As his Hornets contract expires, Willy Hernangomez is finally looking like a complete pro
The Charlotte Hornets have a lot of salary-cap room this summer and a lot of needs.
Where does reserve center Willy Hernangomez fit into all that?
Hernangomez will be an unrestricted free agent in July after 2 1/2 seasons with the Hornets. He’s had little impact since the Hornets traded two future second-round picks (2020 and 2021) to acquire him in the winter of 2018.
That’s showing signs of changing. After playing in just 13 of Charlotte’s first 42 games, Hernangomez has played in 15 of the next 18. Some of that was experimentation, as coach James Borrego and general manager Mitch Kupchak evaluate the roster. However, it’s also some progress in addressing Hernangomez’s weakness — defense.
“He’s putting more effort in at the defensive end; that’s the area of most concern for me,” Borrego said. “The video and the numbers demonstrate to me that he’s making a bigger impact at that end of the floor than he has in the past; challenging more shots at the rim.”
Spaniard Hernangomez has size (6-foot-11), rare strength, a gift for scoring and a knack for rebounding in traffic. That was a pleasant surprise to Steve Clifford, Hernangomez’s first Hornets coach — how frequently Hernangomez came away with 50-50 balls in a jumble of players.
“You can’t teach that, and Billy has it,” Borrego agreed. “When he gets his hands on the ball, most times he’s going to get it. Tenacity — it’s a skill set we value on this team.”
Opportunity and performance
The limited minutes Hernangomez played — just 77 through mid-January — suggested Borrego wasn’t high on him. Hernangomez, rookie Jalen McDaniels and Joe Chealey (signed to a second 10-day on Tuesday) are the only three Hornets who haven’t started at least one game this season.
Last month, the minutes changed: Hernangomez has averaged 15 in his last 15 appearances, backing up either Cody Zeller or Bismack Biyombo.
“You always want to play a lot of minutes, you always want to play in all the games, you want to help your team win,” Hernangomez said. “So in the beginning, it was a very disappointing season because we were losing and I could not help the team. But I think after the trade deadline, I got a new, fresh start.”
Is that opportunity improving performance or performance earning opportunity? Causes and effects are often a blur in pro sports. This season, when the Hornets have prioritized developing young players over record, Hernangomez has gotten more latitude to play through mistakes.
“Obviously, you cannot learn if you are not playing. It’s that game rhythm, it’s making mistakes,” Hernangomez said.
“I’m telling the young guys, ‘You cannot be afraid of making mistakes. Learning from that will make you a better player and a better person at the end of the day.’ ”
What’s Willy Hernangomez’s value?
The Hornets will have at least $28 million in cap space this summer. Center is as much in flux as any position on this roster: Cody Zeller is under contract for next season at $15.4 million, but Biyombo and Hernangomez are free agents.
The Hornets drafting a big man in June would certainly impact other decisions. However, the minutes Zeller, Biyombo and Hernangomez play the remaining 20-some games are as important to providing Kupchak data as anything else.
Hernangomez understands he’s being evaluated, and he’s comfortable with that. He says the more important thing in the long run is chasing improvement.
“Use every day to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask even dumb questions. Make it so your coaches help you,” Hernangomez said. “And then come back at night (to the practice gym) to work on everything.”
