Pelicans Betting James Borrego Can Boost Offense
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NEW ORLEANS- New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green has proven to be many things in the two years since taking the lead job. He is affable regardless of win or loss, is a steady voice leading the locker room with trust, and has a "calling you up not calling you out" mentality the players appreciate.
Green's defenses have been some of the best in the league for long stretches. However, the offense has ranged from predictable to stagnant over the past two seasons regardless of who has been healthy. Brandon Ingram gets to his midrange jumpers. Zion Williamson spins and bullies his way into the paint.
CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III operate from the perimeter, but there are few complex plays beyond those initial actions. The team either resets or devolves into another isolated pick-and-roll play as the shot clock winds down. The Pelicans are betting James Borrego can solve some of those issues and there is good reason to expect some obvious changes next season.
Borrego picked coaching Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram in New Orleans over "several opportunities elsewhere to be the top assistant" according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Pelicans also retained top assistant Jarron Collins, who was a finalist for Detroit's head coaching position.
Dec. 26, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon (left) talks with assistant coach James Borrego during game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Hornets defeated the Suns 85-84. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Easier To Read, Harder To Predict Actions
Williamson cannot carry too much of the offensive burdens and McCollum's role is still unsettled. Still, Ingram's play-making really started to stand out at the end of last season despite the predictable actions. As teams started hedging, Ingram started winging cross-court passes worthy of the highlight reel.
A look at his history suggests Barrego should get Ingram into easier-to-read actions and the former All-Star's assists numbers should take a jump. Under Borrego in 2021-22, the Charlotte Hornets finished in the top 10 in three-point attempts in three of those four seasons.
Charlotte was a top-10 team in points (4th), Three-Pointers Made (5th), Three-Pointers Attempted (6th), and Three-Point Percentage (6th) in Borrego's final season in charge. The Hornets were just short of top 10 status in Field Goal Percentage (11th) but did grab the 9th most offensive rebounds. Charlotte led the NBA with 28.1 team assists per game and had the 10th fewest turnovers.
Borrego had a young, overmatched squad sitting at 8th in Offensive Rating, 3rd in Assists Percentage, 2nd in assists to turnover ratio, 2nd in Assist Ratio, and 9th best in Turnover Percentage. They were 7th in Effective Field Goal percentage as there were always options available and 36.3% of their points came from beyond the arc (9th best).
New Orleans had problems with the basics last season. Getting into initial actions within 10-12 seconds and just inbounding the ball was a struggle at times. Adam Spinella's ATO Film Package spent 10 minutes breaking down how Borrego's system works and it is easy to see how Ingram and Williamson will get more downhill, attack-the-basket opportunities with less traffic.
Sure there are talent discrepancies but Borrego had those Hornets playing with the 6th quickest pace, were 3rd in shots at the rim, and 2nd in corner three-pointers. That style helps hide the flaws of Herb Jones, Jonas Valanciunas, Dyson Daniels, and Jaxson Hayes if he returns.
Most importantly, Trey Murphy should get at least one easier, open three-pointer per half. Adding an extra 164 three-pointers from one of the best long-range snipers on the planet will go a long way to opening up the rest of the offense, not to mention Murphy III's highlight dunks when teams overcommit on closeouts.
Culture Fit As Associate Head Coach
The 45-year-old Borrego has two decades of experience on NBA sidelines and is part of the Gregg Popovich coaching tree. Borrego even broke down some of San Antonio's offense a few years ago. Look for some of these plays in the Smoothie King Center next fall.
Borrego has been with the San Antonio Spurs ( with 2 NBA Finals wins), New Orleans Hornets, Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando Magic. It will be a switching of roles this time around though as Borrego and Green have shared several locker rooms over the years.
He was an assistant in New Orleans from 2010-12, coming to town at the same time as Green who played just one season with the then Hornets (2010-11). Borrego was also an assistant and interim head coach in Orlando during the 2014-15 season, which was Green's last as a player.
Green has been more than willing to be coached as a coach. Mike D'Antoni has been in the building as a consultant for years and Green has talked about picking the brains of other NBA minds a few times during media sessions.
Executive Vice President David Griffin was not playing around when he addressed the changes that needed to be made during exit interviews. The most pressing on-court issue was a predictable, outdated offense. Borrego was on the cutting edge in Charlotte, having success with far less talent.
New Orleans recognized what could be a fatal flaw in the games they most want to win. The Borrgeo hire is a sign that the front office and coach staffing can put egos aside to bring in a new voice that might be better equipped to solve some of the team's offensive problems.
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