Charlotte Hornets tip off summer league with hope ... and these 10 things to watch

NBA summer league is always interesting. It isn’t always consequential.

It will be consequential this summer for the Charlotte Hornets because of all the circumstances:

▪ A new general manager in Mitch Kupchak.

▪ A new head coach in James Borrego.

▪ And seven players on the summer roster who either will be under contract for training camp in September or whose draft rights will be retained by the Hornets.

Hornets assistant Jay Hernandez will coach the summer games, with Borrego, lead assistant Jay Triano and Kupchak watching from the stands on UNLV’s campus. The first game is Friday (5:30 p.m. EDT, ESPNU) against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Borrego said during a four-day minicamp at Spectrum Center that the players already part of the training camp roster will get heavy minutes in Las Vegas. Borrego is installing offensive and defensive principles and looking at combinations with next season in mind.

That means rookies Miles Bridges and Devonte Graham and young veterans Malik Monk, Dwayne Bacon and Willy Hernangomez will get abundant playing time. Additionally, rookie J.P. Macura (signed to a two-way contract) and Lithuanian Arnoldas Kulboka (drafted 55^th by the Hornets, but likely to play in Europe next season) figure to play a lot.

10 things to watch

Graham’s learning curve: Despite being a second-round pick, Graham has a chance to be in the rotation next season, since point guard is a position of need behind Kemba Walker. Even in a summer-league setting, this should test how quickly he’s learning and organizing.

Upping the pace: Borrego wants this team to attack the defense more in the first five to eight seconds of possessions. That requires a commitment to running and organization from the outlet pass to the other rim.

Monk’s role: Former Kentucky guard Monk, the 11^th overall pick in 2017, missed his rookie summer league and more than a month afterward with an ankle sprain. That was a factor in his underwhelming rookie season. He’s fired up about playing in these games.

Decisiveness: Borrego sees ball movement as an important area of improvement. If a player starts bouncing the ball without creating an advantage, he’ll head to the bench. The goal is to quickly decide whether to drive, pass or shoot, and summer league is when you reinforce those habits.

Bridges’ value: Kupchak said on draft night he anticipates forward Bridges, the 12^th overall pick, to have immediate value on defense. The ability to switch who you’re guarding to counter pick-and-rolls is big in the NBA these days. In practice, Bridges has guarded all five positions from point guard to center.

Bacon in traffic: The greater emphasis on early offense hopefully creates lots of trips to the rim. Bacon’s athleticism and strength make him a natural driver. The coaches have looked to improve his finishing skills, after he shot 37.5 percent from the field as a rookie.

Hernangomez’s body: He changed his plans to spend the summer with the Spanish national team to be at Hornets minicamp and play in Las Vegas. Hernangomez has lost 8 pounds since the season’s conclusion but improved his strength.

Kulboka’s potential: The Hornets selected Kulboka late in the draft with the intention of his spending at least next season in Europe. By Kulboka’s own description, he needs to add strength before he’d be ready to compete in the NBA. But he’s a good jump-shooter who could play three or more positions eventually in the NBA.

Macura’s place: The Hornets signed shooting guard Macura to a two-way contract after he went undrafted. That means most, if not all, next season with the Greensboro Swarm. Borrego said Macura’s reputation as a competitor at Xavier was appealing.

Seen enough: The Hornets will play at least five games in Las Vegas. For at least the first three, it figures the Hornets will lean heavily toward playing those seven guys, rather than the free agents filling out the summer roster.

This story was originally published July 5, 2018 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Charlotte Hornets tip off summer league with hope ... and these 10 things to watch."