The 1999–2000 Charlotte Hornets season was the 12th season for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association.
Season summary
Off-season Despite finishing the previous season with a 26–24 record, the Hornets received the third overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, and selected point guard Baron Davis from the University of California, Los Angeles, and signed undrafted rookie small forward Eddie Robinson during the off-season.
Regular season With the addition of Davis and Robinson, the Hornets got off to a solid 16–7 start to the regular season, posting an eight-game winning streak in December.
However, tragedy struck on January 12, 2000, when guard Bobby Phills was killed in a car accident while racing with teammate David Wesley after a team practice; Wesley also had a suspended driver's license at the time. The Hornets retired Phills' #13 jersey on February 9, during a home game at the Charlotte Coliseum against his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers; the team also wore a patch bearing his #13 on their jerseys for the remainder of the season. Phills played a sixth man role off the bench this season, averaging 13.6 points and 1.5 steals per game in 28 games, starting in just nine of them before his death at the age of 30.
Despite the loss of Phills, and a seven-game losing streak between December and January, the Hornets were competitive and held a 27–20 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team acquired Dale Ellis from the Milwaukee Bucks, and re-signed free agent Chucky Brown after a brief stint with the San Antonio Spurs. The Hornets won 14 of their final 16 games of the season, posting two seven-game winning streaks between March and April, finishing in second place in the Central Division with a 49–33 record, and earning the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference; the team qualified for their fifth NBA playoff appearance.
Eddie Jones averaged 20.1 points, 4.2 assists and 2.7 steals per game, led the Hornets with 128 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, while Derrick Coleman averaged 16.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, and Wesley provided the team with 13.6 points and 5.6 assists per game. In addition, Elden Campbell provided with 12.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, while Anthony Mason contributed 11.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Off the bench, second-year center Brad Miller averaged 7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while Robinson contributed 7.0 points per game, Baron Davis provided with 5.9 points, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and Brown contributed 4.4 points per game in 33 games.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at The Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California, Jones was selected for the 2000 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his third and final All-Star appearance. Meanwhile, second-year guard Ricky Davis participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Jones also finished tied in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Mason finished tied in eighth place; Coleman finished tied in eleventh place in Most Improved Player voting, and head coach Paul Silas finished in third place in Coach of the Year voting.
The Hornets finished eleventh in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 732,827 at the Charlotte Coliseum during the regular season; this was the first time during their history in Charlotte that the team did not finish in the top ten in home-game attendance.
NBA playoffs In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2000 NBA playoffs, the Hornets faced off against the 5th–seeded Philadelphia 76ers, a team that featured All-Star guard Allen Iverson, Tyrone Hill, and defensive shot-blocker Theo Ratliff. Despite both teams finishing with the same regular-season record, the Hornets had home-court advantage in the series. The Hornets lost Game 1 to the 76ers at home, 92–82 at the Charlotte Coliseum, but managed to win Game 2 at home in overtime, 108–98 to even the series. However, the Hornets lost the next two games on the road, which included a Game 4 loss to the 76ers at the First Union Center, 105–99, thus losing the series in four games.
Aftermath Following the season, Jones, Mason and Ricky Davis were all traded to the Miami Heat, while Miller signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls, and Brown was released to free agency. Ellis, who was involved in a trade with the Heat, was released and then retired.
Offseason
NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 3 Baron Davis PG UCLA 2 43 Lee Nailon SF/PF Texas Christian
Roster
Roster notes Shooting guard Bobby Phills died in a car accident on January 12, 2000.
