Charlotte Hornets: 2018-19 NBA season preview

Storyline 2: Who will step up as a second playmaker?

With rumors of open competition at each position outside of point guard, the staring lineup could change on a nightly basis at the outset of the preseason. Finding the team’s second option after Kemba could take a little bit to figure out as a result.

Borrego, given his time with the San Antonio Spurs, will likely be putting the best players on the floor to create good spacing and encourage sharp passing to the team’s perimeter shooters. That could include three wings and a big man for Walker; or they could go big in the frontcourt depending on the matchup. We’ve already seen that in the preseason.

The first two games of the preseason saw Jeremy Lamb at the 2-guard and Nicolas Batum at small forward. But in the first game, Borrego stayed with Marvin Williams at the 4 and put in Cody Zeller at the 5. In Game 2, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist started at the 4 with Willy Hernangomez at the 5, but mostly because the Hornets didn’t play Williams or Zeller.

The Hornets have lacked a second option for a few years now. If Batum gets his groove back, he could become the explosive wing player the Hornets have been looking for. If Lamb keeps getting starts, he is poised for a breakout year and could possibly create a tough backcourt for many teams to stop.

Advanced stats suggest Willy Hernangomez could make a big impact this year if given the playing time, and Miles Bridges has impressed so far in the preseason. Whoever it is, the Hornets need to find a consistent second playmaker to get back to the playoffs.