Charlotte Hornets Officially Announce D-League Team
By Jon Shames
The Charlotte Hornets will be the latest NBA club to add a D-League team next year.
After announcing its interest in starting a D-League franchise in May, the Hornets’ management team held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to announce the specifics of the decision.
Greensboro, North Carolina will be the home of the new team, and the Greensboro Colosseum — where the press conference was held today — will be the official venue when the affiliate team, who has yet to receive a nickname, will begin its inaugural season in the fall of 2016, about a year from now.
The team officials are obviously excited about the announcement, and general manager Rich Cho was sure to emphasize the benefits of a team having its own Developmental League franchise.
"When you own and operate your own @nbadleague it’s much more conducive to player development.” @hornets GM Rich Cho #hornetsdleague
— Greensboro Swarm (@greensboroswarm) October 27, 2015
Charlotte’s player development, especially that of its countless lottery picks, has been an area of scrutiny for some time. Considering head coach Steve Clifford’s reluctance to play rookies heavily, the D-League affiliate could serve as an excellent medium for the Hornets’ youngsters to get some experience learning Charlotte’s system, and of course, receive legitimate playing time against comparable talent without threatening the Hornets’ playoff aspirations.
"Our @hornetsdleague team will be an extension of Charlotte.” -Hornets GM Rich Cho #hornetsdleague
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 27, 2015
“Having that synergy & same philosophy will allow us to run the same offense, defense & allow seamless transition.” Rich Cho #hornetsdleague
— Greensboro Swarm (@greensboroswarm) October 27, 2015
Charlotte’s prized free-agent acquisition Jeremy Lin is a former D-League standout, as is Jeremy Lamb. Nowadays, teams are recognizing the value of the Developmental League, and per Pete Guelli, 38 percent of active NBA players last year had some experience in the minors:
Great basketball to watch. 38% of players on the end of season NBA rosters had D League experience. #Hornetsdleague https://t.co/xtafF2Mgv9
— Pete Guelli (@PeteGuelli) October 27, 2015
The Greensboro club projects to be a valuable asset for Charlotte Basketball moving forward. And of course, the entertainment aspect cannot be ignored:
It's cheap, you'll get to see really good players going hard every night trying to make teams. Now you'll see the same off/def philosophies.
— Bradford Coombs (@bradford_NBA) October 27, 2015
Ticket prices haven’t been announced yet, but if you’re a fan itching to watch D-League action, you can start reserving seats now with a small deposit.
Fans interested in gaining #hornetsdleague priority to purchase season tix can make deposits of $25 per seat here: https://t.co/5wEsyiqVLc
— Greensboro Swarm (@greensboroswarm) October 27, 2015
Be on the lookout for the announcements of official ticket prices and, of course, the team nickname.
The team nickname and ticket information will be announced at a later date. #hornetsdleague
— Greensboro Swarm (@greensboroswarm) October 27, 2015
Next: NBA Power Rankings: Opening Week
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