Inside The Hornets' Friday Practice
What went down following Charlotte's practice ahead of a Saturday matinee.
The Charlotte Hornets practiced on Friday afternoon after playing a Thursday night contest on the road against the New York Knicks. Following a quick turnaround back to Buzz City, the Hornets got some work in ahead of a 1:00 PM Saturday home game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Practice had already finished up by the time media entered the building Friday, but the energy in the team’s facility was high. Some guys like Seth Curry were hanging around to get extra shots up with the training staff, while others took part in some lighthearted shooting competitions with teammates.
Charles Lee and Brandon Miller spoke with media following the conclusion of the team’s practice on Friday. The messages they shared were largely focused on what factors they believe will help them improve going forward in spite of injuries and various other challenges.
There were also some fun answers to questions concerning the Charlotte Invitational, a special tennis exhibition featuring Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe at Spectrum Center that took place on Friday evening.
On losing Tidjane Salaun in the first half of the New York game:
Charles Lee: “Yeah, it was unfortunate to not have Tidjane, especially I feel like game by game he’s just getting a little bit better, getting a little bit more comfortable with everything out there. He started the game off I thought really well, with a great focus. So it definitely throws your rotations … in a little bit of a different rotation. But I thought that the team tried to rally and we were a little bit smaller, but the fight was definitely there, the competitiveness was there. I think we even tried to, at one point, go with Moussa and Nick out there together to see what we can get going. And so we’ll continue to just find ways to keep competing.”
On whether he is a tennis fan and if he plays:
Lee: “Yes, I will say I’ve become a much bigger tennis fan nowadays. Especially Tiafoe being from the DMV which is where I’m from. And so I’ve loved watching his growth and ascension to the top, and my girls actually love tennis too. So it’s going to be nice going to watch some of these games tonight. I play a little bit. I have a racket, I should probably say. I’m not very good.”
On Tidjane getting injured after gaining an increased opportunity to play:
Lee: “Yeah, I feel for him, but it’s part of the sport. And it’s also one of those moments that kind of just makes you stronger. Even what the whole team is going through right now. We’ve had to find a lot of different ways to keep playing and keep competing, and I think we’re growing stronger and we’re growing more together, and it’s going to make us better in the long run.”
On keeping a positive mindset in spite of circumstances:
Lee: “I have so much faith and confidence and belief in these guys. Again, it’s because of the work that we do every day, it’s because of their focus level and attention when we’re watching film, their curiosity. But I also just believe that we’re growing day by day. And it’s hard to not be encouraged when you see that you’re in almost every game. And if you can control a couple of those margins where, can our transition defense be better? Can we execute our coverage a little bit better? We’re doing a heck of a job of executing offensively, we’re getting great looks, and unfortunately we miss a shot. Or you get two offensive rebounds, and you get two great looks. And so I’m highly encouraged by the group, their character and their competitiveness.”
On Brandon Miller’s strong performance:
Lee: “Yeah, another guy that I’m just really happy for. Because I think that he’s had to shoulder a bigger responsibility with a lot of the injuries going on right now. And you can see that teams are throwing multiple high-quality defenders at him, they’re bringing an extra level of physicality, they’re showing different coverages, they’re showing him sometimes, they’re blitzing him sometimes. And so he’s handled it well. I think he continues to trust his teammates. He had some high-level passes yesterday, and I also think the part outside of his play is his overall leadership and demeanor, I think has just improved game by game, and he’s just maturing in such a great way.”
On how becoming a top offensive option last season has helped him in a similar situation this year:
Brandon Miller: “I think just coming in every day, just trying to get better. Of course we’ve got injuries, that’s the game, it happens. We’re working with them every day to help those guys get back even faster, and just willing to come in, like I said, work every day and make each other better.”
On what it’s like seeing Tidjane go down on top of other injuries:
Miller: “Yeah, I mean, we’ve got a lot of big injuries, a lot of players go down. I think it’s just a mindset of how we get back. They’ve been doing a great job of just coming in every day and just getting what they need for their bodies, and doing everything that helps them come back even stronger. So I think we’re going to keep doing that, and hopefully get them back soon.”
On what’s going well for him on the court right now:
Miller: “It’s confidence, confidence is high. Everybody’s loving the game. Sad we’ve got injuries, but it’s part of the game. I think everybody playing at a high level, boosting each other’s confidence, I think we’ll be great.”
On if his quick start against the Knicks was an intentional thing:
Miller: “I think we just need to start fast and maintain the intensity that we come to the games with. Whether it’s fast, whether it’s slow, we’re getting what we want, or if it’s just defensive game. I think our defense helped us lead to easy buckets on offense, so mostly just keep our defense up, I think we’ll be great.”
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