Charlotte Hornets’ James Borrego on Malik Monk, workout restriction, NBA restart
Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego’s assessment of Malik Monk:
“He’s in a good place.”
That’s very different from how Monk’s season ended. In late February, Monk, the Hornets’ gifted but mercurial shooting guard, was suspended indefinitely under the NBA’s anti-drug policy. General manager Mitch Kupchak said June 8 that Monk was reinstated during the NBA’s hiatus due to the pandemic.
“He’s working on his body again,” Borrego said Friday, of Monk’s need to gain bulk and strength. “It’s good to have him back in the gym. I know he’s eager to get back out there with his teammates. He was on a strong path there before it came to a halt for him.”
Monk posted a video on Twitter Thursday of him working out with teammates Devonte Graham and Dwayne Bacon, throwing a football the length of a basketball court and through the hoop. That video illustrates how talented he is, as did the last month before his suspension, when he averaged 17 points on 46% shooting over 13 games.
Borrego and his staff are trying to run an off-season program within the pandemic-related restrictions the NBA currently has. Right now, up to two coaches can work with one player at a time. Players aren’t allowed to scrimmage with each other in team facilities.
Borrego continues to lobby for more latitude to work with his team, while the season restarts for 22 other teams on Disney’s campus near Orlando, Fla.
“We need the door flung open, so we can get after this thing. But we’ve got a small crack, with the window open here,” Borrego said of the rules.
“It’s not perfect, it’s not where we need it, but there is some normalcy, seeing the players handle the ball and shoot the ball. Having them in the weight room. That’s positive to us.”
The Hornets went 4-4 just before the NBA halted the season, beating playoff teams Toronto, Houston and Miami. The defense was far better the last month of the season. That adds to Borrego’s frustration that the Hornets weren’t included in the restart.
“The momentum we had came to a screeching halt,” Borrego said. “It’s great to have games back on, but it’s been quite bitter that we could be there — we should be there — competing and growing as a team.
“I can’t wallow in that, I’ve got to keep moving forward with this group.”
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Charlotte Hornets’ James Borrego on Malik Monk, workout restriction, NBA restart."
