The argument for Charles Lee as the NBA’s Coach of the Year is no longer a far-fetched idea — he’s firmly entrenched in the conversation. What Lee has accomplished in Charlotte borders on remarkable. After stumbling out of the gate with a 4-14 start, the Hornets have surged to a 34-34 record.
The turning point came the moment Charlotte walked into Oklahoma City and dismantled the Thunder on their home floor. That win was the turning point and showed the masses they were the real deal.Â
From that night forward, the Hornets began playing with a confidence, cohesion, and competitive edge that had been missing for years. Coach Lee's imprint is everywhere, and he deserves every bit of recognition coming his way.
Massive leap from 2024
Lee’s most compelling case for Coach of the Year is the dramatic turnaround he’s engineered in two years for Charlotte. A team that was firmly lottery-bound just a season ago has transformed into a legitimate play-in and potentially playoff threat. The Hornets are currently the hottest team in the league, posting an NBA‑best +14.1 net rating over their last 10 games.
Hypothetically, if Charlotte finishes with 43 wins and sneaks into the seventh seed, that would give them a .524 record on the season—an astonishing +29.2 percentage‑point jump from last season. That would mark the largest year‑over‑year improvement by any team since the 2009–10 season. That kind of turnaround doesn't happen by accident. Lee has been instrumental in the team's reversal. The team is buying into the system and a culture shift has taken place.
History shows it’s possible
With 14 games remaining, the Hornets could theoretically max out at 48 wins. While that scenario is unlikely, it’s worth noting that recent Coach of the Year winners haven’t always needed 50 wins to secure the award. Mike Brown (48–34 in 2022–23), Tom Thibodeau (41–31 in 2020–21), and Nick Nurse (46–18 in 2019–20) all earned the honor without hitting the 50‑win threshold.
At the moment, J.B. Bickerstaff and Joe Mazzulla appear to be the frontrunners. Bickerstaff has elevated the Detroit Pistons from a bottom of the barrel franchise to the No. 1 seed in just two seasons. Mazzulla has guided the Boston Celtics to the No. 2 seed despite the absence of superstar Jayson Tatum. Not to mention that the Hornets just fell to Mitch Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs on the road.
Still, when you combine Charlotte’s massive year‑over‑year improvement with the low expectations they faced entering the season, the case for Charles Lee becomes even more compelling. And if he doesn’t take home the award this year, he’s setting himself up as an early favorite for next season — especially with three potential All‑Stars developing under his watch in LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller.