Insiders View On The Hornets New Coaching Staff
Hornets new Head Coach Charles Lee appears to have finished putting together his assistant coaching staff, with the full bench now revealed.
I reached out to insiders from around the NBA to gain some insight into the Hornets new coaching staff, with this article focusing on recently announced assistants Matt Hill, Blaine Mueller and Ryan Fraizer.
Matt Hill - Former Phoenix Suns Assistant Coach
"Very enjoyable to be around, personable, I got to know him better when he coached the Hawks summer league team in 2022. He generally focused on bigs in terms of player development, worked closely with Capela and Okongwu in Atlanta. He comes across as smart and switched on"
Blaine Mueller - Former Main Celtics Head Coach (G-League)
"Blaine Mueller helped lead the Maine Celtics to the G-League Finals this season. It was clear that he brought a lot of joy to the locker room, he got the best out of guys, especially Sophomore JD Davison and rookie Jordan Walsh - two of the Celtics' young prospects. He was very thoughtful with the media, willing to answer questions and give his time even though the G-League doesn't require coaches to do so and doesn't have a ton of press."
Ryan Fraizer - Former New Orleans Pelicans Assistant Coach
"He was one of the primary sources for individual game film breakdown and pregame planning. Showing Zion which matchups to exploit, and tendencies of opposing players. His history with player development and video coordination really helped him excel in that role.
Many of the rookies cited him as a guy who could help them understand nba coverages, and game planning at a high level. Jordan Hawkins specifically credited him in a post game presser this year as a rookie.
He is really liked and a great person but the Pelicans appreciate loyalty in the front office more than anything else. With him being fairly new to the block I get why he left, advancement in the New Orleans system under David Griffin can take some serious time."
Keep an eye out for more content on the rest of Charlotte's new staff additions in the coming weeks.