Coby White Gives In-Depth Answer When Asked About His First Impressions of Charles Lee

Charles Lee is doing wonders with this Charlotte Hornets roster, helping them to a 30-31 record after a brutal 4-14 start to the season. Like anything in the evaluation process of this team, it was unfair to harshly criticize anyone while key pieces like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and others were on the shelf.

Since they've been at full strength, they've been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. At the trade deadline, they deepened their second unit by acquiring Coby White from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Collin Sexton and a pair of second-round picks.

Although he's only played in three games for the Hornets, he's been around the team long enough (10 games or so) to get a good feel for his teammates and his new head coach, Charles Lee. Following their win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, White was asked about his early thoughts on Lee.

“I ain’t trying to be funny, but he’s young. He’s a younger coach. Like, playing for Billy Donovan and Roy Williams, I hope they don’t get mad, but those are two older guys, so Coach Lee just brings that youthfulness, and he connects with this generation. My generation. Kon’s generation. LaMelo’s generation. He connects with us on a different level because he’s younger. Coach Williams had been a head coach for a long time when I got there (to North Carolina). Billy Donovan, head coach for a long time. Jim Boylan, in my first year in Chicago, was the head coach in college for a while. Coach (Lee) got the job when? Two years ago? A year ago? So as we’re going through it, he’s going through it too.

"He has a very joyful spirit, and it’s infectious," he continued. "He cares about each and every player, which sometimes you don’t get in this league. You talk to some guys around the league, and they be like, ‘Yeah, my head coach don’t talk to me.’ He has a high IQ, a good feel for the game, but I think the most important thing is he gets each and every one of us to buy-in to what we trying to do, and he gets everyone to compete. He's just a joyful spirit to be around. He connects us."

This is what we've been trying to communicate to folks for a while now. He's well-respected around the league and by his players. He holds them accountable, yet can still be someone that guys want to be around.

The injuries and personnel of last year's team never gave him a chance to succeed. His offensive philosophy is built on being a perimeter-oriented team, and now that he has Ball and Miller back in the fold, plus a rookie sharpshooter in Kon Knueppel, you're seeing exactly what Jeff Peterson and the Hornets envisioned when they made the decision to hire him.