Coaching dossier: James Borrego offensive mastermind
Borrego is a perfect fit for what the Cavs need.
James Borrego was one of the first candidates The Athletic’s Shams Charania mentioned shortly after J.B. Bickerstaff was fired and will interview for the opening. Let’s take a look at how that potential hire would work for both parties.
Who is James Borrego?
Borrego, 46, worked his way up from a video coordinator with the San Antonio Spurs to eventually being head coach of the Charlotte Hornets in 2018. They improved by ten games three seasons in a row, before losing in the Play-In Tournament two seasons in a row which led to him getting fired a year after signing an extension. He finished in Charlotte with a 138-163 record across four seasons.
Borrego didn’t coach during the 2022-23 season but returned this past season as an assistant for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Why did they lose their last job?
Borrego was a victim of his own success. His first year on the job was Kemba Walker’s last in Charlotte. They decided to transition into a rebuild after trading Walker to Boston the ensuing summer. After one season in the basement, Barrego turned a 23-win team into a 33-win one (in a 71-game season) with the help of rookie LaMelo Ball. They reached the Play-In but lost in the 9 vs. 10 game. They suffered the same fate the following campaign even though they won ten additional games.
The Hornets weren’t satisfied with a team that couldn’t get over the hump. They believed they had a promising young core that needed a better in-game manager and defensive coach to take them to the next level. Charlotte was one of the better offensive teams in the league under Borrego’s leadership, but they struggled mightily defensively. They inexplicably put the blame on Borrego Instead of seeing a big-man rotation of Mason Plumlee, Montrezl Harrell, and Miles Bridges as the issue.
Borrego also seemed to rub some of his younger players the wrong way. He was tough on Ball — which led to his most efficient season and only All-Star appearance in 2022. However, that accountability led to Ball spending more time on the bench when he made mistakes and only playing 32.3 minutes per game that season.
Ball hinted to SLAM Magazine that season that he wasn’t being used to his full potential which was seen as a shot at Borrego.
“When they really put them keys in my hand, I feel like it’s gonna be a whole new situation, Ball said in 2022. “But until then, I’m gonna keep doing what I need to do, just try to get these wins”.
Borrego was hesitant to play young players like JT Thor and James Bouknight, which led to an altercation on the sideline due to a lack of minutes, which was seen as a negative. In hindsight, these both appear to be the correct assessment of the situation given Thor hasn’t yet shown to be a competent NBA big and Bouknight has fallen out of the league for on and off-court reasons.
What are they known for?
Borrego is one of the most well-respected offensive minds in the game. His stint with the Hornets proves that. Charlotte had the sixth-best offensive rating (114.8) in his final season. They fell to dead last the ensuing season. Ball missing nearly half of that season is a significant reason why they fell off so hard, but it also underlines what Borrego was able to get out of a group that only had one premier offensive player.
Getting the most out of imperfect offensive options is what Borrego has done best. This is particularly true with smaller guards. Walker had his lone All-NBA season under Borrego. This has been a common thread.
Devonte Graham seemed like a quality starting guard for the two years he had Borrego as a head coach. Three of Terry Rozier’s four most efficient seasons came under Borrego. Ball looked like a potential face of the league under Borrego. Borrego has shown that he can both squeeze blood out of stone with his guards and also transform talent into the best versions of themselves.
His creative, motion-based offense that’s an evolution of the dynasty Spurs offense is one of the reasons he’s been able to do this. Borrego wasn’t given a decent big man or many wing options, outside of Miles Bridges, in Charlotte. He had to make do with guards being the focal point of his opponent’s defensive game plan. This forced him to institute an offense where his guards were constantly in motion and screening for other guards.
Borrego’s sets relied on having simple, consistent reads for the ball handler out of actions. Even though the off-ball movement may be intricate, the reads weren’t. This allowed him to plug and play many different featured guards into his offense and have them make an immediate impact.
It’s difficult to know what effect Borrego has had in New Orleans as an assistant there. It is worth noting that the offense climbed from being 20th and 18th the two seasons before Borrego arrived to 13th last season.
Why he’s a fit for the Cavs
Not being able to simultaneously maximize both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell has led to J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and the strife between the backcourt. Borrego is the perfect person to maximize that duo even if you kept the frontcourt as is.
Borrego’s strengths are this current group’s weaknesses. The Cavs have become too reliant on just high screen and rolls and reacting out of that. Their guards don’t move off-ball and most of the bigs screens come on-ball which leaves the floor cramped when there’s one constantly on the block waiting for a lob or drop-off pass.
Borrego wouldn’t just correct these issues so the offense is passable. He has the skillset to maximize it in a way that could allow you to see if this core can work offensively despite the overlapping skillsets.
Why he’s not a fit for the Cavs
It seems that handling interpersonal relationships partially led to his downfall in Charlotte. Managing egos and being a good communicator off the floor is extremely important for a head coach. This is especially true in Cleveland.
The next Cavs coach will need to bridge the divide between the imperfect fitting roster on the court while also meeting the demands of a hands-on ownership group and a front office that seems to have escalated tensions with players in the past instead of defusing them (Kevin Love, Kevin Porter Jr., J.R. Smith, etc.).
First-time head coaches often struggle with the interpersonal skills that are required as head coach. Being a top assistant doesn’t prepare you for that element. However, this is something that coaches can develop in. Jason Kidd is an example of that.
Verdict
Borrego should be the Cavs top target. He is the best available candidate for fixing this group’s specific issues. If you’re committed to this core, or at least three of them, this is the candidate you want to optimize this group offensively.