LaMelo Ball is remaining a Hornets starter. Here’s who Charlotte should start with him

The Charlotte Hornets have three guards who have proven they are good enough to start.

Only two can with everyone healthy. Now what?

Coach James Borrego confirmed definitively Wednesday that rookie LaMelo Ball is staying in the starting lineup. That means either Terry Rozier or Devonte Graham would come off the bench. What’s the best combination?

That question leads this week’s Hornets mailbag:

Nacho Igle asks: Starting backcourt for the rest of the season?

Rozier is playing so well — a career season — and he’s best suited of the three to play long stretches off the ball. So I think he’s a better compliment to Ball’s point guard skills than Graham.

That doesn’t mean Ball and Graham can’t play off each other effectively. And a lot can change over 37 games the rest of the season. But I think the logical course is Ball and Rozier starting, with Graham and Malik Monk as the second-unit backcourt.

Joe asks: Should Hornets fans embrace small-ball?

I like that Borrego is willing to try unorthodox things to get his best players on the court. For instance, a three-guard combination of Ball-Rozier-Graham has outscored opponents by an average of 21 points per 100 possessions this season. It’s a small sample so far (102 minutes), but you’ll see more of that in situations where matchups allow.

Buffalo Soulja asks: Do you believe the unexpected impact Lamelo has had so early hurried or slowed the aggressiveness of the front office? Would you rather make the playoffs in 7-8 range and lose immediately, or get lottery lock and receive another Top 3 pick?

A few years ago, the NBA flattened the draft-lottery odds in a way that makes the results more random. So it’s really not getting crushed in the playoffs or get a top-3 pick.

Does this roster need more talent, particularly on rookie-scale contracts? Sure. It also needs playoff experience. Five of the top eight players on this roster (Ball, Graham, Monk P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges) have yet to be in the playoffs. Experiencing the playoffs is an important developmental step.

A team can’t game the draft-lottery process. The Hornets would benefit from a playoff appearance. So I don’t see a downside in pursuing the postseason.

3BAllStrings asks: (Borrego’s) job is on the line if the Hornets don’t make the playoffs, correct?

Qualifier: Of the 30 NBA head coaches, maybe only three — San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Boston’s Brad Stevens — have so much juice that it’s inconceivable one would be fired.

But among the other 27 coaches, Borrego has pretty solid job security. I don’t get to talk to general manager Mitch Kupchak as frequently as I’d like, but I’ve never had reason to think Kupchak is displeased with Borrego. Also, I don’t think making the playoffs this season is a make-or-break expectation.

There might be grousing on Twitter about Borrego, particularly about how he used Ball earlier this season. I don’t believe those misgivings are shared by Hornets management.

Sam Schmid asks: Do the Hornets want to pay Monk in the offseason? He’s gonna ask for a bag.

No one knows what Monk’s free-agent market will be. I do know this: Kupchak always believed in Monk’s talent, so I’m sure he’d like to have Monk’s prime be in Charlotte after investing four seasons of development.

Graham and Monk will both be restricted free agents. Their fates could be somewhat interconnected. I address that in the next question.

P asks: Is Graham dealt before the trade deadline? If not, what are the chances the Hornets re-sign him in the offseason?

Fans ask me a lot if I think Graham gets traded to avoid dealing with his free agency. I think that’s partially a reaction to Kemba Walker leaving for the Boston Celtics two summers ago.

Graham will be restricted, which makes him different from the Walker situation in the summer of 2019, but that doesn’t mean some team with a wealth of salary-cap room couldn’t sign him to a massive offer sheet.

The intriguing question is what would Kupchak do if he has to choose between Graham and Monk? Graham last season was better than Monk in any of his first three seasons. But if the Hornets are to be built around point guard Ball, you could argue that shooting guard Monk is a better compliment.

For Kupchak to trade Graham before the March 25 deadline, he’d need a really good return. I don’t see him taking just anything in a trade to avoid dealing with this in the summer.

Clearwater468 asks: What are your expectations for Vernon Carey, Jr., over the second half of the season?

Kilika Galloway asks: What more does Nick Richards need to show to earn some minutes in an actual NBA game?

I’ll answer these together: Second-round rookies Carey and Richards got valuable experience in a 15-game Greensboro Swarm season. Hopefully, that served as some catch-up from entering the NBA with no summer league and only a couple of weeks between the draft and training camp.

Kupchak says this NBA rookie class looks “overwhelmed” by the absence of a normal summer of orientation. I don’t get why many Hornets fans are so surprised that second-round rookies develop slowly under these circumstances. The complexities of NBA defense are hard to master.

Also, this isn’t like last season, when rebuild/development was the Hornets’ top agenda item. Throwing Carey or Richards into games in a playoff race before they’re ready could have tangible consequences.

Barring significant injuries, one of these guys would have to prove in limited practice time that he’s better than veteran center Bismack Biyombo. That they’re young and need development isn’t by itself a reason to play them right now.