Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee is expecting big things from guard Coby White this season.
After trading away star guard LaMelo Ball over the offseason, the Charlotte Hornets backcourt will look a little different when the new 2026-27 NBA season starts.
Veteran Coby White will be taking over for Ball on the roster, and he will be tasked with running the show this year. White was traded to Charlotte at the deadline last season, and he did see success as a member of the Hornets in limited time.
Playing in 21 games for Charlotte, the veteran guard averaged 15.6 points, 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per contest. White also shot 39.1 percent from beyond the three-point line, giving this team another sniper from distance.
The veteran decided to re-sign with the Hornets over the offseason following the conclusion of last season, believing that this group could do something special this year. Charlotte is very happy to have White on the roster, but without Ball, there will be some new expectations placed on the veteran.
Before the season gets going, Hornets head coach Charles Lee opened up about what to expect from White this season. Lee wants his point guard to simply be himself, rather than trying to emulate his game to anyone else around the NBA.
White has always been able to score the basketball over his career, and he will be tasked with adding to the offense in different ways this season. But the biggest thing that Lee wants to see from the veteran this year is him working on his passing game.
Now that he will be the starter for Charlotte, barring any major changes, White is going to have to get more guys involved in the offense. Lee wants to see White embracing the challenge of upping his assist numbers, and this could see the Hornets' offense really take off this year.
White's career-high for assists was 5.1, which came with the Chicago Bulls a few years ago, and the Hornets may need this to be the minimum number he hits this season. Charlotte is going to need White to get more guys involved, setting up shooters for good looks as the year moves forward.
If White can step up to meet this challenge, Charlotte could very easily be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference this season, even with other teams stacking up. White is one of the more important players to this roster, and his success could directly impact how high the Hornets can fly this year.
The Hornets' season will begin on October 21 against the Brooklyn Nets on the road, offering them a chance to open the year with a win.
