Training camp nuggets: And starting at center for the Hornets ...
As preseason games near later this week, things are slowly coming together for Charlotte as it begins sorting out lineup combinations
Most of the glitzy headlines surrounding the Hornets’ offseason have centered around the drafting of LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward’s free-agency arrival.
And with good reason.
Ball, as we detailed here, is already drawing rave reviews from Charlotte’s players and staff. And Hayward, by all accounts from coach James Borrego, is quickly using his veteran knowledge to serve as a calming influence on what is one of the NBA’s youngest rosters.
But exactly how thing shape up in the Hornets’ front court will be equally as important, given how Charlotte expects to push the tempo this season. Precisely who plays at center and with what combination of players will be an intriguing decision Borrego will have on his hands. He has Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo, PJ Washington and even rookies Vernon Carey Jr. and Nick Richards to mix and match.
“I like the depth at that position,” Borrego said during a Zoom call Monday when I asked him about his potential rotation with his big men. “Cody Zeller is likely to be our starter. As I’ve said before, I like PJ at the ‘5.’ I think he fits. We did a lot of that today. So we are versatile there.”
That’s the hope anyway. Zeller, who’s earning $15.4 million in the final year of his contract, returns for eighth season. He managed to stay relatively healthy in 2019-20, playing in 58 of 65 games and reversing a trend of continuously being sidelined with nagging injuries.
Biyombo, who started 29 of the 53 games he appeared in this past season, signed a one-year, $3.5 million to return to the fold. Throw in Washington, combine it with the 6-10 Carey Jr. and the 6-11 Richards, and Borrego has more than a few options.
“I think what Cody has done, he’s a proven starter in this league,” Borrego said. “Biz gives us great depth back there. A professional, someone that commands attention in the paint, can protect the paint, rebound. Then we have the two young kids that we can look at as well. So I feel like we are protected there. It’s a major position for us. But we are going to be big, we are going to play big and we are going to play some small as well.”
Zeller likes the collection of talent the Hornets have along the front line.
“I think the whole NBA has shifted toward playing smaller, playing more mobile big men,” he said. “So I fit into that. I can move, set screens, move around the court a little bit. PJ is perfect for that, so he can kind of play that ‘5’ man in spots. Some of it will just depend on who we are playing. Obviously, opening night (Dec. 23) in Cleveland I might have a little better luck against (Andre) Drummond than PJ.
“But obviously Biz has got great experience, I think the young guys will come along. Vernon, Nick, those guys they are figuring it out. But it’s so tough for them. They haven’t had Summer League, they just got with our team a week or two ago. So they are coming along quickly but it’s a lot thrown at them at once. Just the fact we have depth at the ‘4’ and ‘5’ spot, it’s good that you can play different lineups and whatever the team needs or whatever is working that night.”
As hard as it may seem to believe, the Hornets are only a few days from tipping off their preseason. They host Toronto on Saturday at Spectrum Center, which would be the latest indicator things are progressing in a direction they haven’t experienced for the last nine months. That’s why they’re so happy simply scrimmaging against each other this week.
“Just playing five-on-five, it’s been so long,” Zeller said. “It’s been since March for us playing five-on-five. We’ve tried to get a group together even last month. (There was) a little bit of five-on-five in our mini bubble. But it wasn’t the full roster. So we played a little three-on-three and 95 percent of the summer it’s been all individual workouts. So it’s just fun to have nine other guys on the court.“
Which includes their draftees.
“It’s always kind of fun to see the new rookies come in,” Zeller said. “It’s kind of fun to see what they are capable of and where they fit in.”
Interested to see what the learning curve will be like for LaMelo and how that will affect his minutes. I would image learning the PG/SG positions would be tougher than the 5 spot.