Dreaming Big: Peterson Wants to Turn Charlotte Into 'The Premier Franchise in the NBA'
The Charlotte Hornets own the longest playoff drought in the NBA, having not made the postseason since the 2015-16 season. New Vice President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson is looking to not only put that streak to an end, but make the Charlotte Hornets an organization that is well-respected around the league.
"You guys are going to get sick of me saying this, but we are going to turn this into the premier franchise in the NBA," Peterson said at his introductory press conference earlier this week. "And there was no hesitation in terms of how we were going to do it. It may take a process, we're not going to skip steps. I think that's what helped is that we were completely in alignment."
Having pieces like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams already in place, Peterson has an intriguing young core to build with. Obviously, Bridges will need to be extended this offseason and Ball and Williams need to get/stay healthy. But it's not like he's entering a rebuild from ground zero, there is a foundation here. Having another lottery pick this summer and the fifth-best cap situation in the NBA, really opens the door for Peterson to hit the ground running.
All that being said, he's going to be wise with his decisions and not get overaggressive, trying to build a championship contender in one summer.
"I don't think it's fair to necessarily put a timeline on it. As I've said, when the three of us sat down and realized that this was the best direction that we were going to go, it's not fair to skip steps. We want it to happen organically. Now I will say, all three of us are very competitive, so we're going to try and find ways to expedite that without jeopardizing our future in any fashion. As Rick and Gabe touched on, character is number one priority in this organization and we're going to continue to build around that."
