Brandon Miller and Mark Williams support Charles Lee at Eastern Conference Finals
By Evan Sidery
The Charlotte Hornets are about to embark on a completely new era, one they hope is filled with consistent winning basketball on the horizon. Charlotte reset their entire organization top to bottom, which includes new ownership, general manager and head coach.
Charles Lee, who is now officially the Hornets’ new head coach, is fulfilling his assistant duties with the Boston Celtics currently. With Boston now up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, there’s a strong possibility Lee will now be coaching into mid-June for an NBA championship.
In the meantime, Charlotte is putting their full support behind the 39-year-old lead voice. As seen on the ESPN broadcast during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Boston, three key figures in the Hornets organization were in attendance: GM Jeff Peterson, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams.
All sitting front row on the baseline, it’s awesome to see Charlotte’s new group come together. And for Miller and Williams, seeing high-pressure postseason games up-close will only benefit them. Witnessing how important every single possession is during the playoffs, Miller and Williams will need to bring a similar intensity to the Hornets next season and beyond.
One of the Hornets’ new minority owners, Ian Loring, was also seated alongside them. Loring, who resides in Boston, has made his success from becoming an investor.
From ownership all the way down to the locker room, Charlotte’s organization finally feels in unison on every level. For a franchise trying to snap a decade-long playoff drought, plus find any semblance of consistency, moments like these will hopefully rub off on their young core in Miller and Williams.
LaMelo Ball was not in attendance, it appears. Ball was recently end for allegedly running over a child’s foot with his car while attempting to get an autograph. The Hornets were also sued in the process, so this will be an ongoing situation to monitor.
However, not seeing Charlotte’s max player alongside Miller and Williams is another curious sign for what his future might hold. Does the new management team believe in Ball? We will find out that answer, plus much more, with the offseason activity right around the corner.
Stay tuned to Swarm & Sting for all the latest Hornets news approaching an important summer ahead.