Charles Lee had a rough first year as an NBA head coach, but the Charlotte Hornets' struggles can't be attributed to him alone. Aside from the Hornets' well-documented bout with injuries, the way the roster was constructed did not fit well with Lee's offensive philosophy. But now, they have more reliable offensive creators and potential lights-out shooters.
Last year, Charlotte opened the regular season with LaMelo Ball as the primary playmaker and Vasilije Micic backing him up. Brandon Miller and Tre Mann were also likely expected to initiate the offense during some possessions.
Meanwhile, the squad started strong in letting it fly from beyond the arc, sinking 17.5 3-pointers per game on 39.5 percent shooting in the first six contests of the campaign. With the likes of Ball, Seth Curry, Mann, and even Josh Green logging efficient long-range marksmanship early, the Hornets looked like a force to be reckoned with in the perimeter shooting department.
It was probably how Lee envisioned the crew would play when he signed on to be Buzz City's head coach.
His previous stop before joining the Hornets was serving under Joe Mazzulla's staff on the Boston Celtics. For a while now, the Celtics had become notorious for living and dying by the 3-pointer. And before his Boston stint, Lee was an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, who have primarily employed a four-out offense during the Giannis Antetokounmpo era to provide the superstar with plenty of space to operate inside the arc.
Charles Lee was dealt an unfair hand last season
Unfortunately for Lee and the Hornets, injuries to key rotation players and shallow depth had them scrambling to find the right pieces that fit their offensive schemes. What resulted was the team ranking in the bottom five in both average assists and 3-point efficiency. Having no choice but to rely on youngsters and G Leaguers to facilitate the offense and take the shots, especially when Ball and Miller were out, was far from ideal.
The good news is that Lee has plenty of weapons to work with this year, which should help him gain back the confidence that fans had in him when he signed with the organization.
Of course, the Hornets' success still depends on Ball and Miller being healthy and developing as expected. However, they are currently better equipped to weather the stars' possible absence, as Collin Sexton, Spencer Dinwiddie, and a returning Mann should be able to help out in creating scoring opportunities for the squad.
In addition, the front office did well in bringing in players who can benefit from Lee's 3-point-heavy system. Having to part ways with Curry was brutal, but Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley should make it easy for the Hornets to forget losing one of the league's best perimeter shooters.
The roster still has flaws, as the center depth appears to be too thin. However, the 40-year-old tactician seems content with what Charlotte has at the frontcourt. Perhaps the idea of having Moussa Diabate out on the floor to clean the glass when the outside shots are not falling is enough of a consolation for Lee.
So, it looks like the coach is pleased with how the roster turned out this summer. Hopefully, it would result in improvements in the standings for a franchise that has suffered long enough.