Hornets coach Charles Lee earns praise from NBA analyst amid injury-ravaged season

The Charlotte Hornets are not winning games, but Charles Lee got a vote of confidence anyway.

Nov 29, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee reacts during the first half against the New York Knicks at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

At no point this year have the Charlotte Hornets had all five of their projected starters on the floor. Mark Williams was out before the season began, and a plethora of other players, including a few starters, have gone down in the time it took him to return. Partially as a result, the Hornets are in 13th place in the East. Despite that, Charles Lee earned some praise from the Athletic's Zach Harper.

Charles Lee earns shoutout amid tough first season with Hornets

Zach Harper graded every team through the first quarter of the season. Charlotte's grade was a C+ for obvious reasons, but none of those reasons is the coach. "This team needs health and more talent, but I love what Charles Lee is doing for them in his first season," Harper said via The Athletic. "He’s a legitimate coach."

A legitimate coach isn't something the Hornets have had in a while. James Borrego had the team improving every year but couldn't get it done in the play-in games and was fired. Kenny Atkinson took his place but backed out, leaving the Hornets to scramble and bring Steve Clifford back for the very end of his career.

Lee has guided the Hornets to a 6-15 record, but he's had an unbelievable amount of injuries to contend with. Despite that, his team manages to be competitive in almost every game. They're rarely blown out, putting in inspiring efforts despite the shorthanded nature of the roster right now. That generally speaks to coaching, especially when the backups being pushed into action are players like Seth Curry and Moussa Diabate.

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