CHARLOTTE, N.C. — We are about to discover how position-less basketball works for the Charlotte Hornets.
Three point guards playing at once? The idea doesn't turn off Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak, as he envisions integrating No. 3 overall draft pick LaMelo Ball into the rotation.
"You might look out on the court next (season) and see five players under 6-7 at the same time," Kupchak said. "There are no set rules about who will play and who won't play and how big the players have to be for what positions they play."
Translation: It's not automatic that Devonte Graham or Terry Rozier has to sit in order to find minutes for rookie Ball. Kupchak said Ball is tall enough (he's listed around 6-foot-7) that coach James Borrego could play Ball some in a point-forward type of role, at least initially.
Kupchak said continuously over the past month that he would select the best talent with the No. 3 pick, with no concern about who was already on Charlotte's roster. After shooting guard Anthony Edwards and center James Wiseman went with picks 1 and 2, Kupchak did exactly that by selecting Ball, an over-sized point guard with a gift for passing, but a flawed jump shot.
You can argue that Graham and Rozier were two of the Hornets' best three players last season, along with forward P.J. Washington. Kupchak made it clear that neither Graham nor Rozier should feel threatened by Ball's presence.
"Devonte and Terry, I'm sure they will welcome him as a teammate. But they want to play and they're going to compete," Kupchak said. "LaMelo is not going to be given minutes because he was drafted No. 3. ... Whatever he gets, he will earn."
I have no doubt Borrego will see it the same way: While Borrego will nurture Ball's development, he won't gift Ball minutes out of obligation. Borrego made a point of saying last preseason that he doesn't consider a player's salary or contract or where he was drafted to be a coach's problem.
