CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets are a good basketball TEAM.
Expectations were low considering Charlotte basically brought back the same roster, except for Dwight Howard, from a team that went 36-46 in the 2017-18 season. The Hornets are currently 10-10 and seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. They’ve played well against playoff teams like Milwaukee, Boston, Philadelphia and Oklahoma City, but Charlotte has also dropped games against the Eastern Conference’s three worst teams Chicago, Atlanta, and Cleveland. All in all, the hornets are fun to watch and they are a disciplined team with room to improve.
It is easy to talk about what the Hornets lack on their roster and the consistent draft mishaps. I’d rather focus on what they do have, which is a breakout performer in Kemba Walker, a group of players who play the game the right way and a coach, James Borrego, who understands the current NBA. Coach Borrego is a branch of the Greg Popovich coaching tree and was an assistant on the Spurs’ Championship teams in 2005 and 2007. Needless to say he has seen the game played at the highest level from within one of the best organizations in NBA History. However, I’m aware that his experience does not automatically translate into wins for the Hornets. I will say, the early returns are encouraging.
Last season, head coach Steve Clifford often tried to run the offense through Dwight Howard and wanted the Hornets to be a more defensive minded team. In a stark contrast, Coach Borrego has instituted a more up-tempo free flowing style of offense that emphasizes ball movement and taking open shots no matter when they occur in the shot clock.
Every coach wants their team to be more defensive minded, but with scoring up across the league and the Golden State Warriors as the gold standard, teams have to be able to score. The loss of Howard was actually addition by subtraction. Howard had a productive season scoring 16.6 points per game and grabbing 12.5 rebounds, but playing through him meant the rest of the team stood and watched, as he tried to score in isolation for much of the game, with varying degrees of success and efficiency. Playing through Howard also meant the ball was not in Kemba Walker’s hands, as we now see, it should be.
Kemba Walker
Walker is having an All-NBA campaign roughly a quarter of the way through the season. He’s currently fourth in the league in scoring at 27.9 points per game. The rest of the top five are: James Harden, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and LeBron James. Let that sink in. The fans chanted “M-V-P”, and rightfully so, as Walker shot free throws toward the end of the Hornets’ 110-107 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. He probably won’t win the MVP award, but he is currently in the discussion. Walker scored 60 points against the Philadelphia 76ers and followed that up with 43 points against the Boston Celtics earlier this month. A herculean effort for anyone, let alone the smallest guy on the court most nights. With the league showcase in Charlotte this season, Kemba is an obvious All-Star, and emerging superstar. The fact that he is only the sixth highest paid player on the team speaks volumes about the management of the team prior to this season, but it also speaks to Kemba’s humility and grace despite the shortcomings of those around him. He hasn’t complained or requested a trade. He has only worked harder to improve his game, which is paying dividends for the team and will literally pay dividends for him in free agency.
The group supporting Walker is mostly an amalgamation of previously under-performing talent relative to their draft positions and salaries.
Some of the performance issues were circumstantial, as in the case of Jeremy Lamb, who came to Charlotte from an Oklahoma City Thunder organization featuring Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. It was always going to be difficult for Lamb to be an integral part of the Thunder team built around two perennial All-NBA performers and MVP candidates. Lamb is a natural scorer. He is currently averaging 14.6 points per game but has averaged 17.3 in his last 10 games and is turning into the consistent second scorer Charlotte needs. He has good length at 6’5″, is active on defense, and rebounds excellently for a guard. Coach Borrego’s decision to insert Lamb into the starting lineup in place of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was underrated and necessary. The team needed Lamb’s offensive prowess early in games and MKG is more efficient and effective as a reserve. Both are thriving in their new roles.
The rest of the roster may seem slightly underwhelming on paper, but they all contribute vital elements to the success of the team.
Tony Parker filled a glaring hole at backup point guard, but he has been more than that. Coach Borrego and his teammates rave about his leadership and calming influence on and off the floor. His ability to orchestrate the offense and timely shot making has given Kemba the opportunity play off the ball when they play together and allowed Kemba to rest for longer periods when Parker is in control.
Guard Malik Monk is still finding his way but he is averaging 11.5 points per game and should improve as he gains strength. Other than Kemba, Monk is probably the Hornets’ best player at creating his own shot. He has impressed me with his play making ability off the dribble, where he often hits teammates with nifty passes that lead to easy finishes.
Rookie Miles Bridges is a solid player with spectacular tendencies. He doesn’t quite have a position yet, which is perfect in the new era of positionless basketball. He is an excellent shot blocker for his size and rebounds well. He will be a good pro, but his biggest impact for the Hornets right now might be his excitement factor. His powerful dunks bring the crowd to their feet and it’s fun to have a guy who plays above the rim on the roster. Now, we just need to get him in the dunk contest during All-Star Weekend.
Like Parker, Marvin Williams provides veteran leadership and hits enough three pointers to keep defenses honest.
Nic Batum, Cody Zeller, Dwayne Bacon, and Willy Hernangomez have all contributed in different ways when called upon.
Sometimes a simple change in philosophy is the difference between wins and losses in a league with relatively even distribution of talent.
I credit coach Borrego for understanding that the new NBA is about running and gunning while still maintaining a defensive identity. The Hornets are often undersized at various positions, so they must swarm on defense, which they do. Pardon the pun. I credit Kemba Walker for consistently improving his game and taking advantage of the opportunity to be the great player and leader he is. I also credit the rest of the team for knowing their roles and doing what it takes for the team to be successful.
In a league often characterized by selfishness, superstars, and superstar personalities, the Hornets are currently an example of what can be accomplished when a group of individuals elevate the team’s desires above their own interests, and quietly handle their business.
