What are the Hornets looking for in players to rebuild with? A lot more than talent
Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego isn’t blind to how crucial talent is in the NBA.
But chasing talent to the complete disregard of character isn’t how this rebuild will go. I asked Borrego Friday what matters beyond ability when sizing up draft picks and free agents:
“Players who care about their team, care about their teammates. Who want to get better, have a curiosity (how) to get better. Have an appetite to want to get better. To have an appetite to be part of something bigger than themselves.
“... That’s easier said than done in today’s NBA. So much of this is about self-promotion: ‘My next contract, my brand, my image.’ For a young guy, that’s hard to navigate.”
Borrego believes the three Hornets who were selected for the NBA’s rookie-sophomore game at All-Star Weekend — Devonte Graham, P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges — navigate that well. Now, with the Hornets’ season over, Graham is in the discussion for the most improved player award and Washington for the all-rookie team.
Borrego sees a strong argument for Graham, who went from mostly playing in the G-League as a rookie to top of the Hornets’ stats this season. Graham’s competition figures to be New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram and Miami’s Bam Adebayo. Those two were more established before this season, then ascended to star status.
Graham is the “where did he come from?” phenomenon, jumping from 4.7 points per game to 18.2.
“To make that leap, from a numbers standpoint, I think he’s clearly the most improved player,” Borrego said.
Whether Hornets win these awards, the players’ improvement from October to March shows Borrego and general manager Mitch Kupchak have set the right course.
Six kids in rotation
When Charlotte’s season paused March 11 (and later was declared over due to the pandemic), Borrego had six first- or second-season players in the rotation. In addition to Graham, Washington and Bridges starting, rookies Cody and Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels were all playing steady minutes.
Borrego said nine months ago that young guys would get the edge for playing time. But he never anticipated all six advancing this far in one season.
This wasn’t just good luck. Borrego and Kupchak lobbied owner Michael Jordan to create a position for a player-development specialist. Nick Friedman was hired to float between Charlotte and Greensboro, overseeing the progress of young players.
That’s been a success for a franchise that previously didn’t pay much attention to the G-League. McDaniels singled out Friedman as perhaps his best resource here.
“Nick is like a brother to me,” McDaniels said. “He pushes you, he knows what he’s talking about, he’s going to spend hours in the gym with you. You can text him at any time and talk to him about anything.”
McDaniels and Caleb Martin both said the transition from the Swarm to the Hornets was seamless for how Friedman prepared them for what to expect.
While Washington was never sent to Greensboro, then-rookie Graham might have benefited the most from time in the G-League: He’d spend some games around Kemba Walker and Tony Parker in Charlotte, then refine what he’d learned in Swarm stints.
A template
This isn’t a one-season blip, it’s a template: Borrego (San Antonio Spurs) and Kupchak (Los Angeles Lakers) come from winning franchises that believe in mining the second round, investing in development and valuing character makeup, along with talent.
The Hornets will have a lottery pick in the Oct. 16 draft along with a high second-round pick (Cleveland’s; their own goes to the New York Knicks). For the first time in years, the Hornets will have space under the salary cap, probably both this offseason and the summer of 2021.
I asked Borrego how you vet draft picks and free agents, so they not only raise this team’s talent level (which is still lacking), but add to the culture.
“It’s digging into intel,” Borrego said. “Conversations with multiple people, not just the coach who recruited him.
“That’s not always easy to do ... It’s strength coaches, it’s AAU coaches. The more of those people you know, the more you’re going to gain. For us, that is a major part of what and who we want.”
This story was originally published July 25, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "What are the Hornets looking for in players to rebuild with? A lot more than talent."
