Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego explains why LaMelo Ball isn’t starting yet
Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego says it’s too soon to shake up the rotation five games into the season.
Speaking before Saturday’s road game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Borrego said he’ll stay with the starting lineup that lost 108-93 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Guard Devonte Graham, last season’s leading scorer, has particularly struggled and is averaging 9.8 points on 27% shooting.
“We’re not going to jump the gun here. We’re gonna stay the course,” Borrego said, adding, “I like our rotation right now. I trust our guys.”
Borrego said after Friday’s loss that he’d consider moving rookie point guard LaMelo Ball, the third pick, into the starting unit, along with other tweaks.
“Obviously, if there are changes to be made, we’re going to make them. But you need some sample size here,” Borrego said Saturday. “We had a shortened (preseason), shortened training camp. This is a new group that has been together for just a couple of weeks now, and we’re learning each other.”
The Hornets added free-agent small forward Gordon Hayward this season and Ball, the highest Charlotte pick since 2012. Center Cody Zeller broke his hand in the second game, moving Bismack Biyombo into the starting lineup.
In starting 2-3, the Hornets have particularly struggled to score. They are 21st among 30 NBA teams in offensive efficiency, averaging 1.02 points per possession. The current five starters average 0.81 points per possession.
Borrego stayed with Dwayne Bacon as a starter for the first 10 games last season, despite Bacon shooting under 40% from the field. Then, Borrego replaced Bacon with Graham, shifting Terry Rozier from the point to shooting guard.
“We’ve just got to stay the course right now,” Borrego said Saturday. “Continue to get better, not overreact.”
This story was originally published January 2, 2021 at 6:25 PM.
