With no plans for overhaul, Hornets' Borrego banking on internal development
The Charlotte Hornets have no intention of rebuilding.
The team named San Antonio Spurs assistant James Borrego its new head coach Thursday and he will be tasked with leading a turnaround with a roster that won just 36 games this past season and isn't expected to undergo much change this offseason.
General manager Mitch Kupchak said at Friday's introductory press conference "there is no master plan to blow up this team right now," and that Borrego was hired with the understanding he was going to coach the roster as currently constructed.
"My mentality: This is our group and we are moving forward with it," said Borrego, who's spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA.
"I'm excited about that current group as it stands right now. I think our biggest room for growth is the internal growth, the player development piece."
Borrego, 40, joins Charlotte on a four-year deal replacing Steve Clifford, whom the organization fired last month following five seasons and two first-round playoff exits. The team failed to qualify for the postseason the past two years, finishing 10th in the East in 2017-18 - essentially in no man's land, with the 11th-best odds among 14 lottery teams.
Even when they've had high picks, the Hornets haven't had much success in the draft. Their last pick who has materialized into a star was Kemba Walker, whom they nabbed ninth overall in 2011. They've had some duds since, but Borrego is optimistic that the younger players - including Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (No. 2 pick, 2012), Frank Kaminsky (No. 9, 2015), Willy Hernangomez, as well as rookies Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon - can make major leaps this offseason.
In addition, the club is hoping its draft luck will change with new management. As GM of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kupchak is credited with selecting the likes of Marc Gasol (48th pick, 2007), Patrick Beverley (42nd pick, 2009), Julius Randle (seventh pick, 2014), D'Angelo Russell (second pick, 2015), and Brandon Ingram (second pick, 2016). He and his staff are preparing for the draft. He noted his general lack of roster flexibility (given numerous untradeable contracts) but suggested he's open to trades.