Tag: Charlotte Hornets

Report: Celtics assistant Charles Lee targeted in Charlotte Hornets coaching search

The news comes on the heels of word that veteran Hornets head coach Steve Clifford plans to step down from that role.

The Boston Celtics might need to be on the hunt for new talent to add to their coaching bench this coming 2024 NBA offseason, pending the coaching searches of other ball clubs. According to new reporting from ESPN senior reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee has been named as one of several such assistants coaches in the mix to land the top coaching gig for the Charlotte Hornets.

The news comes on the heels of word that veteran Hornets head coach Steve Clifford plans to step down from that role into a front office capacity after the end of the 2023-24 NBA season.

Along with Lee, Woj reports that Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young and others are in the mix for the job.

At the very least, it is also expected that the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets will also be on the market for a new head coach, making it likely that several teams around the league lose assistant coaches from their ranks.

And with both Lee and Sam Cassell popular names in such searches, one of them very well could be Boston.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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Spurs’ Wembanyama, Hornets’ Miller named rookies of the month for third straight time

Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller for the third straight time have been named the Rookies of the Month for March.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller were named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference rookies of the month, respectively, for the third straight time.

Wembanyama became the first Spurs rookie to win three months in a row since Tim Duncan after averaging 23.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 1.2 steals in 12 games. He led all rookies in scoring, rebounding and blocks in March.

Miller averaged 18.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 14 games, becoming the fifth player in franchise history to win three times. He was second among rookies in scoring and led all first-year players in 3-pointers (42).

Wembanyama registered five 30-point games, the most by a rookie in a calendar month since LeBron James in December 2003. He produced a career-high 40 points and 20 rebounds on March 29, becoming the first rookie since Shaquille O’Neal in 1993 to reach that mark.

Miller was the third-fastest Hornets rookie to surpass 1,000 career points after reaching that mark on March 15 (60 games). He later registered his third 30-point game of the season after recording 31 points with a career-high seven 3s on March 27.

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II and Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson were also nominated for the award from the West. Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick, Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Hornets forward Vasilije Micić were also nominated in the East.

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Boston coach Joe Mazzulla praises Sam Hauser’s impact on the Celtics’ offense

“I think just layers of our offense is what unleashes him,” said Mazzulla.

Somehow, there are still nights where opposing ball clubs make the decision to leave Sam Hauser open, and in the Boston Celtics’ 118-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, the Virginia alum made them pay for it once again. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla had plenty of praise for his reserve forward postgame, saying “I think just layers of our offense is what unleashes him,” via the AP.

“The guys understand that he’s a weapon in different ways, and so when we get to the second and third layer of our offense, especially when teams are guarding us a certain way, it really unleashes guys like Sam,” suggested the Celtics coach.

“And his teammates continuing to trust him and find him within the layers of our offense.” said Mazzulla.

“I feel like we are always making the right pass and making the extra reads,” Hauser echoed. “(Jayson Tatum) draws a lot of traps and extra help, and he’s able to make the right plays out of that.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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Celtics roll vs. Hornets as Boston wins 118-104 in the ‘Sam Hauser’ game

After a pair of disappointing losses, the Boston Celtics have found a way to bounce back and get a win in the face of an extended losing streak.

After a pair of disappointing losses, the Boston Celtics have found a way to bounce back and get a win in the face of an extended losing streak several times so far in the NBA’s 2023-24 season. And at Spectrum Center on this past Monday night, they found a way to do it again in a 118-104 road victory vs. the Charlotte Hornets.

Big games from Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White secured the win for Boston in the game’s second half to get the Celtics back in the win column after yet another very brief losing streak.

The host of the NBC Sports Boston “Celtics Talk” podcast, Chris Forsberg, took a closer look at the victory for Boston on his most recent episode, dubbing the win the “Sam Hauser Game”.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what he had to say about it!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston Celtics cruise past Charlotte Hornets as Jayson Tatum picks apart defense

Hauser in particular was surprisingly efficient, going 9-of-13 from the floor overall and a sizzling 7-of-11 from beyond the arc.

It is not every night that sharpshooting reserve forward Sam Hauser evens up All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum in terms of scoring. But in the Boston Celtics’ 118-104 blowout win vs. the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Monday night, both Hauser and Tatum put up 25 points.

Hauser in particular was surprisingly efficient, going 9-of-13 from the floor overall and a sizzling 7-of-11 from beyond the arc. The Hornets were in the contest for much of the tilt, but the Celtics broke it open in the game’s second half as the Virginia alum got hot from deep as the game progressed.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took a closer look at the win for Boston in a recent episode. Check it out below.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Hornets no match for Boston Celtics as Sam Hauser gets 25 points in 24 minutes

The Charlotte Hornets hardly knew what hit them as the Boston Celtics beat them 118-104 on their own home court.

