(Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports)
Leftover quotes from Hornets media day
The Charlotte Hornets held their annual preseason media day last week. Here at Hornet Maven, we published stories on Marvin Williams' leadership, Miles Bridges' dunks, Devonte Graham's desire to play, Cody Zeller's health and James Borrego's confidence from those interviews. Here's a round-up of all of the notable quotes that didn't appear in those stories.
James Borrego
On Nic Batum:
“I expect Nic to come into camp and compete for minutes. Plain and simple. There’s minutes there for him to compete. He had a good summer, he’s in good shape and I need Nic to pick it up on the defensive end. That’s really where established himself for us last year. I thought he was a very good defender, one of our best two-way guys… He’s got to defend for us. He shot the ball at a very high clip last year. I want him to take more three’s this year.”
On Dwayne Bacon:
“I think Dwayne can be a consistent two-way player. That he can guard the best offensive scoring threat, and give us offense on the other end. He has the ability and the size and the skill set to do both.”
On PJ Washington:
“He’s had a good summer with us… But we need him to play. This is a big year for P.J., for our program. He’s going to play minutes, whether that’s here in Charlotte or in Greensboro. I’d love to have him here with us all season, playing significant minutes.”
On Terry Rozier:
“I want him to settle in. This is a big adjustment for him, coming in as a starter, a leading piece. He’s going to play minutes and he knows that and he’s going to hear that from me. I want him to settle in as a point guard, to make good decisions and not feel like he has to hit a home run. I don’t feel like he’s the guy coming in here saying, ‘I’m going to save the day for the Charlotte Hornets.’”
Terry Rozier
On adjusting, what he brings to Charlotte:
“I’m in a new city and with a new team. It’s a little different, but nothing’s really changed… I’m a ball player. I’m not out there just to dribble the ball. I’m not just a shooter.”
On comparisons to Kemba Walker:
“I’m just different. I’m competitive as hell. I’m not saying (Walker) is not, but I’m just talking about me. We’re two different players and two different guys. I’m just competitive as hell. I want to win. I play both sides of the ball. I just want to go out there and have some fun. I don’t have all the answers, I just want to play ball.”
“It’s annoying because I’m not him and I don’t look to be him. He is Kemba. He did a lot for this organization. Leading scorer, that’s hard to replace, but coming in and being me, I’m looking to push this organization in a different way.”
On his G-League experience in Maine:
“I’m not telling nobody to just go to the G-League. Nobody really wants to do it. That’s kind of like the hit or miss way, because you don’t want to go down, but when you go down, it kind of humbles you. You get better… It’s tough. You really go through the tough times. I made the best of it and tried to dominate anyone I was playing against. It was part of the process. I’m thankful for it. To anybody that got to go down to the G-League, don’t look at as you’re less than anybody. Like I said, you’re writing your own story, this is part of it.”
Dwayne Bacon
On team’s expectations:
“We're not just going to be a team that people can run over... We just want to take it game by game, practice by practice."
On being a “go-to guy”:
"It's special for me (being a go-to guy). I put in a lot of work this summer. I was pretty much here the whole time. I'm just ready to play now."
On his G-League experience last season:
"Greensboro kept me very, very humbled and motivated. I wanted to go down there and play. My experience down there worked great. I loved it... Playing those games really sparked my play at the end of the season."
Malik Monk
On his weight gain:
“That was my biggest key of the summer; put on some pounds, put on muscle. I feel way different. In pick-up, I don’t get moved off my spot easily.”
On what Borrego wants from him:
"JB wants me to attack more, get to the rim, get fouled, score more... I'm anxious to get out there."
On his opportunity this season:
"I've been preparing myself the last two years for this opportunity. I've been waiting and that's what you have to do sometimes… I'm excited. Got a bigger opportunity. We've all got a bigger opportunity... I feel bigger physically."
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
On picking up his player option:
“My kids, my son and my family. I had thought about the fact of opting out for day in and day out, and my two kids helped play a big role in me opting in. And that’s the truth.”
On where he fits into the lineup:
“I don’t know.”
On if the team has talked to him about his role:
“No comment.”
PJ Washington
On the G-League:
“There's nothing bad about going to Greensboro. I can go down there and get reps. Dwayne is a great example."
On what he brings to the team:
"The biggest thing for me is asserting myself on the defensive end. Being versatile, grabbing rebounds."
