Charles Lee, Hornets Agree to HC Contract to Replace Steve Clifford After Celtics Run
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVMay 9, 2024
The Charlotte Hornets announced Thursday that they have hired Boston Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee as their new head coach.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Lee will finish the Celtics' playoff run before officially taking over in Charlotte. Wojnarowski also reported Lee agreed to a four-year contract with the Hornets.
Lee has been considered a head coach in the making for a few years. He was a longtime assistant of Mike Budenholzer, first with the Atlanta Hawks and then the Milwaukee Bucks. Following Budenholzer's ouster in Milwaukee, he took a job on the Celtics' coaching staff ahead of the 2022-23 season.
The Hornets' search for a new coach began on April 3, when Steve Clifford announced he was stepping down at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Beyond the fact the Hornets went 21-61 and finished 13th in the Eastern Conference, Clifford watched as a new ownership regime took over and general manager Mitch Kupchak vacated his role. He might have seen the writing on the wall when it came to his future.
This offseason presented the first real opportunity for new team governors Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin to execute the plan they laid out when they obtained control of the organization last August.
"Our vision is to take the Hornets to the next level, both on and off the court," they said at the time. "We will look to build a highly competitive basketball team, develop innovative business practices, give back to our community and connect with our fans.
"We plan to further invest in the team, the facilities and the fan experience, with the goal of delivering a winner to our fans throughout the Carolinas. We are confident that our successful business backgrounds and our previous experience as NBA minority owners will be beneficial as we shape the future of the franchise as a best-in-class organization."
Lee will have a lot of work ahead to turn around a team riding an eight-year playoff drought.
The Hornets have paid dearly for a series of misfires in free agency and the NBA draft. They've experienced plenty of bad luck, too, with LaMelo Ball the most obvious example.
Charlotte made Ball the cornerstone of its future when it signed him to a five-year, $204.5 million extension last summer. The deal was certainly defensible because a small-market franchise has to hold onto its homegrown stars, and the dynamic guard averaged 18.3 points, 7.0 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game through his first two years.
But Ball is now coming off a 2023-24 campaign where he played in only 22 games due to an ankle injury. A right ankle fracture also limited him to 36 appearances in 2022-23.
The Hornets need the 22-year-old to not only stay healthy but also get back to his best to contend with this current core.
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBATwo straight most lost seasons for LaMelo Ball. Next year starts a five-year, 25% of the cap max deal for Ball.<br><br>Hornets have to hope they can get this figured out and get him on the court regularly. He's the most important player the franchise has and these injuries are scary.
The development of 2023 first-round draft pick Brandon Miller will be pivotal as well. The early returns on the 6'9" forward were promising as he averaged 17.2 points on 44.0 percent shooting (including 37.3 percent on threes) along with 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Miller didn't wow fans like the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren, but the potential within his game is obvious.
Between Ball and Miller, Charlotte could have the nucleus for a playoff team. It's a better starting point than some other teams have had when starting a full rebuild.
There's still a lot the ownership and the front office will have to get right in the ensuing years, but they'll have to hope that Lee can eventually help get them back to the playoffs.