What’s impressing Charles Lee most in first season? Answer lies in Hornets’ backcourt
There isn’t a manual or a special instructional guide breaking down what being a head coach in the NBA entails, particularly in this day and age.
Sure, Charles Lee had somewhat of an idea what to expect when he came on board with the Charlotte Hornets as a first-year coach in June, weeks removed from a lengthy playoff run as an assistant under Joe Mazzulla with the Boston Celtics. But there’s one aspect of the gig that’s been somewhat eye-opening for Lee.
“Having to be on all the time,” Lee said. “As an assistant, at times you have the scout, you’re doing a drill in practice or you have a player development workout. There’s all these little one-off sprees. You were definitely involved and engaged in coaching meetings. You’re engaged, but now in all those realms I’ve got even more to do.
“So, now in the coach’s meeting, instead of participating, you are leading the meeting, and you have to organize it and get through everything you need to in a timely manner and be efficient. Put the film together. That’s a whole ’nother animal and beast. But it’s been great that I got exposed to a lot of this early on working with coach Bud (Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee), working with Joe in Boston. They prepared me for it.
“But I would say it’s definitely … once you sit in the seat, you’re in it.”
This new experience, even with the team’s 12-34 record leading into Monday’s game against Washington, invigorates the 40-year-old. He almost welcomes the added pressure.
“Everyone’s just looking for you to make the final call,” Lee said, “and I’m happy that I’m so convicted in what I believe in, and I’ve seen so many great championship organizations that I’ve been a part of, I know what are the right things to do.
“What are the right ways to go about things? How do you build relationships? How do you organize a season? How do you organize a practice? So, I feel like I’m well prepared, but it definitely is amplified when you actually get into the seat and you’re learning on the job.”
The Observer sat down for a 20-minute chat with Lee about a variety of topics, including star guard LaMelo Ball, working alongside president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, and more.
Roderick Boone: Can you explain what it is like to come in and change the culture, building it from the ground up?
Charles Lee: It’s exciting to be able to do it, and I get to do it with people that I genuinely love and respect. It is fun to come to work with Jeff (Peterson, Charlotte’s GM) every day and bounce things off of him, and it’s good to have him out at practice and see how we go about our day, and how we structure practice, and how we’re teaching things to the players. I think it’s been phenomenal to have the performance staff sit in on meetings and give us their input.
It’s just been a very aligned organization, which I think is great, because now once you take that aligned message to the players, they are consistently hearing the same things. And it’s always obsessed with daily improvement. It is being extra competitive and what the competitiveness looks like on the court, off the court, in the film room and then overall togetherness. And I think that part of having to be on all the day is really, just easy from a standpoint of you have to lead by example, too.
So, yes, you have to have all this messaging and all that stuff, but you’ve actually got to walk the walk and talk the talk, too. And so that part for me is fun because it’s just who I am and what I believe in. And I think that everyone around me also believes the same thing, so it helps create this environment, this culture that the players can look to and feel solidarity and confidence.
RB: During my recent conversations with some of the players like Josh Green and Miles Bridges, it seems your overall message is being received. Are you seeing what you’re preaching and teaching get validated?
CL: I think that they feel confident in what we’re saying because even though the results of some of the games haven’t been wins, there have been wins within the game. There are wins every day that I think that our organization and our players are experiencing, and we celebrate every last one of those. While also trying to figure out what are the things and what are the areas that we can get better in.
But I think that they find confidence when we all of a sudden, come to a film session and we say, ‘Hey, we lost to the Lakers by five points, but this is what we did in the first quarter that dug us the whole. And these are things that we can control.’ Our offensive running habits, playing with the pass, not having a physicality to our defensive coverages. Those are all things in our control, and I think when we highlight that we understand going forward, if we control these for longer stretches of the game, we’re going to put ourselves in a really good position.
And so I’m proud of the fact that (although) we have lost more games than I think most of us want to, we understand the process behind every day, behind every game, behind every possession, behind everyone weightlifting session, behind every Dr. Rachel (Webb) session (with the team’s director of psychology and wellness), they all matter.
And they’re all helping us grow. I think the last few weeks, we’re just seeing all the daily habits, all the daily lessons we’re starting to learn a little bit. And we’re putting it together for four quarters.
