Hornets rookie guard James Bouknight was escorted to the locker room by team security after an altercation with coach James Borrego during Saturday’s game, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
The incident began late in the third quarter when Miles Bridges was knocked to the ground in a collision and had to be removed from the game because he was bleeding. Borrego inserted Bouknight for the final 14 seconds of the quarter, which was the only playing time he saw all night.
After the quarter ended, Bouknight and Borrego had a “heated exchange” on the sidelines, according to Boone, and Bouknight seemed to take a step toward his coach before they were separated. He remained in the locker room for the rest of the game.
“Obviously we were all a little frustrated, all of us,” Borrego said after the 18-point loss to Miami, “in the third quarter, early fourth and it got a little emotional there. Beyond that I’ll leave it there.”
Borrego admitted that Bouknight is unhappy over a lack of playing time. The 11th pick in last year’s draft has gotten into just 25 games and is averaging 4.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per night.
“As I’ve said before he’s in a tough spot,” Borrego said. “He obviously wants to play. I get that. I understand that. Look, he’s a kid that we believe in, we trust in and we are going to find more minutes for him, more time. So I won’t get into the specifics. Just two competitors trying to help this team.”
Boone notes that the public dispute comes at an especially bad time for Charlotte, which has lost five of its last seven games and has slipped into ninth place in the East. Anxiety over Thursday’s trade deadline is adding to the tension in the locker room.
Bridges, who emphasized the need for the team to remain united, reached out to Bouknight after Saturday’s incident.
“Everybody’s been through it,” Bridges said. “When I was a rookie I wanted to play. And he’s very talented and he’s not getting in the game like he wants to. But I’m trying to explain to him that everybody’s been through that. I went through that. (LaMelo Ball’s) been through that and he was Rookie of the Year. So he’s good. I talked to him. He’s good and the Coach is good. So everything is good.”
Borrego is an awful coach when it comes to using players appropriately, Plumlee slows melo down so much, I loved watching the hornets last year and now my league pass stays on Memphis and minnesota because I cannot watch borrego butcher this season, no reason Charlotte isn’t a top 6 team all year
Still no reason for a player to go after a coach. The players are paid to so that must mean coaches are paid to… that’s right. For teams like Charlotte the cliche of being “all in” as a team, while still a cliche, is extremely applicable. For a young fringe playoff team to have a shot of making it out of the first round they NEED leadership. Hope Borrego and Bridges get the rook in line. Charlottes season is way more important than Bouknights numbers.
Paid to play** gotta love it lol
Well, that didn’t take long. The guy was atop my 2020 Do Not Draft List, and I’m sure the lists of some who’s lists matter. It’s a shame because he has talent, but it is what it is. Just thankful the Knicks didn’t to trade up for him (which was bandied about in the media, although no indication it came from the FO).
2022
We’re both wrong, 2021.
The kid will now be branded with having a bad attitude. Its going to be up to him to prove he needs more minutes by playing so well they can’t keep him out of the lineup. Hornets should give him what he wants and send him to the G league and play a lot of minutes.
Noone knows the exact words that were used between the 2 other than the players, coaches (and maybe a few a few fans that were in ears distance of it. I wouldn’t say the player or coach are a problem, unless I heard the entire conversation. Sports can bring out the temper in anyone, it’s what you make of it going forward that will determine their worth.
Pistons will take him and put him to good use!
Hornets need a coach who can maximize that roster, there’s a lot of talent there!
Outside of Bridges and Ball, who else is talented? Oubre? Hayward? They’ve been passed around.
Other than Ball, Bridges Hayward,& Rozier- McDaniel, Washington, Cody Martin, Bouknight and Washington have all showed promise at times.
I’ll take him right now. He should of been starting from day one. He’s best 2way player in draft. And will be a star one day. Please please I hope he’s available.
Best two way player in the draft? Not even close.
“should of” … LoL
Ayo would like a word
Hopefully Indy will trade for Heyward and get turner or another young big from Indy. Plumlee is a backup.
This is the hornets rather keep overpaid heyward and let monk walk and now he one of the top young sg
Remind me again why he was drafted. Too small for a 2 (he’s not 6’5″), and he plays no defense. When paired with Lamelo, another laughable sieve backcourt. Hayward is back kid, sit down … he has 2 more yrs in his overpaid contract.
I doubt you ever watched him in college. Or in the combines. He had some of best workouts of any player. It’s all documented for you. Some of us actually follow picks in real time.
Oh yeah, the same documented film that you so pronounced for selecting Toppin and Knox, and better than watching in real life. Here’s a nugget for you, Don’t quit your day job.
Ignore him. His insults are just as low as his IQ. Amateur hour.
Nope. Size isn’t the problem, nor are his other measurables, most of which are plusses (very long – 6’11-7’0 wingspan – wiry strong, real good hands, fairly explosive). It’s everything else.
Passionate!
Problematic!
Human?
Don’t worry kid, you’ll play for the Pacers the rest of the season when they deal Plumlee, Bouknight, Kai and a 1st for Turner or Sabonis.
If he’s talented enough to play on a bad team he would be playing.
He should watch the recent after game presser of Moses Moody, a 19 year old with a great attitude about his playing time and what he needs to do to become a good NBA p!ayer.
I get being pissed off that you worked hard your whole life to make the NBA, achieve being a lottery pick, and then don’t even get a chance to play for a mediocre team. He’s young, so immaturity is understandable. We will never know what the words were of the exchange. But it is pretty obnoxious to be played just 14 seconds. Can we all agree on that at least?
I’d be interested to see how he brings it to practice and what his attitude is during those sessions. When some kids get drafted in the lottery, there’s a sense of entitlement. I’d suspect that’s the case here.
Someone had to go in the game for those 14 seconds. You’re saying it should be someone else because he was a 1st round pick?
How do you know he hasn’t been given a chance to play? Isn’t it more likely that he was given every chance to earn minutes (most lottery picks are), and couldn’t do it. He should get them anyway? The bigger problem this kid has is that nobody associated with the UConn program, or anyone who follows the Big East, is going to be surprised by this.