Swarm and Sting
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Charlotte Hornets hire Mike Batiste as an assistant coach

By Jerry Stephens

Apr 3, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford reacts on the bench during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford reacts on the bench during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Steve Clifford has made an addition to his coaching staff as Mike Batiste has seemingly replaced Patrick Ewing on the Charlotte Hornets’ bench.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, “Charlotte is hiring Brooklyn player development coach Mike Batiste as an assistant coach.” After losing associate head coach, Patrick Ewing, to Georgetown this past season, the Charlotte Hornets needed to find another coach to take his place. Stephen Silas took over the lead assistant role for the team which means Batiste will likely be a regular assistant under Steve Clifford.

The 39-year old is a former professional basketball player who spent time in Belgium, Italy, and Greece. He also had a short stint in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies as he appeared in 75 games during the 2002-03 season. The Los Angeles Clippers waived him before playing in any regular season games the following year. He averaged 6.4 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game in his lone season stateside.

Batiste is a Panathinaikos Athens’ legend after he played a major role in their eight consecutive Greek League championships from 2004-2011. Not to mention a number of other titles including five Greek Cups, three EuroLeague Championships and the Triple Crown twice. He cemented his legacy in Europe by winning the Greek League MVP in 2010. (Wikipedia.com)

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After an incredible playing career overseas, Mike’s coaching career started in 2014 when he was an assistant with the Canton Charge of the NBA D-League. He was there until joining the Brooklyn Nets as a player development assistant in 2016. He is slowly working his way up through the ranks.

Despite only having a few years of coaching experience, Steve Clifford and the Hornets’ front office saw enough in Batiste to bring him on for the 2017-18 season. He will likely join Coach Clifford, Stephen Silas, Bob Weiss, Pat Delany, Steve Hetzel and Bruce Kreutzer on Charlotte’s bench. While Mike probably won’t have a huge impact on the team right away, there is no doubt that he will be a quality addition to an already great coaching staff.

It was never going to be easy to replace Ewing on the sideline but luckily, the Hornets have a talented coaching staff and Silas is one of the top assistants currently in the league. Unless an assistant leaves, Batiste will be the final addition to the staff for next season.

Next: Hornets can't afford to miss in 2017 draft

Maybe the Charlotte Hornets will just be a stepping stone for Mike as he looks to further his coaching career in the NBA. But maybe he will be in the Queen City for the long run. Only time will tell but it is clear that Steve Clifford just added a quality coach to his staff.

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