Nick Richards highlights major difference in Charlotte Hornets' coaching attitude

Last season, the Charlotte Hornets ranked last in the NBA in defensive efficiency with a rating of 1.164. In 2022-23, they finished 20th in the same category.

One of the biggest concerns fans have is how this team will reverse its fortunes on the defensive end under Charles Lee when they were unable to do so under Steve Clifford, who is also a defensive-minded coach .

Well, the first thing to do is health. Poor Steve Clifford wasn’t having much luck, with several key players missing large portions of games in each of his two years during his second stint as Hornets leader. A healthy roster alone will improve this abysmal defensive efficiency, but there’s more to it.

I would say the most important element is the message.

And let me start by saying that this is not a knock on Steve Clifford at all. He is one of the brightest minds in basketball and is well respected around the league. That being said, when you have a coach who has won two NBA championships and is coming off a season where he won a ring, that message is different.

On Thursday, center Nick Richards noted how the team has been very receptive to Lee’s message and defensive concepts.

“There are times where the coach has challenged every player and there are times where some guys in the past would have backed down and gone even lower. I think now everyone is taking on that challenge and just trying to s come out better.

The first thing Lee wants this team to improve is their defense. It is the main topic of all media publications and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. You can’t win big in the NBA if you don’t play a high level of defense. And by winning big, I mean making a playoff run, not what it says on the scoreboard. It’s the start of preseason, but Lee is already noticing a difference.

“We said we wanted to be really good in transition, we wanted to protect the paint and we wanted to finish possessions at a really high level. I thought a lot of the drills that we put together today were about hitting all the areas and really honing in on the techniques that we want in each of those areas as well. I thought the guys brought a certain level of competitiveness and open-mindedness because we have to change some habits, change some terminology and do things a little differently.

Nick Richards highlights major difference in Charlotte Hornets’ coaching attitude

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