“We don't play high-stakes games because we're not going to make the playoffs or the play-in, but these games are still important because we have to learn from them.” This is the message that Steve Clifford sent to his players after the victory against the Nets. The Charlotte coach is right: it is not because the team has nothing left to play that the matches must be balanced.
Especially since a new vice-president has just arrived, and he is already thinking about next season. Moreover, this success against the Nets is symbolic for Jeff Peterson since it is his first at the head of the franchise, but also because he arrives… from Brooklyn! For Dennis Schroder, who knew him at the Hawks then at the Nets, the Hornets hit the nail on the head with this leader.
“It’s incredible to see all the work people have accomplished in ten years,” reacts the Germanabout the journey of the former Hawks scout. “He was an intern and now he’s the president and GM of another franchise. He works a lot, he's a good guy, he has a great personality, the network… That's what allowed him to get to this stage. He's going to be one of the best in this league because he's just a great human being who makes sure everyone is okay. He’s honest, which is very important in this position, and I think he’s going to be very good.”
A GM close to the ground
For Miles Bridges, author of 24 points and 10 rebounds against the Nets, there is already a Peterson effect. ” He's implicated. He comes to all the practices and all the matches. Just seeing a GM who cares about the team, and who shows up, that means a lot.” he explains. An attack on Mitch Kupchak, his predecessor?
For Dennis Schroder, there is no doubt about this daily involvement, but also about his frankness. “He's only 35, and he got this job… That says a lot. And I don't know anyone who will say bad things about him, because he's a direct but honest guy. As a GM or coach, these things are really important these days. Every time I made a mistake, he came to me and said, 'Hey, Dennis, that wasn't right.' And he wasn’t afraid of the moment or of saying it.”
