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2015-16 Season in Review | Courtney Lee

By Sam Perley, hornets.com

2015-16 Review | Courtney Lee

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Tipping Off
His overall statistics might not jump off the page, but Charlotte’s midseason acquisition of shooting guard, Courtney Lee, was a move that arguably brought in one of the most important pieces with regards to the team’s late-season success. A traditional “three-and-D” player known for his long-range shooting and perimeter defense, Lee quickly adjusted to his new team all while having a welcoming propensity for stepping up with clutch plays at critical moments during his time with the Hornets this season.   

Lee Arrives in Charlotte
Two days before the NBA’s trade deadline on Feb. 18, the Hornets acquired Lee from the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that also involved the Miami Heat. In exchange, Charlotte departed with both P.J. Hairston and Brian Roberts, as well as two second-round draft picks. Lee, who would be joining his sixth team in eight NBA seasons following stints with Orlando, New Jersey, Houston, Boston and Memphis, averaged 10.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 51 games with the Grizzlies this year prior to arriving in Charlotte. Things weren’t all too unfamiliar for the former first-round pick out of Western Kentucky as Lee spent his rookie season in 2008 with the Orlando Magic playing under both Steve Clifford and Patrick Ewing when they were assistants there. 

Deadline Deal Pays Off
Lee made his Hornets debut in a 104-96 road win over the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 21, finishing with five points in 21 minutes of play. While it might have taken a couple of weeks to get fully acclimated to the new environment, Lee got things rolling quickly as he closed out the last 12 games of March with averages of 11.7 points on 51.4 percent shooting (50.0 percent from three-point range), 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals. Lee’s best game as a Hornet fell in the middle of this stretch, as he notched 17 points, two rebounds, two assists and four steals in a 91-88 home win over San Antonio on March 21. Most notably in this performance, Lee intercepted a Spurs inbounds pass as time expired to help preserve Charlotte’s 23-point comeback victory, which was the second-largest in franchise history. Lee ended the regular season having started 28 games for the Hornets while posting averages of 8.9 points on 44.5 percent shooting (39.2 percent from three-point range), 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals.

Playoff Hero for Hornets
The most memorable moments of Lee’s tenure so far in Charlotte easily came during the team’s first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat. With the Hornets holding a slim 87-85 lead in the closing moments of Game 4, Lee came out of nowhere and skied for an impressive offensive rebound following a missed three-pointer by Kemba Walker, drawing a foul on Miami’s Luol Deng in the process. Lee calmly knocked down both free throws with four seconds left on the clock to clinch the 89-85 win for Charlotte. Two days later down in Miami, the Hornets found themselves trailing in Game 5, 88-87, with less than 30 seconds left in the game. Once again, another missed Charlotte jumper was quickly snatched up by Lee, who moments later knocked down a huge, go-ahead three-pointer from the top of the arc to put the Hornets out in front by two. Lee would then block Dwyane Wade’s potential game-tying shot on the other end, helping seal another momentous victory for Charlotte. He finished off the playoffs with averages of 8.6 points on 41.2 percent shooting (44.4 percent from three-point range), 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 36.7 minutes of play, the latter of which was the second-highest mark of any Hornets player in the postseason.

2016-17 Outlook
The Hornets hold what is known as the “Larry Bird rights” with regards to Lee’s current expiring contract. As one of the team’s unrestricted free agents, the Hornets can resign Lee up to his maximum salary and go over the cap without penalty because he has played at least three years in the league without being waived or having switched teams via free agency. Although a bit complicated, this provision makes things a little easier for the organization if it does choose to bring Lee back, something the veteran would love to see happen based on his recent exit interview:  

“Of course I would like to be [back]. [I] got a chance to build chemistry and friendships with the guys since I’ve been here and it’s been fun playing with them,” said Lee. “Everybody is just playing together. There’s no egos out there at all. It’s always about making the right play and the best play to help win and that’s the kind of guys I want to be on a team with,” he added.