Bucks and Hornets playing in Paris can be a burden, but it’s the NBA’s ‘big ask’
The coaches understand why staging regular-season NBA games in Europe are important to the league’s branding and marketing.
That doesn’t makes it any easier to plan around 4,000-mile flights in the middle of the season. This trip, for the Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks to play Friday in Paris, is a burden.
“When the league tells you what to do, you’ve got to roll with it, (but) playing a regular-season game abroad is a big ask,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. “For the league, growing the sport is so important that you’ve got to do it. It’s (also) the regular season and it matters.”
Budenholzer and Hornets counterpart James Borrego — close friends from their time together on the San Antonio Spurs staff — each tried to figure how best to manage jet lag and maximize performance for Friday’s game at AccorHotels Arena (3 p.m.).
Budenholzer chose to hold a brief practice shortly after the Bucks got off the plane Tuesday, then gave his team Wednesday off. Borrego practiced Wednesday and Thursday in Paris.
Borrego noticed the affect of a 7 1/2-hour flight in Wednesday’s practice.
“Heavy legs,” Borrego said.
Part of the challenge is trying to adjust sleep patterns to local time on a short turnaround. NBA players tend to be night owls, but you don’t want their sleep so disrupted it impacts the game. Point guard Devonte Graham said he has slept at all different hours so far to compensate.
“Our performance team has been on it for a couple of weeks now,” Borrego said of preparing the players. “Extremely important that we get our rest.”
The Hornets and Bucks had some public-appearance obligations, and both coaches told their players to experience Paris. But only so much.
“We’re enjoying it, it’s a wonderful experience,” Borrego said, “but we’ve got play against a very good team.”
The best, in fact: The Bucks have the NBA’s top record at 39-6, and beat the Hornets by 41 points Nov. 30 in Milwaukee.
Knicks interest in Monk?
The New York Knicks might have interest in Hornets shooting guard Malik Monk as the Feb. 6 trade deadline nears, according to Ian Begley, who covers the Knicks and Brooklyn Nets for New York-area sports channel SNY.
“Some in the Knicks organization see Charlotte’s Malik Monk as a trade target worth pursuing,” Begley wrote in an article on SNY’s web site.
Monk, the No. 11 pick in 2017, has had an uneven 2 1/2 seasons with the Hornets. He struggled so much on the West Coast trip that Borrego didn’t play him in Denver on Jan. 15. Then, in the next game, he scored 20 points in 21 minutes against the Orlando Magic on Monday. Monk has yet to start a game in the NBA.
It’s conceivable the Hornets would listen to Monk trade offers, particularly if they could acquire a draft pick or young player without taking on significant salary obligation beyond this season.
The sights with family
The Hornets took a team picture Wednesday in front of the Eiffel Tower before practice. One visit to the premier landmark in Paris wasn’t sufficient for point guard Devonte Graham.
“I’m going back with my mom tonight. My first time (in Paris) and I love it,” Graham said at practice Thursday. “I’ve probably taken 300 pictures already. Just random — anything.”
Borrego and his wife went to the Louvre, the famed Paris art museum, Thursday morning.
“Fantastic!” Borrego said. “I need a week to be here to experience it. We had a couple of hours.”
A local reporter asked Borrego if he’s asked Frenchman Nic Batum for Paris tips.
“He tells me about the French wine,”’ Borrego replied. “He tells me which to buy, and then maybe I buy them.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 4:34 PM.
