The Charlotte Hornets had a young core with Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball before this week. But now it’s younger.
On Tuesday, the Hornets introduced 39-year-old Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee as their head coach to replace 62-year-old Steve Clifford, who stepped down at the end of the 2023-24 season.
On Wednesday, Charlotte used the sixth selection in the NBA Draft on Tidjane Salaun, at 18 years old, the youngest pick among this year’s choices.
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“I’m encouraged with that fit,” said Jeff Peterson, the Hornets’ executive vice president of basketball operations, after choosing Salaun. “LaMelo and Brandon, they’re both young as well, and, of course, Tidjane, he’s very young, so I just think it’s going to be exciting to see them grow together. Obviously, different positions, but a couple of things they have in common: They all want to be great, they work, they put the time in. Again, I’m really encouraged to see what those three can do over the course of their careers here in Charlotte.”
A 6-foot-9 forward, Salaun averaged 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 54 games during his first season as a professional in France. He won the award as the Best Young Player in the FIBA Champions League.
“I think it’s a very good thing for me with some great assist players,” Salaun said after being picked. “I will be in the sky for alley-oop, and I will play my game with this type of player. It’s very cool because I know they see the game, so I will play my basketball.”
Drafted from Alabama with the No. 2 pick last year, Miller will be 22 years old on Nov. 22.
The 6-9 swingman made the NBA All-Rookie team in the 2023-24 season. Miller averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 74 games as a rookie. His 184 3-point baskets rank as the fourth-most for a first-year player in NBA history.
The third pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Ball won’t be 23 until next month.
The 6-7 guard played in the NBA All-Star Game in 2022. In the past two seasons, Ball averaged 23.5 points and 8.3 assists per game. But he played in only 58 games.
At his introductory press conference, Lee did not talk about specific players and wasn’t asked about them. But afterward in an interview with Nick Carboni of WCNC-TV, the Hornets new coach was asked about Charlotte’s two stars.
“Everybody on this roster is going to be very important for how we’re able to build this and have sustainable success,” Lee said. “There is a big part that’s going to start with Brandon and LaMelo.
“So No. 1, obviously, being able to get LaMelo healthy. And the things that he’s able to do on both ends of the court are going to really help us. I think that with his size and pushing him a little bit more on the defensive end, and then offensively he’s going to start our pace. I think that he’s a phenomenal playmaker that can also score but can also facilitate and get people involved.
“And then Brandon was able to show you guys last year he has a chance to be a really dominant two-way player as long as he continues to grow. But there’s no skipping steps, and so those guys, as important as they are going to be to us, everyone’s important, and I think just every day building positive days is going to be important.”
Charlotte posted a 21-61 record in 2023-24 as the Hornets missed the playoffs for the eighth season in a row.
Meanwhile, the Celtics went 64-18 in the regular season and 16-3 in the postseason to win the NBA championship with Lee on the staff.
Miller and teammates Grant Williams and Mark Williams were on hand to congratulate Lee in the Boston locker room after the Celtics ended the NBA season with a 106-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on June 17.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.