Hornets HC Charles Lee Sees a Familiar Championship Formula Developing in Charlotte

Whether it be the Charlotte Hornets or the team on the other side of Uptown, the Carolina Panthers, we've all seen how ugly things can get when the front office and coaching staff are not aligned. It appears both organizations have figured things out, and for the Hornets, that alignment has been evident since day one of the Charles Lee-Jeff Peterson era.

They understand each other's job descriptions and don't cross over into the other's territory. Sometimes in the NBA, and in all sports for that matter, egos come into play, and that GM-head coach friction happens when one disagrees with the decisions of the other.

Lee and Peterson are in lockstep with every trade, free agent signing, draft pick, waiver claim, and any other roster move the Hornets make. There is a clear understanding of what this team's identity is and what it is lacking. Lee talked about his relationship with Peterson during a recent appearance on the Ryen Russillo Show and why he feels like a bright future is ahead for the Hornets.

“It’s extremely collaborative. The best organizations that I’ve been a part of, they have that. When I was in Atlanta, Coach Bud was able to have a good relationship with Wes Wilcox at that point, and then when we went to Milwaukee, it was Jon (Horst) and Bud. And seeing Boston and Joe (Mazzulla) and Brad (Stevens) being able to work together, that’s how you, I think, effectively put together championship teams. You have to have that dialogue. Jeff and his group do a really good job of running the numbers and understanding the salary cap and what pieces fit together. And then I think from a coaching perspective, we can talk about the day-to-day. These personalities get along well together on the court, or these kind of attributes help us defensively or offensively.”

When you have everyone on the same page in the organization, you typically get full buy-in. That's why you saw this group have the success it did despite a horrific start to the season. There is a confidence, a belief, and a certain attitude that exists in the building. And it helps when the messaging from the top down is all the same. Just think back to the management of LaMelo Ball's minutes at the beginning of the year. Everyone is on the same page — something that couldn't be said in the past.

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