Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford is expected to be away from the team indefinitely as he is dealing with health concerns, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Associate head coach Stephen Silas will take over head coaching duties in his absence.
Clifford missed Monday's game against the Orlando Magic, which the team won 104-94 with Silas at the helm. Out of respect for his privacy, the organization did not comment further on his condition.
“Today’s been a lot of study,” Silas said before Monday's game tipped off, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. “Usually, I’ll watch a game and kind of gloss through it if it’s not my game [to scout] and not my gameplan [to prepare as an assistant coach]. But today, I spent a lot more time delving into the stats, delving into our last game and really making sure that I’m prepared for situations — late-game situations, that sort of thing.”
“You have to be on top of the rotation a lot more, groups that play well together. Usually, Cliff kind of handles that, and I assist him during the game with the substitutions and the playing groups.”
The Hornets (9-13) face a tall task against the defending champion Golden State Warriors, even if they're expected to line up without their two-time MVP Stephen Curry due to a right ankle sprain.
The Hornets finally got back its All-Star point guard Kemba Walker from injury, dropping 24 points against the Magic upon his return. He should be able to exploit the absence of Curry with a clear speed and ball-handling advantage over any of the Warriors' reserves at the position.
Follow Us
Subscribe