Steve Clifford, Hornets Agree on New Contract: Latest Comments, Reaction

Steve Clifford has helped propel the Charlotte Hornets to an 8-6 start following a 2014-15 campaign loaded with regression, and the team has rewarded the tactician with a contract extension, per Clifford's agent Steve Kauffman. The Hornets formally announced the extension was signed on Dec. 2.

“We like what Coach Clifford and his staff have been doing,” said GM Rich Cho said, via the team's release.  “He has done a really good job over the last two years. We want some continuity and we are excited to have him locked down to an extension. He is very organized and an extremely hard worker who has a great rapport with the players. We are extremely happy to have him here.”

“As much as anything, I’m excited about the extension because it’s what I wanted to have happen,” Clifford said. “I’m appreciative to Michael Jordan, Curtis Polk and Rich Cho for the opportunity to see this thing through. I feel like we’ve made good strides since I’ve been here. I like our guys and I like the team that we can become. I like the people that I work for and from a personal standpoint I’m really happy.”

The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell first reported on Nov. 25 that the extension includes a three-year guarantee through the 2018-19 season. 

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix was among those who praised the decision: 

Clifford joined the Hornets for the 2013-14 season after serving as an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, and his arrival made a world of difference for a club that had become renowned as an Eastern Conference also-ran. 

After missing the playoffs in the three years prior to Clifford's arrival, the then-Bobcats battled their way to a 43-39 record and a first-round playoff showdown with LeBron James' Miami Heat. Although the postseason appearance resulted in a four-game exit, the Bobcats proved to be one of the league's toughest nightly matchups thanks to a defense that finished the season ranked fifth in defensive efficiency.

The Hornets proceeded to go 33-49 during Clifford's second year at the helm as the team battled inconsistency on both ends of the floor. 

Now restocked with talent thanks to the arrivals of Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb, Jeremy Lin and rookie Frank Kaminsky alongside established pieces such as Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, the Hornets are in position to compete for a playoff spot in a heated Eastern Conference race. 

Considering the Hornets rank fourth in offensive efficiency and right around the league average on the defensive end, there's reason to believe they could make a run up the standings and lay the foundation for a prosperous future under Clifford's tutelage.  

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.