Injuries, rotations, message to fans
RB: Can you explain what it’s like to constantly shuffle lineups due to the injuries and figuring out which combinations give you the next chance to win?
CL: It’s actually been fun for me if I’m being honest. I like to pride myself and I’m a big Sudoku guy. So, I like problem solving in numbers and how do we slot this here, there and everywhere? But it’s fun because I also just have a ton of trust in everybody that I can have out there on the court, because I see how hard they work, and how invested they are in themselves in the collective group.
But I also am encouraged because we have so many wins in terms of just our players and how many games they played this year. I’ve been around some championship organizations and how they handle their performance staff. I would put ours up there bar none next to anybody, because I think that how they go about their daily business, how they put plans together for our players has been great.
Injuries are part of the game, and so it’s been unfortunate that we’ve lost some guys to injury. But I think it’s at no fault of our performance staff and they’re top-notch. I’m excited for them to get these guys back to health, but even within that, Mark (Williams) has already played more games this year than he played last year and we’re only at the midway point of the season.
Cody (Martin’s) already played 39 games compared to 28 games last season and the season before that I think he played seven. Melo has been way more consistent, and this is just games available. We don’t even talk about the statistics that they’ve kind of put up for our team as well. So I’m just super happy.
Brandon, for example, he’s having a much improved year even after having a great rookie campaign. So, I’m just, I’m encouraged by everyone in this group because I just see the work.
RB: What can you say to assure the fans about the team’s overall health?
CL: I would encourage them to have faith. Have faith in the fact that with this new ownership group, with this new front office, with this new coaching staff, new performance staff, there has been an uptick in resources given to each area to make sure that our players will be healthier going forward.
And yes, it’s part of the game, but I think that we’re doing so much more now on the front end to help prepare our players to be available. And I would also just highlight the fact that we have guys play more games than they previously have. So, it’s already trending in the right direction. Growth is never like just boom straight up.
Sometimes it can be a little linear and you got to fight through some hard times, but I think that it’s just helping our organization, helping our players grow, be stronger, be better for when we are fully intact. But I appreciate the continuous support even with some of the injuries. I would say the fan support at games has been phenomenal and we got to keep that going.
NBA trade deadline, LaMelo and ‘Core Four’
RB: The trade deadline is approaching. How often do you talk with Jeff about the roster and figuring out how to make it better without sacrificing long-term potential success?
CL: I would say we’re in constant conversation and evaluating our team. On a day-to-day, game-to-game basis, we have conversations as a coaching staff. Front office joins us sometimes. We are just always trying to think of, ‘How can we make our current guys and help maximize them to the best of their abilities?’
And how can we keep helping them get better and better? And then what pieces fit together best.’ I think, through that process, like Jeff has said in the past, we’ll figure out what makes sense for our team to have sustained success instead of just trying to be impatient and rush to some short-term success.
RB: You just spoke about some of the core players like LaMelo, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams. Of the core guys, who sticks out to you most in terms of their improvement?
CL: Oh man, so many people cause I think that we have helped so many guys improve this year. Credit to the staff. I guess I would start with Melo. From an outsider’s point of view, being on other teams before, you see this talented player and you wonder can he defend and can he play with his teammates?
And I will say since I’ve been here, I have seen an uptick in his defensive engagement intensity effort level that has been good. And it becomes contagious. When your best players do it, I think that’s how you end up getting your whole group to buy in, when they see one of the best players do it. And for that reason, our defense, especially since Christmas, has been one of the best in the league.
Again, another win for us just showing growth and improvement. But also the other side of the ball that I’ve talked about, knowing that he can create for himself, I’m seeing him create for his teammates even more now, trust his teammates.
His assist percentage is a career-best so far this year. Turnover percentage is down a little bit, which is a career-best, which just shows he’s making the right pass plays, he’s making more of the pass plays and trusting the guys around them. And so when you have a guy like that, that is going to continue to grow his game, it is super encouraging.
Especially when he’s one of the heads of the snakes on both sides of the ball. Brandon has also stood out to me a ton. His playmaking has continued to improve, the ability to own his space and embrace the physicality. I thought that during the stretch where Melo was out and he had to take on more of a primary ball handler responsibility, he grew.
