Post#224 » by Chapelchilla » Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:19 pm
Here is the letter from Mitch to our season ticket holders - he specifically says we will still play fast paced ball! Also the emphasis on Player Development. Whew....
ear Hive Society Member,
I’m excited to officially welcome back Steve Clifford as the new head coach of your Charlotte Hornets. As many of you know, Steve previously served as our head coach from 2013-2018. Ultimately, we determined that Steve’s previous head coaching experience, knowledge and philosophy made him the best coach for our team.
Coach Clifford, who was most recently a coaching consultant for the Brooklyn Nets in 2021-22, has eight years of head coaching experience with the Hornets and Orlando Magic, leading his teams to the playoffs in four of those seasons (twice in Charlotte). He has a proven track record of improving defenses as evidenced by his teams finishing in the NBA’s top 10 in both points allowed and defensive rating in five of his eight seasons. Coach Clifford returns to the Charlotte bench as the second-winningest coach in franchise history.
As I’ve stated since I arrived in Charlotte four years ago, one of our foundational tenants will always be player development. We will continue to work with our players to help them reach their full potential. Coach Clifford has a history of maximizing players’ talent and an ability to get the most out of them. He has helped many NBA players improve, develop and expand their skill sets, including Kemba Walker (Charlotte) and Nikola Vucevic (Orlando), who became first-time NBA All-Stars while playing for him. We believe that Coach Clifford’s player development work will build upon the previous strides that we have made in this area with our players.
We have a young, exciting team – one that plays with pace, shares the basketball and excels on the offensive end of the floor. Coach Clifford is committed to playing with the same offensive pace that you – our most loyal fans – are accustomed to seeing the last few years at Spectrum Center. He will continue to emphasize these strengths on the offensive end of the floor, while providing additional attention to our defense. He brings more than 20 years of NBA coaching experience and has demonstrated the ability to develop strong relationships with his players. I look forward to working with Coach Clifford as we continue to build our team.
Finally, I want to share with you that I’m more excited than ever about our future in Charlotte. I believe that we are building something special with our talented, young core of players. As a Hive Society Member, your continued support has been instrumental in the growth of our team, and the home-court advantage you create at Spectrum Center will continue to be a key factor as we look to take the next step.
Thank you for being a member of our Hornets family.
Sincerely,
MitchkupchakSignature_200x46.jpg
Mitch Kupchak
President of Basketball Operations & General Manager
Charlotte Hornets
