The Lowdown, Volume II
What you need to know about Gordon Hayward's injured finger, the budding Biz-LaMelo relationship, the growing confidence of Jalen McDaniels and more
When the Hornets tip off their season in Cleveland next week, it’s not quite completely clear if Charlotte will have its prized offseason acquisition in the starting lineup.
The Hornets announced Wednesday afternoon that Gordon Hayward had suffered an avulsion fracture of his fifth finger on his right hand and would not play against the Magic on Thursday. He’s listed as day-to-day and although coach James Borrego wasn’t exactly forthcoming on whether Hayward is going to be available Dec. 23 against the Cavaliers, he also didn’t sound overly concerned.
“As we said yesterday, he’s day-to-day,” Borrego said Thursday on a video chat following the Hornets’ morning shootaround in Orlando, Fla. “He’s very optimistic right now, we’re very optimistic. I don’t want to speculate on opening night. But we’ll take it one day at a time. He’s already feeling better today, so that’s where we are at. Just day-by-day.”
Hayward, who signed a four-year, $120 million deal, has had trouble staying healthy in the past three seasons. He’s appeared in just 125 regular-season games over that span, and given his importance to this team (remember, he’s going to be one of their top playmakers), the Hornets can ill-afford to have him banged up. Ensuring he’s healthy and not playing with a nagging injury is likely chief among their list for keys to a successful season.
With just a few precious days remaining in the abbreviated preseason, Borrego had hoped to get a more in-depth look at a few of the lineups he wants to utilize with Hayward on the floor. But with him unavailable, Borrego will have to call an audible and take a gander at other combinations.
“It just opens it up a little bit,” Borrego said. “More minutes for other guys and that’s in the form of Cody Martin, could be some Caleb Martin. Playing Jalen (McDaniels) as well at the small forward position with Miles (Bridges) at the power forward position. That could be a pretty unique lineup for us with Jalen and Miles out there together.
“And then it may bring Malik (Monk) into the rotation a little bit more over these next couple of nights. So that’s the group. It’s just more opportunities for other guys right now. We’ll take a look at some different lineups.”
BIZ THE MENTOR
Every first-year player could use a veteran to show him the ropes, taking him under his wing to guide him through the intricacies on and off the floor.
And less than a month into his NBA career, it appears as if LaMelo Ball has just that.
Bismack Biyombo has been seen holding court with Ball on more than a few occasions, constantly providing instructions and guidance. Biyombo is spending a noticeable amount of time imparting some of that veteran wisdom, doing his best to pass as much on to the Hornets’ rookie.
“Yeah, it’s been great,” Borrego said. “It’s so funny. I look in huddles sometimes or I’m looking, showing a film and those two are hugging behind me, arms around each other. I love what I’m seeing, the partnership there, the mentorship. That’s huge for LaMelo, his growth. But he’s very engaged and he wants it. He loves that connection with his teammates, his coaches.
“Obviously, Biz is one of those guys that’s willing to embrace that role and mentor a young player like this. So it’s a great relationship. I get a kick watching them from a far.”
Ball seems to enjoy engaging with Biyombo and soaking up the knowledge he drops.
“It’s definitely amazing having somebody look out for you,” Ball said. “It’s like a big brother, so it’s a blessing.”
Biyombo is happy to do his part and thinks Ball’s progression is already accelerated, in part, thanks to playing abroad prior to entering this year’s draft.
“Being able to be a professional athlete at an early age, that helps a lot,” Biyombo said. “Because you are just faster, you learn faster, which is what happened to me, (and) a lot of guys that come from Europe or overseas because you are a professional athlete (so) you are treated like a pro, you live like a pro. So he got to learn that at an early age and I think that helped him a lot as he comes into the league, adjusting, kind of blending in the NBA style of play.”
MCDANIELS MAKING HIS CASE
Jalen McDaniels came on at the tail end of Charlotte’s 2019-20 campaign, essentially morphing into the first person Borrego summoned off the bench just before the league suspended play.
He showed off his length and ability to hit shots beyond the arc in the 16 games he played in, offering insight into why the Hornets selected him late in the second round of the 2019 draft. In what turned out to be the season’s penultimate game in Atlanta, he netted a career-best 11 points.
With a season now under his belt and the coaching staff’s confidence in him only increasing, McDaniels — who scored 15 points in Monday’s preseason loss to Toronto — could be a key reserve. Borrego said he likes McDaniels putting pressure on him to insert him into the mix, figuring it leads to a good problem: more reliable depth.
“I’m way more comfortable — I feel like I belong out there,” McDaniels said. “I know what to do and I know what to expect. I feel like the thing I worked on the most was my body, and just getting stronger, and shooting a lot of threes above the break. I’ve just been trying to get my three-point shot right, and just overall polishing my game, and just working on the little stuff, and getting to my spots. That’s been it.”
There’s definitely a noticeable uptick in his comfort level.
“I feel like it’s just not being timid anymore,” McDaniels said. “Just like you know you’re here for a reason and sitting back and realizing ‘why are you here, you must be good’. Just being confident looking at yourself like I belong here and I can play at this level. That’s all it was for me — just realizing these guys have been here a couple more years, but that doesn’t mean I can’t step on the court with them and compete.
“The G League last year was me getting my reps, playing a whole lot and then coming up and seeing and experiencing how it is. I feel like it helped me get to where I am.”
SUNSHINE STATE DRESS REHEARSAL
Some nine months after the last time they flew the friendly skies together, the Hornets finally got to experience it again on Wednesday evening as they began a three-day, three-night stay in Orlando.
This was no trip to Disneyland, though.
They’re wrapping up their preseason in Central Florida, and these few days should serve the players and staff well as they get used to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocol when traveling out of their home markets.
“It’s good to get a test run for us out there,” Borrego said, adding things felt “a little different because it’s the first time I’ve been on a plane in a long time, especially with this group. So, yeah, it’s good to get a little test run in before we go to Cleveland, get some of those protocols out of the way and make sure we are all aligned and make sure we all know what we are doing as far as staying safe out there. That’ll help us.”
Biyombo, who’s a vice president on the NBAPA’s executive committee and fully knows what’s expected of the players, doesn’t think the Hornets will have any compliance issues. He believes his teammates will abide by the guidelines that have been put in place by the league.
“I think just going through quarantine helps a lot of our people have self-discipline,” Biyombo said. “And I think we are going to have to apply that in the preseason and going into the season for the safety of our family members and the safety of our teammates, and if we really want to commit to finishing this season. Because God know how this season can shift.
“So I just hope that everybody is responsible, and they can all take the discipline, we can all take the lessons that we’ve learned and take the discipline and lessons that we have learned during quarantine, and apply that into the season and the team rules.”
Call it the new normal. For now, anyway.
“It just feels a little different,” Borrego said. “We had to test this morning. These are things we’ve got to get used to this season and that’s OK. It’s a different time for all of us. So we adjust, we adapt.”
Love these Rod, thank you!!!
Appreciate the reporting, Rod!