Hornets mailbag: Will team ever be fully healthy? Can Bryce McGowens stay in rotation?
.JPG "(L-R) Injured Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, forward Gordon Hayward and forward Cody Martin sit on the team’s bench during the team’s game against the Washington Wizards at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC on Monday, November 7, 2022. The Wizards defeated the Hornets 108-100.")
Wins have been scarce for the Charlotte Hornets, and the questions are plentiful.
Between injuries, shifting reserve personnel and organizational philosophies, there’s no lack of inquiries about the Hornets two months into the NBA season.
In this latest mailbag, we tackled reader queries about what rookie Bryce McGowens has to do to stay in the lineup, when the Hornets may pivot toward the future, whether there’s a specific timeline for LaMelo Ball’s return, Kelly Oubre’s future and more.
At what point do the Hornets pivot toward the future and start trading vets/emphasize young player development? — @SonOfAGunn93 via Twitter
Sheesh, the calendar hasn’t hit 2023 yet and you guys are trying to get the Hornets to call it a season. They’re not going to do that any time soon. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve specifically asked coach Steve Clifford and a few of the players about the team’s morale and thoughts on where things stand.
Clifford has mentioned the standings on a few occasions, pointing out how the Hornets are fewer than four games behind the final play-in tournament spot. He’s previously said he’s not here to be part of a rebuild. Not sure why that would change now. They’re going to shoot for the postseason, so don’t expect them to do anything other than that until they are mathematically out of it.
Timeline on LaMelo? — @BallUniverse1 via Twitter
What’s the easiest way to put it? I’ve got it. How about this: “No.” LaMelo will be back when he feels as close to 100% as possible. And only he will know when that is. Anyone suggesting otherwise isn’t being completely truthful. This time of year, you may say they’re being naughty and not nice. LaMelo is going to listen to his body and return when he’s fully comfortable, and when any pain (remember him working his foot on the bench in his first couple of games?) has dissipated.
Do you think this team will be fully healthy at any point this season, and if they are will it be too late to salvage the season? — @JonnyOatmeal via Twitter
Crazy as it may seem, yes. Injuries are inevitable for any team, and maybe the Hornets got theirs out of the way early. Now, I can’t say for certain when they will lighten their injury list because these are the Hornets we’re talking about, but they will be fully healthy at some point.
Here’s the thing, though: As long as Gordon Hayward is on the roster, even if the Hornets have their entire complement of players, there’s no guarantee it’ll last for more than a week. Or game. Or quarter. That’s the way it’s going to be until Hayward proves otherwise for an entire season, and he hasn’t been able to do that with the Hornets.
Is Kelly Oubre here to stay? — @704Hoopzz via Twitter
That is a great question, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out. In speaking with Kelly as recently as last week on my podcast, he reiterated how much he loves it in Charlotte and how he’s happy to be here after bouncing around so much the last couple of years in different cities and roles. It’s heartfelt and genuine. He’s been really good for them in his season-plus, filling in several times for an injured Hayward, and he’s on an economical contract.
If both sides want to continue their partnership beyond this season, it would make a lot of sense. But he’s also a tradeable commodity because he can help teams during a postseason charge and could fetch an asset. That’s why Oubre’s situation could go either way, and it’s one of the things to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.
What do you think is the best way for Bryce McGowens to solidify his spot in the rotation? — @Jgenovere via Twitter
Keep it up. He’s always one of the final players to leave the practice court, and it’s been like that for a while, honestly. Terry Rozier mentioned last week how impressed he was to see Bryce be the first guy in the gym at shootaround. McGowens has a good attitude and solid work ethic. He’s part of their future and is contributing earlier than everyone probably expected.
Is James Bouknight behind Bryce McGowens and Kai Jones in Cliff’s reserves’ order — @AMAJ1999 via Twitter
Yes, it certainly seems that way, judging by the last few games. Still, Bouknight and Jones play different positions, so I wouldn’t say he is necessarily behind the second-year forward. But in terms of the tail end of their guard depth, McGowens appears to have jumped over Bouknight. And until something happens to make Clifford change his mind, or barring injuries, that’s likely how it is going to stay for the foreseeable future.
Bouknight has struggled this year in his limited time, so he’s going to have to work himself out of his funk before he gets in the rotation again. That might have to come first in practice, which is why McGowens and Jones have received playing time here more recently.
Why don’t NBA teams box out like they are taught to do in high school, where everybody finds a man? — @JC21397 via Twitter
Clifford was talking about that a little bit after practice on Tuesday and mentioned how some players just have a natural ability more than others to do it. And at the pro level, it’s not something they can really practice. It just comes down to the mentality of somebody wanting to get the ball more than anyone else.
The Hornets must also stop leaking out trying to get cheap buckets on fastbreaks once a shot goes up. Because that leaves gaps and spaces for the other team to chase down the ball and get offensive rebounds. Until everybody buys into that concept, the Hornets are going to have trouble because they aren’t loaded with a bunch of naturally gifted rebounders.
This story was originally published December 7, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
