Hornets Hive CastCharlotte Hornets General Manager and President of Basketball Operations Mitch Kupchak joins Sam Farber to discuss the upcoming Hornets season.
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We have a very.
Special edition of the HHC Today. Hornets General manager and President of basketball Operations, Mitch Kupcheck is our guest today. Able to get him in here just before the tip off to the twenty three twenty four campaign, and now we're excited to share that conversation with you. We talk roster, we talk expectations, we talk playoffs for the Charlotte Hornets and whether or not they can finally get over the hump and get into the postseason. So, without further ado let's welcome the Hornets general manager and president of basketball operations, Mitch kupcheck back to the Hornets idcast.
Mitch, thanks for joining us, Thanks for having me.
Last time we taught to you, it was right after the draft you had made your selections. Three of those guys have been in camp with the team here this training camp, Nick Smith, Junior Amari Bailey, and of course the number two overall pick, Brandon Miller. Having seen them in camp, working under your coaches, playing with the rest of the roster, how do you feel about your draft Hall, maybe in comparison to right after draft night.
Well, there's also the fourth guy we drafted, James Nauji, you know, who's in Barcelona right now, and we're keeping track of him pretty closely, and you know, we feel he's got a bright future also, but you know, we've got two bigs, so probably the best place for him right now is Barcelona. Having said that, well, most of the attentions on Brandon right and understandably so number two pick in the draft, and I think he's getting better and better each game. When we got him, he had mono, so he had lost life of weight. So he's put a lot of that weight back on and he's gotten much stronger. Having said that, he's got it yet a lot stronger. Still very pleased with him on the court. He just has a great feel for the game. You know, it fits right in. Maybe a little bit too unselfish at times, but does a lot of everything. Rebounds the ball, brings the ball with the floor, makes play, moves the ball. You know he'll score. So all good And of course you know at very in different levels. Right on Nick Smith and you know Amari Bailey, we don't expect big contributions from either one of them. Having said that, they've both been good in camp. I think you know they would benefit, whether it's with this roster and practicing, but more likely, you know, getting a lot of reps down in Greensboro. I think that's the expectation because we've got players right now at those positions and you know, they need to play. You know, they're young, and they need to get on the court and they need to play, and they need to get reps. But we're pleased with all four players. Of course James is not here, but you know, we like our draft, but you have to wait a couple more years. Look back on it, and then you'll.
Know with Brandon specifically, having seen him in the preseason, and the starters just don't miss a beat with him out there, coach says repeatedly, everything he seems to do makes sense. Does it speak more to him that the team is performing so well around him than it would even say if the team hadn't been playing as well that group specifically, but he was posting twenty points a game. Does it say more about what he brings to the table that everything makes sense and the team as a whole is performing.
Well, well, you know, performing well, we have to wait, you.
Know, preseason is a different story.
True, And look back right with Brandon. You know, his load at Alabama was more offensive oriented. I think they expected him to score more, look to the basket more. I think with us, he realizes that's not something that he has to do right away, and you're seeing a different part of the way he plays. You didn't see it as much in Alabama because he really was aggressive offense, phillipy, but right here he really just fits in. Rebound the ball, bring the ball up the court, you know, move the ball, make a play, pass and cut. You know, he doesn't force anything so I think a part of it has to do with just the natural progression going from college, you know, to the NBA and quite frankly, the players here are better. Yeah, he's got to figure out where he fits in long term.
Most organizations that have a lot of success, it seems to be anchored around fairly highly drafted guys, lottery guys, top three guys. Boston's a good example, Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown, that's the core of that team. Both were homegrown talents taken in the top three. You now drafted twice here in Charlotte in the top three. How confident are you that the foundation for hopefully championship caliber teams in the future is now here with Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball.
