3 Takeaways from Charlotte Hornets Media Day
...and everything else you need to know before training camp.
As the Charlotte Hornets prepare for the new season, I noticed 3 major themes coming from the Spectrum Center dais: accountability, a focus on defense, and the team’s collective commitment. With a new coaching staff and the return of key players, the Hornets are looking to turn things around and seem to have a seriousness, urgency and commitment unseen in previous preseasons. Here are my takeaways:
Takeaway #1: No One is Immune from Criticism This Season
Under previous head coach Steve Clifford, I thought LaMelo Ball was often shielded from heavy criticism, largely due to his…ya know…not being around to be criticized due to frequent injuries. But when Ball was available, the normally blunt Clifford seemed hesitant to push Ball too hard in front of cameras, which was understandable considering LaMelo was eligible for a max contract extension and the team likely didn’t want to disrupt those negotiations. Now, with his new contract secured and his health looking strong, the coaching staff is being more vocal about challenging Ball, particularly on defense.
New Head Coach Charles Lee has already set the tone for LaMelo this season, focusing on his commitment to defense. “The challenge for him is going to be… taking another step on the defensive end,” said Lee. The team is no longer treating LaMelo with kid gloves and expects him to step up in areas where he’s been less consistent in the past.
Miles Bridges also commented on LaMelo’s new focus. When asked what he’s seen from LaMelo so far he said, “Just him wanting to play defense… His coach has him doing defensive drills when everybody else is shooting around. It’s just him wanting to get better.” The message is clear: LaMelo’s offensive skills are undeniable, but the team needs him to bring the same intensity to defense if they are to make serious strides this season. And it seems like the message is being received.
Takeaway #2: Defense Will Be the Focus…For Real This Time
'Mark Williams said he wants to dominate the paint.
Brandon Miller said Lee is enforcing “elite two-way play.”
The team’s attention to the defensive end of the floor will not start and end with LaMelo. Coach Charles Lee was explicit about where his team is right now, “Our overall commitment to defense could be better… we have to build a level of consistency.”
That will be tough for a team that knows nothing but defensive failure. The Hornets haven’t finished better than 20th in defense since 2017-18. The last time they were top-ten? That would be the last time they made the playoffs in 2016.
He’s laying the groundwork for a defensive-minded culture across the roster. “This is where the coaching staff lays their foundation of who they want us to be as a team,” said Seth Curry, emphasizing that defense will be a cornerstone of the Hornets’ identity moving forward.
Takeaway #3: The Buy-In is There – TBD on Follow Through
Brandon Miller eschewed workouts with Paul George to be with the team. LaMelo Ball stayed in Charlotte most of the summer to workout. There was a strong presence from vets at summer league. Josh Green said that he hasn’t seen this level of commitment from a team in his short stint with the Mavericks to open his career.
The Hornets are sounding and acting like a team that is sick of losing and willing to do what it takes to change it even if it’s uncomfortable. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are both wearing ankle braces even though it’s obvious that they wouldn’t if it was completely up to them. There seems to be a trust level that has quickly been established between staff and players that is built on sacrifice, on the championship credentials of Charles Lee and on a deep desire to stop being the butt of every NBA joke.
Grant Williams summed it up best when he said, “The most important thing is we better come out every single game and compete our hardest… Do they play hard every night? Do they defend? Do they care? That’s something that they shouldn’t say about us anymore.”
Easy to say, much harder to do as the season goes on and adversity sets in. We’ve heard a lot of empty words and emptier promises in Media Day’s past. This feels different.
Everything else you need to know
Jeff Peterson avoided a specific timeline for the Hornets to make the playoffs, instead emphasizing a focus on growth, player development, and building a consistent, competitive team. While acknowledging the desire to make the playoffs, Peterson prioritizes "building consistent habits" and focusing on the process over immediate results. He believes that if the team prioritizes daily improvement and focuses on what they can control, "the results will take care of themselves"
No shortcuts to success: Peterson emphasizes the importance of building a sustainable foundation for long-term success, stating, "It's not one of these things where we want to make the playoffs one year, and then we're out for another four years..."
Prioritizing player development over immediate outcomes: Peterson emphasizes player development at all levels, stating, "I don't care if it's, Tidjane or Taj Gibson. There's something that they can get better, and we can all get better in". He believes that this focus on continuous improvement, rather than solely chasing wins and losses, is crucial for building a successful team.
Creating a culture of "daily improvement": Peterson values players who are "obsessed with daily improvement" and are willing to put in the work to continuously get better, both individually and as a team. He believes this mindset is essential for achieving long-term goals.
Mark Williams and team not concerned about his latest injury
Williams sustained a left foot injury during a workout on Thursday before Media Day. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks but did not seem worried about the injury.
Williams says the injury is "minor." He reiterated this sentiment later, stating that he doesn't want to be perceived as "injury prone" and emphasizing that this injury is not serious.
Williams said his back, which he injured last season, is "completely pain free."
It's unclear if he will play in any preseason games. Williams used the phrase "to be determined" regarding his participation in the preseason but said that he will be at training camp to support his teammates.
How Miles Bridges got his “bounce” back
Dietary Changes: Bridges modified his diet during the offseason, specifically avoiding fried foods and not eating past 8:00 PM. He also focused on protein intake.
Targeted Training: Bridges worked closely with the Hornets' training staff, focusing on single-leg and double-leg exercises to improve his explosiveness and overall athleticism. Bridges believes this dedicated work with the training staff has helped him get better.
Motivation from Peers and Social Media: Bridges mentioned that friends and observations on social media about his lack of dunks motivated him to reclaim his explosiveness. He wanted to prove he could still dunk effectively.
LaMelo Ball, when asked about Bridges' "bounce," attributed it to his teammate potentially having even more "bounce" than Brandon Miller, which suggests Bridges' athleticism has been noticeable to his teammates
Brandon Miller and the Hornets have a plan to avoid the sophomore slump
Becoming a more elite two-way player, particularly by improving his defense. In an interview on Media Day, Miller said that Coach Lee is focused on enforcing "elite two-way" play from him this season, with an emphasis on defense. He said this will be a “great season for two-way season" for him.
Adding strength and physicality. Coach Lee stated that the team wants Miller to work on adding strength, especially considering Miller will likely be guarded by top players now that he is on the scouting report. Lee believes the experience of playing against top competition on Team USA this summer gave Miller a good sense of how physical he needs to be on both offense and defense.
Continuing to develop his mid-range and corner three-point shooting. When asked about "killer spots" like other star players, Miller identified the mid-range and the corner three as two areas of focus for him. He believes those are the shots he needs to be able to make consistently in order to be comfortable taking, and making, tough shots.
Josh Green is ready to hustle and lead by example
When asked what he brings to the Hornets, Green said, "I think just, I think effort is probably the biggest thing. You know, I always like, you know, just playing as hard as I can. Playing the right way. Team way."He also believes in letting his game speak for itself.
Green embraces a leadership role on defense: “I'm young myself, but, I think that definitely helps out. And I think, defense is…done by demonstration a lot. So being a leader and just being able to try to show that during training camp, I'm hoping that that can help."
His former Dallas teammate, Seth Curry, shares these positive views, calling Green a "competitive man." Curry added that Green is a "Swiss Army knife type of guy. You can do a lot of different things. He's good at whatever you need from that night where he needed to bring the ball up or guard a guy, be the best player, spot up to make shots. He's shown he can do a lot of different stuff on the floor." Curry believes that "this is a good opportunity for him to come out here and expand his wings. And I know he's excited about that."