlotte Hornets review: All about kids, and they were alright this season."
