New Charlotte Hornets’ head coach James Borrego has coached eleven games so far for the team; is the experience adding up?
There have been eleven games played in new Charlotte Hornets‘ Head Coach James Borrego’s coaching career. Five preseason games, and six regular season games. Seven of those games resulted in wins (four preseason and 3 regular season) with only four losses (one preseason and three regular season). Two of the regular season losses, as well as one win, were decided by less than 5 points, while two wins and one loss were the results of a blowout.
Out of the three losses for Borrego, two were against expected high seed playoff caliber teams, and two of the Hornets wins come against divisional teams. However, the Hornets currently sit at .500 early in the season and many fans are still wondering what to expect of the new Hornets and their coach.
On the outside looking in, the differences in play have been night and day from the old grit-and-grind regime of Steve Clifford and Rich Cho. Bringing the knowledge and grit of the San Antonio Spurs to Charlotte, Borrego has put into motion the foundation for a faster and more fluid offensive game that utilizes speed, athleticism, and quicker decisions while holding players accountable on defense. Additionally, the obvious use of younger players (i.e. Malik Monk, Miles Bridges, and Willy Hernangomez), bringing in a certified vet in Tony Parker to run the reserve unit, and shaking up the starting lineup have all become a focus and so far, a strength.
Offensive/Defensive Philosophy
Charlotte Hornets
Three words would describe Borrego’s the philosophy of his team’s anticipated play style: tempo, physicality, and switchability. After a full offseason and preseason, the foundations for a renovated two-way game have been set.
The team has noticeably played faster than in seasons past on offense and defense, thanks in part to the increase in tempo. The team has finally utilized the speed and athleticism of it’s young and faster players, allowing the older and slower players to help initiate breaks while also hustling back on defense. Rookie Miles Bridges is a perfect example of the use of tempo for the team as he has shown the ability to hustle back on defense after quick offensive opportunities leading to provide excellent defense as well as a few highlight blocks. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also shares the same traits as he also has been a great catalyst of quick offense and defense.
The excellent physical play has also been a focal point in Borrego’s philosophy. As a new coach, Borrego is constantly and passionately trying to instill a more physical brand of Hornets basketball to complement the fast pace and fluid pace. Seemingly looking for more drives in the paint, more toughness, and more grit to complement Kemba Walker’s shooting and shot creating prowess. Additionally, the team is expected to constantly play through every whistle and through fouls, as opposed to picking and choosing when to be aggressive.
In years past, the constantly settling for jump shots hampered the offense. Teams would pressure shooters and dare them to win from behind the arc, and for a team who solely relied on Walker, targeting him early and regularly often lead to easy wins for opposing teams. On the defensive side, physical play is not only expected but required and counted on. Working to make opposing teams work for their shots on defense was a point of emphasis for the former management, and new management currently wants the same intensity on both sides of the floor.
The third pillar of Borrego’s team would be the switchability of the players. As evidenced in every game this season, the Hornets have noticeably been switching more and often. It definitely helped that the Hornets have a host of players who can guard two or three positions each. Led my MKG, the Hornets have multiple players who can guard multiple positions. Players like Marvin Williams, Jeremy Lamb, Bridges, Dwayne Bacon, and Bismack Biyombo; have enough defensive acumen to deter an offensive player. The switching has, for the most part, panned out in the aspect that it has helped keep the defense fresh and consistent.
Expanded Youth Movement
One thing that was seemingly missing in the past few seasons was the increased use of the younger Hornets. Seemingly in years past, younger players would take a backseat to the older players on the team. But truthfully, rookies were indeed used in Clifford’s system. In 2015, Frank Kaminsky was chosen with the ninth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and he was indeed used during his rookie year.
In 2016, Malachi Richardson was selected and traded for Marco Belinelli, so there was no rookie that year. In 2017, the Hornets selected Monk and Bacon and both played during the season, however, both were relegated to the bench for most of the year and mainly played spot minutes in losing efforts and towards the end of the season. Hernangomez, acquired in a late-season trade, was another young player acquired during the season.
This year, it seems as if the newer players have a greater role on the team. Monk, Bridges, and Hernangomez all have clear roles on this year’s team. Not only because of the youth, but because of the skillset that they all provide as well. Giving the young players an opportunity to contribute as well and showing that they are possibly the near future of the Charlotte Hornets.
A Reliable Veteran
Not only does Borrego bring a Spurs mentality to the Charlotte area team, he also brought one of the best Spurs to ever play along with him in Tony Parker. For seasons, Charlotte’s brass has struggled to find a running mate to relieve Walker without experiencing a severe drop in play. Only when the team was able to temporarily attain Jeremy Lin, was it able to successfully play like the playoff caliber team it aspired to be. Once Lin bolted in with the Hornets for a starting role, he did the same with the Brooklyn Nets, the same unfortunate results returned. But once new General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Borrego arrived, a new target was acquired and signed.
Acquiring the now 17-year vet Parker provided the veteran and reserve guard needed to sustain and improve the team for the short-term future. Though he won’t be able to provide the 18-points he put up against the Chicago Bulls on 10/26/2018, Parker offers a player-coach dynamic at the point guard position that it arguably has never seen. So far, the alliance has worked out, with Parker conveying his wisdom to Walker and the rest of the Hornets.
You can look for the Hornets and Borrego to continue to play and try to extend their winning streak and win their fourth game of the year against the tough Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons led Philadelphia 76ers (2-3) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Coverage starts at 7:30 pm, and Swarm and Sting will be live-tweeting throughout the entirety of the game.