Charlotte Hornets: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 preseason
1. The new system is paying off already
As Rick Bonnell broke down for the Charlotte Observer a few weeks ago, an uptick in tempo and 3-point attempts shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans this year.
"“The Hornets didn’t play slow under Borrego’s predecessor, Steve Clifford, but in studying last season’s games, Borrego saw few easy baskets. The best opportunity to address that is by emphasizing attacking defenses immediately in a possession, rather than setting up more deliberately.”"
This philosophy should work to the strengths of many players on team, including Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and second-year guard Malik Monk, who were offensive liabilities at times last year. Kupchak has already expressed his pleasure in Borrego’s system.
"I can't say I'm surprised [by how the team adapted to the new offense]. That's how Coach Borrego wants to play... We've had guys coming in all summer." - Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 15, 2018
Small sample size alert here, but the new system is already paying off after five preseason games. The team’s 107.9 pace is up dramatically from last year’s 98.7 mark. They also made 13.2 3-pointers per game in the preseason; last year they made just 10.0 shots beyond the arc.
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Assists are up too. As a team the Hornets averaged 24.8 dimes per game in five preseason games after just 21.6 assists per game in 2017-18. If the increase in sharing and 3-pointers continue, this could be the perfect recipe for the Hornets making a return to the playoffs.