The Milwaukee Bucks let Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee slip right through their fingers. Lee was an assistant in Milwaukee for five years and was even interviewed for the head coaching role after Mike Budenholzer was fired. Now, Charlotte has been impressive this season, while the Bucks are sinking.
Charles Lee was in the Bucks' hands and they blew it
Lee joined Budenholzer in Atlanta back in 2014 before following his head coach to Milwaukee in 2018. In 2022, he became the associate head coach with the Bucks following Darvin Ham's exit to the Lakers. Coach Bud was fired in 2023, Lee was interviewed for the role, but the Bucks pivoted and went with Adrian Griffin.
Boston brought in Lee as their top assistant coach, earning another NBA title in 2024, before he became the Hornets head coach.
Charlotte currently sits ahead of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference and occupies the final Play-In spot. An impressive nine-game win streak from late January into February really propelled the team further into the national spotlight. Since January 15, the Hornets are 18-7, with the performances of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Kneuppel really catching the eyes.
Similar to the Bucks, Charlotte is a very 3-point-heavy offense. They currently sit second in attempts, second in makes, and third in percentage.
A 4-14 start to the season had many questioning Lee's coaching capabilities and the roster in Charlotte, with Ball potentially on the move. All of a sudden, they have been one of the best teams in 2026, both in record and in stats. They may sit on a 32-33 record, but they have momentum and look like a real threat to the teams higher up the standings, with them just four games back of the top six.
Bucks have struggled since Budenholzer's departure
Milwaukee, on the other hand, has had quite a bit of turmoil with its coaches since parting ways with Budenholzer. A 30-14 start to the 2023-24 season had many thinking Griffin was a nice hire, but clearly, things in the locker room weren't right, and he was fired.
Doc Rivers has been in the role since December 2023, and despite winning the NBA Cup, things haven't been plain sailing. The Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo partnership didn't work due to injuries. Roster construction has been poor, and Rivers has to take responsibility for the poor rotations and schematic decisions.
It is good to see Lee doing well as a young coach in the league with a really young and exciting roster. It's tough with the Bucks having him in the building, interviewing him, and still heading in a different direction.