By October 11, 2024
Photo: Surf Mitchell / CLTure
It’s a season of change for the Charlotte Hornets with new faces on the staff, in the front office, and on the court. Ramping up for the first season under new head coach Charles Lee, there are plenty of questions surrounding the team.
Last season, Charlotte was aggressive at the trade deadline moving key veteran pieces for young prospects and draft capital. The result? A younger, more exuberant team that could make a push for the playoffs if they follow Lee’s defense-first philosophy.
But the biggest question surrounding the Hornets isn’t the new ownership group, the head coach, the recent draft picks, or offseason moves; it’s the health of LaMelo Ball.
Will LaMelo remain healthy and get back to All-Star form?
Ball is entering his fifth season in the league, inking a max contract last July, which is eating a fourth of the Hornets’ salary cap this season at over $35 million. Having played in just 58 of the possible 164 games (35%) over the past two seasons, Charlotte needs the richest player in franchise history to be on the court and playing at an All-Star level for this iteration of the Hornets to reach its ceiling.
With an offseason of work and recovery, staying in Charlotte for much of the time, Ball has taken the challenge head-on, according to Peterson.
“Yeah, Melo, he is in a really good place from a health standpoint. He had a really, really good summer. He loves Charlotte and he stayed in Charlotte basically the whole time, which is great,” Peterson said of Ball. “He’s put the time in, not only on the court but in the weight room and training room…I’m excited to get to see him and take the next steps.”
Ball’s backcourt mate, second-year wing Brandon Miller, took a much bigger role as a ball-handler and creator with Ball sidelined a season ago. With the former All-Star back on the court, Miller sees big years ahead for the duo.
“Best IQ in the game. I think he’s the best playmaker,” Miller said of Ball. “He’s going to help us and lead. He knows everybody is going to follow his lead. I see him doing great things…All-Star for him.”
Brandon Miller “Elite Two-Way”
After one of the best rookie seasons in the class, averaging 17.3 points and 4.3 rebounds on 44% from the field and 37.3% from beyond the arc, Miller’s got one clear goal in mind.
“I want to lead the team in charges taken,” Miller said, doubling down on his “elite two-way” desire he shared at media day.
After leading the team with 11 charges taken last season, as well as deflections (126), Miller’s rookie season showed flashes of elite two-way wing potential, and a summer with the Team USA Select Team only propelled those goals.
“Playing against the guys, the greatest players in the world, and learning from them every day– can’t ask for more than that,” Miller said of his experience with Team USA. “This year I’m working to be an elite two-way. I feel like I showed a little bit of two-way last year, but this will be a great season.”
On top of his ability to operate in the pick-and-roll, Miller showed the strength to get to his spots in the mid-range, getting to the rim for poster dunks, and improving on his ability to draw fouls late in the season.
Continuing to add to his 6-foot-8, 205-pound frame is the next step, according to Peterson.
“Functionally, he is stronger, and you have to have a level of strength in this league. He’s so freaking skilled, obviously, with the ball in his hands,” Peterson said. “He can do anything that he wants, in terms of making shots or making plays for others. But physical (improvement) is a huge area for him. That will help him, of course, offensively and defensively.”
Lee has seen Miller’s improvement, from coaching against him with the Celtics in year one to now leading him and the Hornets in year two. He has set a challenge for Miller’s sophomore season.
“Now we just have to be able to go from a guy on the scouting report to the guy on the scouting report.”
New Regime
Despite at least four of the starting five players on the court returning, there are plenty of new faces throughout the “reimagined” and newly renovated Spectrum Center.
Following championship-winning stints with both Milwaukee and most recently Boston, first-year head coach Lee’s jovial demeanor has been a welcome change.
Despite minor preseason injuries with center Mark Williams sidelined with a strained tendon in his foot and Cody Martin dealing with a sprained wrist and thumb laceration, Lee knows this is a talented group.
“I think we have a very, very good team,” Lee said. “We’ve been snake-bitten, I think, with some injuries. But I’m looking forward to this talent-rich group doing everything they can to be healthy.”
On top of replacing their training staff, Charlotte added the recently retired Kemba Walker back into the mix as a player enhancement coach. Adding the Charlotte legend to the fold was a “no-brainer,” according to Peterson.
“Kemba, I mean, I feel like we got a steal, being able to get him to come in and get this coaching experience. I don’t need to comment on the level of player that he is. But his ability to connect with the guys and teach them not just on the court, but just, habits.”
Following stints with Boston, New York, and Dallas, Walker played his final season overseas with AC Monaco. During his eight seasons with Charlotte, Walker rewrote the record books scoring the most points in franchise history. He has stayed close to the Hornets organization in recent years, maintaining a good relationship with Ball and relating well with the veteran players. His experience and presence as a former All-Star, who played in the city and maximized his six-foot, 180-pound frame, should serve the team well.
Lee, the fourth-youngest coach in the association and a former Division I basketball player at Bucknell, also relates well with the younger roster, which has an average projected age of 25.4 for the final 15-man roster.
Much-Needed Veteran Presence
Tidjane Salaun (19), who was the youngest player selected in the draft, pulls Charlotte’s average age down considerably, but there are two outliers on the opposite end of the spectrum. Seth Curry and Taj Gibson, 34 and 39 respectively, will provide a much-needed veteran presence in the locker room.
Curry, a Queen City native returning for his second year in Charlotte after being moved at the trade deadline, is still known as one of the best three-point shooters in the league. But with so many big guards and wings, the 6-foot-1 veteran with 11 years of experience in the NBA will take on more of a leadership role. His history with the team and city, along with his experience in the league, should be helpful throughout the season.”
Gibson, who is entering his 16th year on his seventh NBA team, is known as a gritty defender from his days in Chicago and New York under Tom Thibodeau. While Gibson isn’t expected to be a high-volume contributor this season, he will echo Lee’s defense-first mindset.
Lee’s Defense-First Approach
One thing has remained clear since Lee took the job: the Hornets are going to defend. Charlotte’s training camp at Duke was just another example of that.
“On our coaching staff and our program, it’s on the top of the list for us,” Lee said. “That’s why we wanted to start training camp with our first drill being defense. Every film session we have is going to start with defense. I’ve learned, as I’ve gone through this journey as an assistant and a coach, that you end up getting good at the things that you emphasize.”
Even with previous defensive-minded head coach Steve Clifford, Charlotte struggled for much of his tenure on that end of the floor. Breaking habits and instilling new, better tendencies is Lee’s current goal, with the season-opener in Houston just days away.
“We have to be able to change some habits and change some terminology…I thought the level of togetherness was great,” Lee said during camp. “We talked about how we want to be really good in transition; we want to protect the paint, and we want to finish possessions at a really high level. And I thought the guys, they’ve brought a level of competitiveness to it, open-mindedness.”
If the Hornets are to break the league’s longest active playoff drought of eight years, it starts with favorable health for the star players and a swarming defense.
The Hornets kick off the 2024-25 NBA season on October 23 against the Houston Rockets with the home opener on October 26 against the Miami Heat. Hornets Purple and Teal Day also takes place this weekend (October 12) at Spectrum Center.
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