James Borrego was the head coach of the Charlotte Hornetsfrom 2018 to 2022, he was fired after what was considered another bad season under his rule. But even though Borrego had a team of young stars at his disposal, that wasn’t enough for them to make it to the playoffs.
The last time the Hornets played in the postseason was during the 2015-2016 NBA season and on that occasion they lost to the Miami Heat 4-3. Things have changed slightly for the better since Kemba Walker left and LaMelo Ball arrived as a franchise player.
The 2021-22 NBA season was not bad for the Charlotte Hornets as they finished with a winning record of 43-39 and 115.3 PPG as the 4th best offense of the season. But the weak point of the team is the defense since they allowed an average of 114.9 points per game as the 25th worst defense in the NBA.
The 3 mistakes James Borrego made to lose his job
1. Multiple seasons where the Hornets were one of the worst defenses in the league allowing over 110+ points per game the last three seasons. The team did not have a center that knew how to play defense.
2. The Hornets offensive game was strong and always in the top 5-6 of the season but against contenders they didn’t know how to win. Plus the overuse of G League and undrafted players who never actually played during games.
3. Bad player decisions using players who did not contribute anything valuable to the team while other players who were playmakers were cut down for several games. Borrego did not help the development of the players who really needed it.