Last year, the Charlotte Hornets were looking for a coach to succeed Steve Clifford. They eventually found their man in Charles Lee, who was highly touted for his impressive body of work as an assistant coach.
The organization appeared to have embarked on an extensive search, which was necessary because whoever wound up as the Hornets coach would have had to carry a heavy burden on his shoulders. Most of the candidates who were interviewed or considered were assistant coaches in the NBA or coaches at the collegiate level.
A surprising name emerged in the process, though, as JJ Redick was reported to be a frontrunner for the position. The news was met with mixed reactions, as the retired shooting guard had only been removed from playing for three years and had been busy with a lot of engagements as part of his work in media.
Hornets did right choosing Charles Lee over JJ Redick
As it turned out, Redick still got the head coaching gig he coveted, joining his former podcast co-host LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers.
So far, the rookie coach has done a decent job, steering the team to its best record and highest seed since the 2019-20 campaign when it secured its last championship.
However, the Lakers are on the verge of a first-round elimination, trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves 3-1. Several issues have hounded Redick and his ward, including the lack of big-man depth, which would have been partly solved had the front office not decided to walk back on its trade for Hornets center Mark Williams.
Redick has also drawn criticism in light of Los Angeles' struggles in the playoffs. His inexplicable decision to play LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith for the entirety of the second half of its Game 4 loss has been met with many raised eyebrows. The former Duke University standout even defended his choice to run with the five-man lineup for 24 straight minutes, arguing that the fatigue shouldn't be to blame for his stars' miscues in the fourth quarter.
Maybe Redick was just trying to save face, but he should have probably been wary about the danger of having a 40-year-old James and Doncic not in optimal health play tired down the stretch.
Perhaps if he had just shown some humility and not thrown his guys under the bus, he wouldn't be as panned as he is now. The qualities Redick has demonstrated as a coach don't make it seem like he would be a great fit in Charlotte.
Then again, he has been more competent than Lee if some NBA players are to be believed.
Based on their approach and demeanor, though, Lee has proven to be better-suited for a young Hornets squad that went through plenty of growing pains in the 2024-25 season.