That Indiana game, on the road, they’re trying to swarm him, they’re trying to get up underneath him. And he’s owning his space. We used him as a pick-and-roll screener, a pick-and-roll handler. He’s making plays for himself and his teammates. I’ve seen him blossom, which is why his numbers are at a place that are even higher than his rookie season.
And then defensively, pushing him to be an elite two-way player. And he has embraced that, asking for the best matchup on the other team, communicating at a really high level. So, very encouraged.
Mark, like we’ve talked about, he’s already played more games this year than he did last year, which I’m very happy for. He had a heck of a summer, was around all year, obviously had a little bit of a setback before the season. But to see the resilience of him to not ever give up, to keep fighting through, keep pushing through, continue to be there for his teammates ...
And then now he hits the court and our paint production goes up with his presence. Whether it’s his screening that allows guys to get downhill, whether it’s thrown into him in the seam and he’s finishing or getting to the free throw line. He’s also discouraged other teams from being able to get to the paint with his size and athleticism and activity. And so I just see so much growth from him. He’s putting up numbers that are going to be semi-historic by the end of the season if he can continue with this pace.
And then Miles, I thought that was another guy that’s been a mainstay here for a while now. And numbers were average at the beginning of the season and since Christmas, he’s really found his way. And obviously he had to battle through some injuries, but it shows, again, the fight, the resilience of this whole team, this whole organization, this whole culture. And now he’s playing at a really high level on both ends of the floor.
Rookies, second-half expectations and commanding respect
RB: What are your thoughts on rookies Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson?
CL: Tidjane, it’s rare sometimes in the league that rookies get to play NBA minutes. We knew that it was going to be a developmental year for him. There would be some highs, there would be some lows and throughout his whole process, though, he’s grown. I think we’ve seen a lot of really great stints from him in NBA games. I’ve loved that then he’s even taken that same approach to Greensboro.
The Greensboro staff has done a great job of continuing to develop him and prepare him for his opportunity. But he’s getting to learn on the job and it’s been good for his growth. And he’s going to continue to be amazing. And KJ, kind of the same thing. So, credit to Greensboro and DJ Bakker and his staff. We’re trying to continue to help the development of these players.
RB: What is your biggest goal as you move forward in the second half of the season and past the NBA trade deadline and All-Star break?
CL: I’m big on consistency, and so my message is going to stay consistent to what it was at the beginning of the season. I want to continue to be obsessed with daily improvement, control what we can control. That is our process every day. I’m seeing professional habits change, I’m seeing a preparation for the game that’s been different at the beginning of the season than it is now. and it’s encouraging. And it’s helping us move forward.
I want us to continue to be as competitive as possible. I don’t care if we’re making shots, missing shots, up five, down five. Whatever it is, we have to compete at the highest level and then we need to compete together. Togetherness to me means everything and it’s unfortunate that we’ve had some adversity this year, but I think that your togetherness grows in times of adversity, and that’s where we’ve all become individually stronger.
But collectively, we band together, too. We are all we’ve got at the end of the day. We are just focused on those three things and that message will continue as we finish out the rest of the season.
RB: Do you feel the players and others within the organization following your lead?
CL: Yeah, I do feel it. I think it helps that I’m consistent with what I’m messaging to everyone in the organization. I communicate, I like to think, at a pretty high level. I let you know what is expected of you. What’s expected of you in the weight room, in the film room, at practice, during games.
Everything has been laid out and communicated, and that is what we can hold you accountable to and agreed upon. I like to think I’ve built a relationship with the guys where I’m communicating standards and expectations, and I want to hear from their side, too. If they agree this is what we want to do, and then we say, ‘Yes, this is how you are going to get better, this is how you are going to get better,’ then, OK.
I laminate sheets and I laminate some of our notes, and then when we meet again I pull out the laminated sheet and say, ‘Hey, remember this? You want to do X, Y and Z? This is what we’ve got to do.’ That part has been kind of cool.
When you have success at different organizations and you’ve won championships and you’ve seen things done the right way, it helps gives you a little credibility.
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "What’s impressing Charles Lee most in first season? Answer lies in Hornets’ backcourt."