Well, the NBA has made a asserted effort to level the playing field, and you know, for teams like Charlotte, you could argue that, you know, you got to do it through the draft, right, You're not going to get the opportunity to pursue free agency. So that that was our original approach. Of course, you know, the first year here, we had a veteran team. My first year and then my second year we kind of you know, broke it down a little bit, and then Covid hit in the next two years were kind of kind of crazy, right, and then we had what I thought was a breakthrough year two years ago, okay, and then last year, right, milesmisses the whole year and Mellow breaks his ankle. So it's been that kind of a run here. But being where we are right now with two high picks, just because you pick how it doesn't mean that they're going to be cornerstones. Mellow clearly, I mean, we rewarded him during the off season, so we must think he's pretty good, right, And we just talked about Brandon, so very comfortable, you know, with those two guys and their growth. I think Mellow, as he gets stronger, is going to continue to improve them and get better. And Brandon first year, I think he's going to continue to get better, but he does have to get stronger. But that's not to say guys like I hate to start mentioning the players because I know I'm going to leave somebody out, But you know, guys like Mark Williams. We drafted him in the first round, right, Nick Richards we drafted in the second round, and they're going to start or be supporting players. So, yeah, it's great to have two high picks, and you hope that the players you pick one through three pan out to be valuable players. It's not always the case. You know, been around long enough to know that guys drafted in the top three, there have been many. There have been some drafted number one that are gone after three years, right, But you know, I'd rather draft, you know, in the top three than draft in the bottom of the first round because typically you're going to get a better player.
Or it's general manager Mitch Kupchik, President of basketball Operations, back with us again here on the Hornets haveive cast. Outside of the draft, it was a relatively quiet off season in terms of free agency. It did address the guard position, Kelly hu Bray junior, Dennis Smith junior, they both have moved on. You've brought in some new faces, but otherwise a fairly quiet off season.
Was that by design?
Is that part of the master plan as you continue to build this roster?
Well, we were really active during the trade deadline. Yeah, we made two trades that we thought would make our off season more manageable. And you know, going into the off season, you mentioned we drafted four players, three of which are on our roster right now. So up until you know, a week or so ago, we were at fourteen fourteen plus on our roster. So it's not like we had a lot of roster space to go out and to pursue free agents. We did have financial ability, but we had a good roster. We feel you know, they're young, but they're not all young, right Gordon and Terry Cody Martin, believe it or not. It's been around a bunch of years now. So we liked the group during the offseason. We didn't see a need to make major moves. Like I said, I think we addressed most of that during the trade deadline, and you know, knock on, would we stay healthy? Right? We still got a couple of guys that get injured. But I think we like the group we have. You know, we won forty three games two years ago. I think we're a better team now than we were two years ago.
Now.
I don't know about the rest of the Eastern Conference, Okay, so I'd like to think that we'll be in the hunt for something, but I think we're a better team. I though they saw on paper.
You mentioned a couple of times the team two years ago. And I think you're right to do so, because if this was part of a five year plan from when you were hired, grading you on last year and the team on last year would be pretty unfair. It was basically submarine by injuries and absences. We didn't get a good opportunity to see just how it all came together.
But now entering year six, how would you grade yourself.
The organization as a whole, putting in place whatever five year plan you might have had as you took over here with the Hornets.
Well, year one, we had a veteran team, okay, and it took us a couple of years to dig out from underneath some of the contracts, and then our scouts just did a spectacular job in the draft, particularly in the second round, and we were able to get players that, you know, we were able to turn into roster players and then even assets that you could trade, and we did trade, you know, for a pick or two. So I thought we would have been a better team last year than we were two years ago. I don't see why we wouldn't have been. But we talked about it that the derailment and injuries, and that's not an excuse. I mean that's a part of this league. You got to stay healthy, right, and you got to keep your nose clean. If we were a deeper team, then maybe we could have had a better a better year last year. You know who knows, right, But yeah, yeah, we had we had some issues last year, and but that's behind us. The silver lining is that we got the number two pick in the draft, right, which, of course, going into the season, yeah, maybe we're thinking we're gonna get a late first round pick in the late teens, and we ended up getting the number two pick. So I think we're in a good spot. I like our scouts. They do a great job with the draft. Larry Jordan heads up the scouting department, and Buzz and myself kind of oversee you know, the total picture. You know, I'm not sure I can give myself a grade. I could give our scouts a very high grade, and you know myself and I guess in a lot of ways, you know, I get graded on how we do as a team. Really, so to grade myself right now, if we have a losing season, then what does that do? Right? If we win a lot of games this year and we can Eke into the playoffs and make some noise or what ever. Then I don't have to grade myself, right, the grades already there.
