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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets to add Jay Triano to coaching staff

By Jerry Stephens

PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Head Coach Jay Triano of the Phoenix Suns speaks to the team during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 24, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Head Coach Jay Triano of the Phoenix Suns speaks to the team during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 24, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.

The 2018 NBA Draft Lottery is set to take place on Tuesday, May 15th at 5 p.m. EST on ESPN and the Queen City team has a 0.8% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 2.9% chance of getting a top-three pick. (1045TheTeam.com) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Charlotte Hornets adding Jay Triano, why Michael Jordan is the NBA’s worst owner and James Borrego seeing Malik Monk doing well alongside Kemba Walker.

Hornets to hire Jay Triano (Twitter/ @IAmDPick)

"The Charlotte Hornets are in serious discussions to hire Jay Triano to James Borrego coaching staff, according to league sources."

Triano will likely be added to Borrego’s coaching staff as the lead assistant/associate head coach. Jay was the interim coach for the Phoenix Suns last season and led them to a 21-58 record in 79 games. He was also the HC for the Toronto Raptors from 2008-11 and had a record of 87-142 during his two and a half years with the team.

The 59-year old was an assistant for the Portland Trail Blazers from 2012-16 as well. He started his coaching career in 1988 with Simon Frasier University in Canada. Triano is an experienced NBA coach with over 300 games under his belt and should be a great addition to the Hornets and help James Borrego in his first season as a full-time NBA head coach.

MJ is the NBA’s worst owner (USAToday.com)

"Debating whether LeBron James or Michael Jordanis the greatest player in NBA history is all the rage these days, yet a comparison that’s just as compelling is Michael Jordan vs. James Dolan. Jordan, owner of the Charlotte Hornets, and Dolan, owner of the New York Knicks, are vying for (dis)honors as the NBA’s worst owner."

While Charlotte hasn’t been extremely successful under Michael Jordan, I don’t think that he is the worst owner in the league. James Dolan is still by far the worst. I would argue that the Hornets have been slowly getting better as a franchise since the lowly Bobcats era. It hasn’t been easy but they are going in the right direction with GM and coaching changes.

If the Knicks weren’t in New York, they would be considered way worse than Charlotte. The only problem for the Hornets has been poor drafting. If they can get some luck in the draft, they could be perennial threat to make the playoffs. Even though MJ isn’t the worst owner in the NBA, there is a good chance that he may be the second-worst.

James Borrego sees Monk playing well alongside Kemba (CharlotteObserver.com)

"“I see him as a playmaker, who can play with Kemba (Walker) and also be on the court without Kemba, creating offense for us. (Or) pairing him and Nic Batum in a lineup where Nic is facilitating,” Borrego told the Observer."

The Kemba-Malik duo only played 185 minutes together last season. They totaled a 105.9 offensive rating and a 110.4 defensive rating. Although they weren’t all that successful together, the backcourt combo didn’t get a lot of opportunities to flourish. If they do play alongside each other more under Borrego, it should help strengthen their chemistry.

Next: Four second-round prospects to keep an eye on

Steve Clifford was reluctant to play Monk alongside Walker because of the rookie’s defensive struggles and size against bigger two-guards. It will be interesting to see Malik in more of a playmaker-type role next season and it could help him take the next step in his development. It’s clear that James has a lot of confidence and belief in Monk going forward.

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