CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — Upon first glance, a look back on this past Hornets season might seem ill-advised.
There were lots of losses, seemingly just as many injuries, and all kinds of confusion.
But there were in fact positives thrown in from time to time. Little nuggets of hope that better days might be ahead.
“The togetherness that it takes to win at a high level is really important, so I think any day that we can build those togetherness habits and trust in each other on both ends of the floor is huge for us,” said 1st year head coach Charles Lee.
Looking back now, it was a bit ridiculous to think that postseason basketball was initially a stretch goal for this year’s team. But that’s what seemed possible when they first assembled last October.
“We’re here trying to build these new bonds with new faces. I think this training camp is going to be great for us,” 2nd-year star Brandon Miller said.
With new management in place and Tre Mann and Grant Williams playing superbly in supporting roles, the Hornets split their first four games. Then, trouble came calling.
The first domino to fall was Mann’s neck injury, which occurred 13 games into his season.
“I can probably name on my hand how many times we played together,” said forward Miles Bridges.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Williams suffered a torn ACL.
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By the end of November, both had played their last game for the team.
“It was very difficult,” said Grant Williams. “This was the first injury, really, of my life. To be away from basketball, it took a lot.”
The absences were felt immediately. Charlotte closed out 2024 by losing 10 straight games, and by January, they couldn’t catch a break. Miller was the next to go down, suffering a wrist injury that ended his year.
“Unfortunate news on Brandon,” Lee said the night he was informed. “We just have to band together and help him get through it.”
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Adding insult to injury was what happened to LaMelo Ball. Despite leading the popular vote, Charlotte’s star guard was kept off of the NBA All-Star Team. He was snubbed as a reserve and then again as a replacement.
“Everyone wants to watch Melo. He is averaging 29. I don’t see why he shouldn’t make it,” Bridges said.
The Hornets were getting no respect, and that was made very clear just a week earlier when the Lakers pulled out of a trade with Charlotte that would have sent Mark Williams to LA in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and draft picks. The Lakers claimed Williams failed his physical, an excuse he and the Hornets were not buying.
Despite all the losses, head coach Charles Lee remained encouraged. Miles Bridges did what he could to keep the team afloat. Rookie Tidjane Salaun made progress, and despite all that happened, Mark Williams never quite on his teammates.
“That’s player development at its finest right there,” said Lee when asked about Mark’s progress.
It’s a process, Lee said over and over, and by early March, as the Hornets won three of four, there was reason to think they had turned the corner.
“I thought on both ends of the court, defensively especially. The togetherness, the activity, the communication, for larger portions of the game was there,” Lee said after a good late season effort in March.
This year was the worst of times. But it was also a time to grow.
And now that it’s all over, the Hornets believe they’re prepared to face anything.