So playoffs is the expection that that is the level that signifies the plan has worked or is there something beyond I mean we've talked in the past. You don't just want to take part, you want to start to take over, to steal a catchphrase. So but for this year, success is make the playoffs. That's proof that everything that has been put in place over the last five years has gone in the right direction.
Yeah, we've been trying to build something that's you know the word right, sustainable And what does that mean, Well, that means, let's you know, get better and better every year. Don't mortgage the future. Don't try to make a deal just to get in the playoffs. And then once you get in the playoffs and maybe you lose, you look back on it and you say, well, yeah, we gave up an asset or two, and well we got a bad contract now and we're still not much better than we really were. So you don't want to do that, right, So we really had to be careful during the offseason not to do that. This group has a good mix of youth and veteran talent. And yeah, I think the playoffs is a realistic goal for us. You know why not two years ago we won right forty three games, and so why with I think is a better team. Why shouldn't we be a better team this year? And if you can win forty three to forty five or forty six, whatever it may be, then you should be in the playoff hunt. And I think that's realistic and then I think will be better a year from now. So as far as keeping to you know, the plan, I do feel that we've built something that's got talent. We've got some talent in Europe that we're you know, growing a little bit, stocking somebody in the cupboards, right, so we've got a lot in play and even our young players this year that may end up in the G League, I think they could be helpful down the road too. So I think we're in a good spot. I'm not so much worried about getting a lot of picks right now and adding to this team via picks. It's always good to have picks because it helps you make a deal. But I'm not so much sure that, you know, if we had three f ust round picks next year. Would it be a good thing because we've got what I feel is is good talent right now. And you can't be too young. You just can't keep on bringing in young players and building right. You just get some points. You got to produce, and I think we're in a position to produce.
When it's President of basketball Operations and general manager Mitch kupcheck our guest today here on.
The Hornets Podcast.
As we get set to tip off a new season and there's a lot new going into it, both locally and league wide. Let's talk about a league wide thing new this year, the N Season Tournament. Lot's been talked about it. There's certainly a lot of fanfare and fervor around it. What are your thoughts on the N Season Tournament and how it will impact the game.
Well, I know there's always been a lot of a discussion about those games that are being played in November and December. People are watching football, right, and people don't really watch and maybe the players, they say, don't really care about those games. Now, you know, I did play, and I will say that whenever you've stepped on the court November or December and the lights came on. We always played hard and I always felt that we always gave it our very best. But yeah, there's always been the perception that, hey, those games, you know, the players, you know, it's too early. There's like another sixty five to go. And so I think it's a great idea. It shows that leadership in New York is innovative. You know, they're trying to be creative. They're not afraid to try something different by chance or necessity. They tried to play in a game that COVID year, right, and you know they weren't afraid to try it, and lo and behold, right, it turned out to be a good thing. And I like to playing tournament right now. So I think it's a good thing. Let's give it a shot, right. I think the players play hard no matter what. But if this helps create some more excitement around our league in November, and I think it's a great idea.
More new stuff.
Specifically to the Hornets new ownership in charge Rick Schnall plot, can they have stepped in as the majority partners running Hornet Sports and Entertainment? What have you seen? It's a short amount of time. It's not a lot of time to really put a whole lot into place. But what have you already seen in terms of ways they are impacting the product on the floor as well as the product for the fans.
Well, they haven't had the chance, you know, from the player personnel perspective yet. You know, the draft was done back in June, right, and then there was the off season and they were involved in July. But their involvement in that part's going to come this year as we approach the trade deadline. Of course, during the off season with the draft and trades and so forth and so on. They're passionate, They're loaded with energy. They're both basketball junkies. Rick still plays, you know, he'll get out there here and he'll play five on five, which I don't think is a good idea. I know how that ends, you know, I've seen it end several times. But you know, when you got that basketball jones right, you just can't you can't shake it. And they both got it. You know, they just like passionate and their energy and their passion it's off the charts.
When there's a change at that level, the conversation outside of the buildings it always seems to center around, oh, pressure is going to be up now on the front office, on the coaching staff. I always found that to be a little funny because this is professional sports. It's not as if there wasn't pressure before or won't be five years from now.
But in terms of.
Maybe their timeline or expectations, is there anything different being put in place in terms of what they want to see as opposed to the previous regime.
They do want to win. I don't feel the one thing they haven't done is put pressure on us to win this year. Now, that's great, but I feel where we are in my five years here and the progression of this team right now, I think we are police to win. So even though I don't think that they're putting pressure on us to win, and I think coach Clifford feels the same way, right you know, I don't necessarily stay in this business because I'm concerned about my future, you know, my security. I'm not worried about that. I'm doing this because when I came here, I came here to work for Michael and I wanted to build something. And this is a great opportunity for me, you know, to get away from a place where I was for many many years and to come here and build something with buzzes help and with Larry's help. So I'm excited about it, and you know Rick and Gaber on board. I don't feel pressure, but I do feel that this team is positioned to win, right and I do want to win. That's what I want to do. After the years that I've been here, and I thought we were there two years ago, got set back last year. So yeah, I think we're in a position to win this year. I put that kind of pressure on myself, and yeah, when I talk to the players, I tell them this is a playoff here.
Okay, We've got the.
Talent, and I think they agree. I know they agree.
You, in addition to recognizing what went wrong last year with injuries and absence, this took a lot of ownership for it, said we weren't deep enough to absorb it.
I don't know that any team.
Is deep enough to absorb all that took place, but you wanted to make an emphasis on that. With what you've done in the offseason, the draft, the additions you did make. How do you feel you were prepared now to if God forbid, someone misses a stretch of games to absorb those losses.
Yeah, we're a much deeper team. I expect Brandon Miller to play significant minutes this year, and he can cover us in multiple spots. Right, It's not just like he's going to be a wing and when Gordon needs eight minutes arrest or ten minutes arrest, you know Brandon's going to come in. I think he can play in the backhoard depending upon you know, the other team's defensive assignments. I think he can play beyond you know, a wing position. Okay, so that that alone, getting healthy, you know, with Mellow coming back, and then unexpectedly last year, Cody Martin with an injury that we thought would be four to six weeks in November turned into something much more significant. And we do expect him back at some point this season. So you know, if those things come to fruition, then we are going to be a deeper team. And I don't see why that won't happen. You know, there's always an injury that's unexpected and maybe someone doesn't get back as quick as you think. But just getting healthy and adding Brandon, who can play multiple positions, will make us a deeper team.
My last one for you, I love your confidence. I share it.
There's a lot of belief in the building that this is a playoff roster and this will be a playoff year. But outside publications the GMS survey, most of them are not projecting the Hornets to be in the postseason, or not even mentioning them all in a variety of categories. Why are they wrong?
Well, I mean, his oracle, you got to look at what we've done the last five years. Why would they put us in the playoffs? You know, we haven't done anything. I thought maybe last year we would be in a position, but that didn't happen, got injured and you know, off the court whatever, So why would you put us in it? I mean, it's not something that you know, it's a right of passage. You know, you've got to earn that, and we haven't earned it. And let's fine them. You know, I hope you know it comes up in the locker room. I'm sure it will. You know that players, you know, have a certain you know feel no one feels we're any good, right, no one's picking us to do anything. I'm okay with that. You know, that's an underdog position, and I get it. You know, we don't deserve to be put into the playoff picture right now. Now, If we get in this year, and we get in the year after this year and then we don't get in it, that's a different story. But right now we don't deserve to be mentioned with those other teams. It remains to be seen, and I hope our guys use it and our staff uses fuel for the fire.
Mitch Kupcheck, Hornet's general manager president of basketball Operations, always enjoy our time getting to talk to you. Thanks so much for being so generous with yours and joining us here on the Hornets Podcast.
Thank you som that's going to do it for this edition of the HHC.
Thanks once again to Hornets General manager and President of basketball Operations Mitch Kupcheck for spending so much time with us.
We very much appreciate it.
Thanks as well to our producer Rob Longo for putting this podcast together, and most of all to all of you for tuning in. For everyone here, I'm Sam Farber saying it's been a pleasure and a privilege having you along. We will talk to you next time right here on the Hornet Podcast.
Thank you for listening to The Hornets Podcast, brought to you by Santa the Official I ear Nosen throatcare provider of the Charlotte Hornets. For more coverage, visit hornets dot com.
