CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steve Clifford's crimson eyes belied his calm exterior Wednesday afternoon as the Hornets' 62-year-old head coach explained his decision to step down at the end of the season. “This has been going on for weeks as we've been talking about it,” Clifford told media gathered at the Spectrum Center. “I don't think I'll be able to maintain adequate energy levels for the next few months. I'm like you. My best days start when I feel good. I don't feel my best when I drive a car. If you can't have a great day, you have to get up. And one thing about this is that you're playing against the best players in the world and motivation starts with yourself every day. .”
League sources told Yahoo Sports that Clifford had already assembled his assistants to reveal the news early that morning, and soon after, players and support were waiting inside the Hornets' practice gym. He said he had to collect himself before speaking to staff. There are few coaches who live and breathe the educational element of basketball as much as Clifford. He's the guy who sees the tape to the point. All-Star guard LaMelo Ball, when healthy, has even begun to adapt Clifford's postgame cliché about needing to check film before answering anything. special question. But with Clifford, it always sounded genuine and pure. After Kenny Atkinson declined the Hornets job and the franchise returned to its previous head coach, despite Ball and other players suffering countless injuries over the past two seasons in Charlotte, the entire Charlotte staff was , praised Clifford's tenacious approach and daily effort. A day's investment in his program and people throughout the building.
Clifford's contract for 2024-25 had a team option. First reported by the Charlotte ObserverThe Hornets' new leadership under Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, as well as new director of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, would have welcomed Clifford to remain on the club's sidelines. . However, starting this transition this week will allow the Hornets to synchronize their coaching staff with the still-evolving front office structure under Peterson. Clifford will remain with the organization, whether in a front office capacity or in an advisory role to the coaching staff, just as Clifford once consulted with Brooklyn when Peterson worked with the Nets. Dew. They sat together and watched practice and picked each other's basketball brains. Now, Clifford is intrigued by his mechanics and said he's “just as interested in learning about the draft and learning how free agency works.”
There are still six games left in this regular season, but Charlotte has quickly entered a coaching market that league officials expect will be heavily populated this offseason. “That's one of the things Cliff and I talked about in terms of timing,” Peterson said Wednesday. “That's definitely factored in. There's going to be a number of teams that are looking to replace their current coach or find a new coach. So being able to get a little bit of a head start in that area is really important. ”
Peterson's former Nets will conduct a search at the end of the year after parting ways with Jacque Vaughn midseason. The same is true in Washington, where the Wizards promoted former play-caller Wes Unseld Jr. to the front office, and interim head coach Brian Keefe is considered a leading candidate for the full-time position, according to league sources. It is said that there is
Seasoned veterans like Mike Budenholzer and James Borrego have strong San Antonio ties to Brooklyn's front office, which is full of former Spurs staffers, including general manager Sean Marks — memories Also in the aftermath of the firing of Steve Nash, Hawks coach Quin Snyder, another Spurs alumnus and once touted as a strong target for the Nets. There is a growing sense in league circles that Brooklyn might consider a young first-time head coach, along with the Wizards and Hornets, in addition to an experienced name.
So, as ESPN first reported, Charlotte has already applied for and received permission to interview several candidates who fit that profile. That includes Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Celtics assistant Charles Lee and Suns assistant Kevin Young. Miami assistant Chris Quinn and Utah assistant Lamar Skeeter are expected to be added to the Hornets' search process, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Lee was part of Budenholzer's Atlanta staff when Schnall was a member of the Hawks' ownership group and Peterson was in its front office. Lee, who played a key role in helping former Bucks Jrue Holiday adjust to Boston before joining the Celtics this season, was a Pistons finalist for Monty Williams last summer. His status as a former professional player, his connections with Hornets leadership, and his ability to connect up and down the roster will put Lee in a very strong position in Charlotte's process going forward. According to league sources, Quinn made a big impression on Hornets officials during his 2022 position interview, and the position ultimately went to Clifford. Also noteworthy is that Sean Sweeney, a highly regarded Mavericks assistant, met with the Hornets at the time and remains well-known in coaching circles, sources said.
NBA officials say the search in Brooklyn will be extensive, with fewer specific candidate archetypes than strategies in Charlotte or Washington, to find the right development-oriented coach to strengthen youth athletics. I think the focus will be on that. By all accounts, the Nets still have ambitions to add to a core that already has a complementary piece in Mikal Bridges. Hiring a playoff-tested assistant like Fernandez or Young could be a stretch. Fernandes' experience leading Canada to gold at this summer's FIBA World Cup and his connections to multiple All-Star talents in his national team program will add value to his candidacy. Young has earned the support and respect of Phoenix's stars dating back to Chris Paul's time with the Suns. Knicks assistant Johnny Bryant has also been mentioned as a candidate to become Brooklyn's first head coach, according to sources.
The coaching market evolves through various stages. There's always the possibility that several coaches who miss the postseason will be fired. It could also help veteran prospects like Budenholzer, Borrego and Atkinson wait out opportunities that could come from early playoff casualties. Entering the postseason last spring, few expected Budenholzer and Williams to leave Milwaukee and Phoenix, respectively.
For now, at the bottom of the standings, speculation continues among rival front offices about possible changes to Detroit's organizational structure given the Pistons' struggles. A source familiar with the situation said there is currently no expectation that Williams will buy out his six-year, $78.5 million contract.
NBA coaching officials also said Portland, which currently has the fifth-best odds in next month's draft lottery, may have to monitor its coaching situation due to the Blazers' position in the standings. It is attracting attention because of its gender. However, Chaucey Billups, who learned Wednesday that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024, responded to questions from Yahoo Sports on the same day and indicated that he is very eager for the opportunity to lead Portland to the playoffs in 2024-25. , with a healthier roster better built to play against the best opponents in the game.
“The last few years have been tough for us, and we're in year three now. By the way, we've had a huge influx of people on our roster who have been very unlucky with health and other things. And I'm here every day just getting through it. Helping our players in the best way we can and next year, hopefully we're healthy and we're better and our guys are really good. I hope I’m ready to really compete,” Billups said. “Because, I know personally, I’m light years ahead of where I was when I took this job, which was obviously my first job. [head] coach. And I'm really ready for that challenge and the pressure of going to compete against these best teams and more. Really ready for that. So we just hope we can be in that position. ”
