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Spreading like a wind-swept wildfire, blown-up pictures and subsequent video made the rounds on social media.
Internet detectives dug into one particular expression, figuring the evidence was overwhelmingly in their favor and confirmed perceived cracks in the Charlotte Hornets’ leadership.
There was this notion that Charlee Lee had been left out in the cold, with the Hornets unwittingly trotting their coach out to a press conference introducing Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson just hours after the bombshell news had dropped.
LaMelo Ball had been traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and draft pick compensation and there seemed to be an assumption that Lee looked as if he’d just seen a ghost thanks to a suddenly-viral screenshot. But in Lee’s first interview since the official completion of all of the Hornets’ offseason moves, he laughed off the suggestion he wasn’t aware of the wheeling and dealing of Jeff Peterson, Charlotte’s president of basketball operations.
“Yeah, I would say I was not caught off guard by it,” Lee told The Charlotte Observer. “I think one of the great things about our organization is that there’s always really good communication amongst all departments and groups. And I think that’s what Jeff does so well, is that he wants to communicate and collaborate with people.
“And ultimately, he has to make some tough decisions to help our basketball team and our organization be in the best place to flourish and try to be the premier sports franchise.”
After six seasons, they’re going to try to get there without Ball at the helm.
“I think that Melo made great strides over the two years that I’ve gotten to coach him,” Lee said. “He and I were able to build a really good relationship, I think, on the court and off the court. He helped us not only win games but also just create an environment that’s about work, competitiveness and togetherness.”
Trading Ball and sending Miles Bridges - the longest-tenured member of the roster - plus a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to Phoenix for Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and a 2033 first-round pick represents a seismic shift for the Hornets.
The keys to the offense have been turned over to Coby White. Bringing White back on a three-year, $74 million deal immediately upon trading Ball was a priority for the Hornets and Lee couldn’t be more pleased to have the 26-year-old still in the fold.
“You take it back to when we traded for him, I was excited that we got him in our organization,” Lee said. “I’ve always followed him. I’ve always thought he was a really good basketball player. Having (Hornets assistant coach) Josh Longstaff on my staff, he would also talk about how great of a person he was as well and how great of a professional he is. And he brought so much to our environment.
“And obviously that big-time shot versus Miami cemented his name in the Hornets’ history books. But I think when we got him then, we knew we wanted to re-sign him and it worked out great that we have him back. And I think that he has to be focused on - and I have to be focused, the whole team - he doesn’t have to be Melo.”
Some may want to draw a comparison immediately. It’s a natural part of change.
Lee is already doing his best to ensure White doesn’t fall prey to that game.
“He has to be Coby White,” Lee said. “And it’s going to look differently with him at the helm. I’m excited about what he brings to that defensive side of the floor in terms of his ability to take charges and have a really good basketball IQ of how to guard people’s tendencies and stuff. Then offensively, I think he’s able to stretch the floor with his ability to shoot threes.
“In Chicago, we got to watch him when he had the ball in his hands. He plays so fast and we want to play with great pace. And throughout the whole year, even last year when we had him, he’s able to get to the free throw line. He’s able to get to the basket a little bit. And then when he gets to the basket, he made some really good reads. So, I think that he’s going to help our offense continue to take positive steps.”
Lee spoke to The Observer about a number of topics in a lengthy conversation following his five-plus days in Las Vegas with the team. In Part I of the chat with Lee, he also gives his thoughts on newcomers Reid, Allen, O’Neale and more.
Roderick Boone: With Coby, at the end of quarters or halves, it seems like he has a knack for making the right play. What do you see there from him in that regard?
Charles Lee: Yeah, it’s funny you bring that up because when he and I talked about his minutes (after he got traded) early on when he’s coming back from an injury. One of the things he mentioned to me is, ‘Coach, I just really like being out there at the end of quarters when we could be in the bonus.’ And I was like, ‘Ok, great.’ He showed why.
I think he understands not only time, score, situation at the end of quarters, at the end of halves, but also he has a knack for being able to get himself to the free throw line because of how well he drives the ball, creates contact, is able to absorb it and finish through it.
I look forward to this year having him in a very similar role and I know he’ll love it. He embraces it. ...But I also just love that we’re making good decisions in there as well, too. And so he’s able to do that.
I think that this year will be a really good opportunity for him to kind of take the bull by the horns, and lead our offense at the end of quarters and make sure that we are getting the shots that we want to finish quarters, to finish halves.
RB: You coached Miles for two seasons. What are your thoughts on him and why do you think it was a move to make now?
CL: They are tough decisions anytime you are trading players. Especially players like we just let go, and they’re two of the longest-tenured guys in Hornets’ history. I think the great thing about Miles was his durability, how hard he played, the versatility in which he played. He was able to guard multiple positions. He was able to initiate our offense at times.
He did a really good job this past season of embracing a different role where he wasn’t one of the main primary options out of our sets, but he found a way within the system to still be impactful offensively.
I thought he embraced the second-side actions and crashing the offensive glass, and he helped us a ton. He’s another one. In this business, I got into it to build relationships. They make me a better coach and I want to be able to pour into these guys. So, he’s another one that I will continue to root for.
It’s always hard to see those guys leave, but I do like fully support when Jeff has to make these tough decisions knowing that it’s in an effort to have sustained success. We are now well positioned to keep building either through the draft or through trades with all the assets and flexibility that we have.
RB: What will Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale bring to the team?
CL: Really excited about Grayson and Royce joining our team. When I first saw Grayson I said, ‘You can’t escape me. Reunited again.’ I thoroughly enjoyed getting to work with him in Milwaukee, and watching how his game has continued to grow and how much he was able to help (Suns coach) Jordan Ott last year in his first year and helping that group get into the playoffs.
It’s impressive to watch. I think that he’s going to bring a level of professionalism. It’s more shooting on the court. I also actually think he’s a little bit more dynamic than just a shooter. I think that he’s able to drive the ball and also make the right reads. Defensively, he’s grown. I know that he obviously is usually being attacked by other teams’ offenses, but I think that he embraces that challenge. I look forward to adding him to the group.
RB: And Royce O’Neale?
CL: Watching him through the years in Utah where they had some really good teams, I thought that he was a big part of their defense and their offense. I think he does a great job of playing within himself on both sides of the floor, too. He understands what his capabilities are. He’s really distracting to other teams and taking things away from them on the defensive end.
Offensively, he’s a catch-and-shoot guy. And if he’s not catching-and-shooting it, he’s moving the ball and getting to a next action. I think that’s going to continue to help our pace offensively to make sure we’re getting multiple actions.
RB: Jeff mentioned several times that Naz is somebody he targeted and previously knew about. What are your thoughts on Naz and how will he help this team?
CL: Yeah, big-time get with Naz. I think that between the size, the physicality, the experience in the Western Conference Finals, and when you talk about you’re trying to put together a team that has talent and versatility - he adds to that. But I think also we’ve struggled in the past with the level of physicality that comes as you get deeper in the season and in on all those playoff runs.
He’s been there, he’s done it, he played a big part. So, I think that he’s going to be able to bring leadership from the perspective of by example, but also vocally. He can talk to the guys because he’s been in some of those pressure-packed, high-level situations and he succeeded. To be an undrafted player and then win the Sixth Man of the Year, be in the rotation, a key reserve on a Western Conference Finals team, is really impressive.
I think that’s a testament to how hard he works. Everything that you hear about him as a teammate is phenomenal. To see what he does in the community, that every Timberwolves’ fan wants to go out and get tattoos of him and all those things, I think that he’s going to be very impactful on and off the court. And we’re super excited about getting him finally.”
