The Charlotte Hornets would have been a playoff team last season had they been average defensively. Instead, they were bad.
The playoffs aren't a realistic goal this season, but coach James Borrego says he will demand better defense, and playing time will be his leverage.
"I control the minutes. Our guys are going to be committed to the defensive end from day one," Borrego said Tuesday. "If not, they're just not going to play. That's the bottom line."
That was the most important thing I heard from Borrego as he addressed about 50 media members before training camp starts next week in Chapel Hill. The defense was poor last season for various reasons. Borrego is changing his approach, and he went out of his way Tuesday to say the players would be held accountable.
Some important context from the 2018-19 season: The Hornets were 11th among 30 NBA teams in offensive efficiency (112.1 points per 100 possessions), but were 23rd in defensive efficiency (113.16 points per 100 opponent possessions). The Hornets finished two games out of a playoff spot, so it wouldn't have taken much to have replaced the Detroit Pistons in the post-season.
This year is different. Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb, the top two scorers, are gone, so being highly dependent on offense is self-defeating. Borrego also is committed to playing youth in a rebuild.
This season will be more about changing habits than counting victories. And the imperative is defense.
