With No. 1 overall selection Anthony Davis and former Duke guard Austin Rivers in the fold and star guard Eric Gordon locked up to a four-year extension, the New Orleans Hornets made it a priority to keep Monty Williams around to coach that young core.
Monty Williams Signs 4-Year Contract Extension With Hornets
The New Orleans Hornets and head coach Monty Williams agreed to a four-year extension Saturday. With rookies Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers in the fold, the Hornets have their man who will oversee their development.
The Hornets stuck to that commitment Saturday by locking Williams up with a four-year extension that will keep him in the Crescent City through the 2016 season, according to John Reid of the Times-Picayune. He had one year left on his current contract.
New Orleans finished just 21-45 in last year’s lockout-shortened season, but with star point guard Chris Paul traded to the Clippers before the year, Williams had little to work with and made the Hornets a tough opponent night in and night out.
With Saints owner Tom Benson’s purchase of the Hornets in April, Williams’ job could’ve been in jeopardy, but Benson quickly said that the coaching and front-office staffs would stick around.
Williams will have a solid set of young players to work around, but don’t expect the Hornets to go deep in the NBA playoffs just yet. Davis will affect the game on the defensive end immediately, but he still needs some offensive polish -- though not as much as some think. Rivers, a shoot-first, shoot-second guard, won’t get away with much of that in the NBA. Outside of the two rookies and Eric Gordon, New Orleans still needs personnel upgrades at several spots.
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