The Charlotte Hornets hardly knew what hit them as the Boston Celtics beat them 118-104 on their own home court. The Hornets were no match for the Celtics as Sam Hauser put up 25 points in just 24 minutes of floor time at Spectrum Center on Monday night.

The Virginia alum had one of his best games of the NBA’s 2023-24 season as he would end up going a sizzling 9-of-13 from the field overall vs. Charlotte, and an equally lethal 7-of-11 from beyond the arc. NBC Sports Boston’s Eddie House, Brian Scalabrine and Drew Carter joined Abby Chin on the most recent episode of the “Celtics Postgame Live” show.

After that, Scal and Drew caught up with Hauser after his big night for an exclusive interview.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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PHOTOS: Boston at Charlotte – Celtics get back to win streaking with 118-104 road win vs. Hornets

Let’s take a look at some of the best moments captured in images in the Celtics’ 73rd game of the 2023-24 NBA season vs. the Hornets.

The Boston Celtics had no intentions of letting the Charlotte Hornets catch them off guard a second time this season — even on the Hornets’ own home court. The Celtics left the arena with a 118-104 victory, as Boston got back to win streaking on a night that saw four starters and a bench player score in double figures.

The Celtics managed to hold the Hornets to just 35.1% from deep, but did not shoot that much better from beyond the arc themselves (35.8%). But Boston winning the battle of the boards 51-41 and getting up 53 3-point attempts to Charlotte’s 37 likely secured the win for the Celtics.

Let’s take a look at some of the best moments captured in images in the Celtics’ 73rd game of the 2023-24 NBA season vs. the Hornets.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Derrick White earns huge contract bonus with first quarter 3-pointer against the Hornets

Derrick White made himself an extra $500,000 with a first quarter 3-pointer Monday night against the Hornets.

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White triggered a $500 thousand contract bonus Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets when he sank his first 3-pointer of the game, a clean look from the corner. It was his 185th made 3 for the season, the threshold for said bonus.

The Celtics inherited White’s contract when they traded for the Colorado native at the 2022 NBA trade deadline. Prior to joining Boston, his career-high was 84 made 3s in a single season. This year, White is make 2.7 3s per game on 6.8 attempts. At the time of this writing he’s shooting 40.1% from deep, too.

White could rack up a few more contract bonuses before the season ends. He is eligible for a pay boost if he hits 70 played games, something he is likely to do. Likewise, if White is named to an NBA All-Defense team, he will be in line for another bonus.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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The latest 2024 NBA mock draft from ESPN has UConn’s Donovan Clingan in top-3

The UConn big man is skyrocketing up draft boards.

There’s been a lot of buzz about the 2024 NBA Draft and how mocks have players from overseas in a lot of the top spots.

But could one of the breakout stars from March Madness be a lottery pick?

UConn big man Donovan Clingan has made his presence very much felt during the men’s NCAA tournament. In our latest 2024 NBA mock draft from Bryan Kalbrosky, he had Clingan going No. 6 overall to the rebuilding Toronto Raptors. And in the latest ESPN mock, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have him going No. 3 to the Charlotte Hornets.

How could that play out? Here’s their take:

Clingan’s dominance in the Big East championship game and the NCAA tournament has NBA teams asking just how high he could be drafted thanks to his late-season surge after recovering from foot injuries that plagued him early in the campaign. He has upside to tap into with his perimeter shooting, which is a possible part of his game down the road. (The Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez didn’t start shooting 3s until he was age 28.) One general manager asked ESPN recently, “Rudy Gobert or Donovan Clingan?” regarding who will be the more impactful defensive player, which highlights a college player being compared to a three-time NBA defensive player of the year winner.

There will be plenty of debate between now and June regarding who is the better prospect: Clingan or ESPN’s projected No. 2 pick Alex Sarr. (And Sarr is now firmly in the conversation at No. 1, as well.) Clingan has one or two more games to make his case at the Final Four in Arizona next weekend, and he would surely benefit greatly from a strong showing against Edey should the two meet in the championship game. In a draft lacking in star power at the top, Clingan looks as close to a surefire bet to be a highly productive starter and a major impact performer as you’ll find.

There you have it! Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!

Former Vols’ NBA results for March 27

A look at how former Vols performed in the NBA on Wednesday.

Two former Vols competed in the NBA on Wednesday, while two were inactive.

The Clippers defeated Philadelphia, 108-107, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Tobias Harris started at forward for the 76ers and totaled 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 38 minutes.

He converted 5-of-9 field goal attempts, 2-of-3 three-point attempts and 2-for-2 free throw attempts.

Charlotte defeated Cleveland, 118-111, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Grant Williams recorded 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block in 31 minutes for the Hornets.

He converted 6-of-8 field goal attempts, 2-for-2 three-point attempts and 2-for-4 free throw attempts.

Golden State defeated Orlando, 101-93, at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. Admiral Schofield did not play for the Magic due to a coach’s decision.

Chicago defeated Indiana, 125-99, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Julian Phillips was inactive for the Bulls.