One of the big reasons why the Charlotte Hornets coveted Charles Lee as a head coaching candidate in 2024 is because he won an NBA championship as an assistant for both the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. He is following a similar philosophy regarding the latest addition to his staff. Former Villanova and Fordham head coach Kyle Neptune, who won two national titles with the Wildcats while serving under Jay Wright from 2013-21, has agreed to become the Hornets' newest assistant, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
Neptune stepped into an unenviable position as the successor to a Nova legend in Wright and produced middling results. He earned a 54-47 record in three years before the program fired him at the end of last season. Charlotte presents Neptune with a golden opportunity to rebuild his coaching stock. If this young and perpetually embattled squad can finally make definitive progress, everyone on Lee's bench stands to benefit.
Hornets could use a boost
Although there are veterans like Miles Bridges, Collin Sexton, Pat Connaughton, Miles Plumlee and Grant Williams on this roster, the Hornets still possess an abundance of youth. It makes sense to bring in a college coach, especially one who helped build a consistent powerhouse.
Villanova has obviously welcomed in plenty of impactful players like Kyle Lowry, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, but what defined the Wright era most was the program's reliance on team chemistry rather than individual star power. That on-court rapport is still revealing itself in the form of the Nova Knicks.
Charlotte boasts a former All-Star in LaMelo Ball and potential future ones, but it needs to harness all the talent into a competitive basketball product. Charles Lee is in The Queen City to try to implement that plan, and he is trusting Kyle Neptune to help him execute it.
The incoming assistant seeks to help Ball, Miller and incoming rookies Kon Kneuppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner in their ongoing development. Neptune will have a little time before training camp begins to acclimate himself to his new home.
