Four reasons why Clifford will succeed or fail

Steve Clifford will succeed because of his defensive philosophies

One thing Clifford’s previous teams succeeded at was defense.

Prior to his arrival in 2014, the Bobcats had the worst defensive rating in the NBA and allowed the second-most points per game. In his first season as head coach, with roughly the same roster, Charlotte climbed up the rankings to be sixth in defensive rating and allowed the fourth-fewest points per game. His teams finished top-10 in defensive rating for three seasons.

The Hornets find themselves in a similar position now as they did when Clifford first arrived in Charlotte. In 2022, the Hornets had the league’s 23rd-best defensive rating and allowed the fifth-most points.

Clifford’s ability to get the most out of his team defensively is what got him the job. For the Hornets to take a step forward next year, they need to get better defensively, and Clifford can get them there.

Clifford is aware of the challenge that lies ahead of him. This roster, while very different from what Clifford had during his first run, has more talent from top to bottom, but lacks any type of great defender.

Players like Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball have proven that they have what it takes to play at a high level on offense, but they have yet to reach their full potential on defense. Clifford can help make that potential a reality.

"“It’s a young roster with a lot of potential and a lot of room for growth,” Clifford said during his introductory press conference. “There is the opportunity here to do something exceptional,”"