Charlotte Hornets: Best defensive lineups James Borrego should use next season
Ish Smith, Cody Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., Miles Bridges, and Kai Jones
This lineup is full of athleticism and lateral quickness, which makes it a capable lineup of getting stops. Ish Smith has great lateral quickness at the guard spot but does give up a lot of size. At the guard spot, the Hornets lack stoppers and on-ball defenders. LaMelo Ball has the best off-ball instincts of the group but is underwhelming defending the basketball, which prevented me from putting him in this first lineup.
Cody Martin was arguably the best perimeter defender the Hornets had last season. He was constantly asked to guard the best offensive perimeter player throughout the season. He has size at the wing, is explosive, and moves well laterally to keep his man in front of him.
Oubre is considered to be an above-average defender at this point of his career, but he has all the tools to be a great defender if he puts focus and effort into the defensive end. He’s very athletic, can guard the rim as a wing due to his explosiveness, and possesses a long wingspan of 7’3. The addition of Oubre should help the Hornets significantly in terms of perimeter defense. According to Dieter Kurtenback of the Mercury News, Oubre was constantly praised for his defense from Draymond Green and Steve Kerr. Having a coach with championships under his belt and an all-defensive player praising his defensive abilities has to be a good sign.
Miles Bridges was in the conversation as the team’s best defender last season as well. Bridges has a strong frame and great athleticism, which allows him to guard 1-4. According to Jack Simone from At The Hive, Bridges was 21st in defensive field goal percentage for players who defended 10 or more shots a game. Simone also mentioned players that had similar percentages were Jimmy Butler, Marcus Smart, and Luguentz Dort, which are some of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.
Lastly, Jones has a ton of potential on the defensive end. He has great mobility at his size and the length and explosiveness to go with it. Gaining a better feel on the defensive end and becoming more disciplined could lead him to become a high-level defender. It all depends on his maturity and growth during his first season to determine how much playing time he will be able to get.