Regular season
Season standings
Game log
| 1 | November 2 | Orlando | | Eddie Jones (24) | Elden Campbell (9) | David Wesley (9) | Charlotte Coliseum17,461 | 1–0 |- | 2 | November 4 | Indiana | | Eddie Jones (22) | Anthony Mason (10) | David Wesley (7) | Charlotte Coliseum15,762 | 2–0 |- | 3 | November 5 | @ Boston | | David Wesley (17) | Anthony Mason (8) | David Wesley (7) | FleetCenter16,582 | 2–1 |- | 4 | November 7 | @ Toronto | | Eddie Jones (26) | Mason, Campbell (10) | David Wesley (5) | Air Canada Centre16,658 | 2–2 |- | 5 | November 10 | Milwaukee | | Eddie Jones (33) | Anthony Mason (8) | David Wesley (10) | Charlotte Coliseum15,769 | 3–2 |- | 6 | November 12 | New Jersey | | Eddie Jones (24) | Elden Campbell (11) | David Wesley (11) | Charlotte Coliseum16,668 | 4–2 |- | 7 | November 13 | @ San Antonio | | Phills, Coleman (13) | Campbell, Mason (10) | David Wesley (8) | Alamodome19,669 | 4–3 |- | 8 | November 16 | @ Atlanta | | Mason, Jones (20) | Anthony Mason (16) | David Wesley (6) | Philips Arena11,426 | 4–4 |- | 9 | November 17 | Dallas | | Eddie Jones (24) | Derrick Coleman (18) | Eddie Jones (9) | Charlotte Coliseum15,137 | 5–4 |- | 10 | November 19 | @ Orlando | | Eddie Jones (30) | Anthony Mason (15) | Anthony Mason (8) | Orlando Arena12,936 | 6–4 |- | 11 | November 20 | Portland | | Elden Campbell (24) | Elden Campbell (11) | David Wesley (9) | Charlotte Coliseum20,688 | 6–5 |- | 12 | November 24 | Vancouver | | Eddie Jones (14) | Anthony Mason (10) | David Wesley (8) | Charlotte Coliseum16,003 | 7–5 |- | 13 | November 26 | Washington | | Elden Campbell (19) | Brad Miller (10) | David Wesley (10) | Charlotte Coliseum18,542 | 8–5 |- | 14 | November 27 | @ Cleveland | | Eddie Jones (22) | Anthony Mason (13) | Baron Davis (4) | Gund Arena15,194 | 8–6
| 15 | December 1 | @ Portland | | Elden Campbell (19) | Elden Campbell (11) | David Wesley (11) | Rose Garden19,980 | 8–7 |- | 16 | December 3 | @ Vancouver | | David Wesley (28) | Anthony Mason (6) | Eddie Jones (12) | General Motors Place12,107 | 9–7 |- | 17 | December 5 | @ Seattle | | Derrick Coleman (26) | Derrick Coleman (11) | David Wesley (9) | KeyArena12,233 | 10–7 |- | 18 | December 8 | Golden State | | Eddie Jones (30) | Anthony Mason (15) | Eddie Jones (10) | Charlotte Coliseum15,327 | 11–7 |- | 19 | December 10 | Denver | | Anthony Mason (21) | Anthony Mason (12) | Mason, Wesley (8) | Charlotte Coliseum17,320 | 12–7 |- | 20 | December 11 | @ Philadelphia | | Brad Miller (19) | Brad Miller (12) | David Wesley (13) | First Union Center18,078 | 13–7 |- | 21 | December 15 | Minnesota | | Derrick Coleman (20) | Anthony Mason (13) | Mason, Jones (8) | Charlotte Coliseum16,303 | 14–7 |- | 22 | December 17 | Cleveland | | Eddie Jones (17) | Anthony Mason (13) | Mason, Jones, WesleyPhills, B. Davis (5) | Charlotte Coliseum16,586 | 15–7 |- | 23 | December 18 | @ Miami | | Eddie Jones (24) | Derrick Coleman (10) | Baron Davis (8) | Miami Arena14,621 | 16–7 |- | 24 | December 20 | @ New York | | Eddie Jones (23) | Anthony Mason (13) | David Wesley (7) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 16–8 |- | 25 | December 23 | Orlando | | Derrick Coleman (20) | Mason, Coleman, Miller (9) | Baron Davis (9) | Charlotte Coliseum16,918 | 16–9 |- | 26 | December 26 | @ Detroit | | Anthony Mason (28) | Coleman, Mason, Campbell (6) | David Wesley (9) | The Palace of Auburn Hills15,339 | 16–10 |- | 27 | December 27 | Atlanta | | Derrick Coleman (25) | Derrick Coleman (16) | David Wesley (12) | Charlotte Coliseum17,114 | 17–10 |- | 28 | December 29 | Milwaukee | | Derrick Coleman (27) | Elden Campbell (11) | Anthony Mason (7) | Charlotte Coliseum17,134 | 18–10 |- | 29 | December 30 | @ Indiana | | David Wesley (17) | Campbell, B. Davis, R. Davis (6) | Baron Davis (8) | Conseco Fieldhouse18,345 | 18–11
| 30 | January 4 | @ Phoenix | | Wesley, Campbell (18) | Derrick Coleman (19) | David Wesley (5) | America West Arena18,640 | 18–12 |- | 31 | January 5 | @ Utah | | David Wesley (19) | Campbell, Miller (6) | David Wesley (5) | Delta Center19,518 | 18–13 |- | 32 | January 7 | @ L.A. Lakers | | Coleman, Wesley (17) | Elden Campbell (13) | Baron Davis (5) | Staples Center18,997 | 18–14 |- | 33 | January 8 | @ Denver | | Derrick Coleman (21) | Derrick Coleman (14) | Baron Davis (6) | Pepsi Center18,408 | 18–15 |- | 34 | January 10 | @ Milwaukee | | David Wesley (23) | Brad Miller (8) | Elden Campbell (5) | Bradley Center13,159 | 18–16 |- style="background:#bbb;" | — | January 12 | Chicago | colspan="6" | Postponed due to the Death of Bobby Phills. Makeup date March 5. |- style="background:#bbb;" | — | January 14 | New York | colspan="6" | Postponed due to the Death of Bobby Phills. Makeup date February 7. |- | 35 | January 15 | @ New York | | Eddie Jones (23) | Derrick Coleman (13) | David Wesley (9) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 18–17 |- | 36 | January 17 | Toronto | | Eddie Jones (25) | Derrick Coleman (11) | David Wesley (9) | Charlotte Coliseum20,278 | 19–17 |- | 37 | January 19 | @ Chicago | | Eddie Jones (26) | Derrick Coleman (13) | David Wesley (11) | United Center21,906 | 20–17 |- | 38 | January 20 | Philadelphia | | Jones, Coleman (23) | Anthony Mason (9) | Eddie Jones (8) | Charlotte Coliseum16,160 | 21–17 |- | 39 | January 22 | Boston | | Derrick Coleman (24) | Mason, Coleman (11) | Mason, Wesley (8) | Charlotte Coliseum18,900 | 22–17 |- | 40 | January 25 | Sacramento | | Derrick Coleman (24) | Elden Campbell (11) | Eddie Jones (9) | Charlotte Coliseum17,370 | 22–18 |- | 41 | January 27 | Detroit | | Eddie Jones (25) | Brad Miller (9) | Derrick Coleman (8) | Charlotte Coliseum16,238 | 23–18 |- | 42 | January 29 | Phoenix | | Eddie Jones (20) | Brad Miller (12) | Eddie Jones (6) | Charlotte Coliseum19,366 | 24–18
| 43 | February 1 | @ Houston | | Eddie Jones (20) | Derrick Coleman (11) | Baron Davis (5) | Compaq Center14,391 | 24–19 |- | 44 | February 3 | @ Dallas | | Eddie Jones (21) | Elden Campbell (10) | Mason, Davis (5) | Reunion Arena11,126 | 24–20 |- | 45 | February 5 | @ Washington | | Elden Campbell (27) | Derrick Coleman (10) | Anthony Mason (5) | MCI Center18,422 | 25–20 |- | 46 | February 7 | New York | | Eddie Jones (34) | Derrick Coleman (13) | David Wesley (8) | Charlotte Coliseum18,128 | 26–20 |- | 47 | February 9 | Cleveland | | Eddie Jones (32) | Elden Campbell (10) | Jones, Wesley (5) | Charlotte Coliseum16,512 | 27–20 |- | 48 | February 15 | @ Philadelphia | | Eddie Jones (27) | Mason, Campbell (12) | David Wesley (7) | First Union Center18,488 | 28–20 |- | 49 | February 16 | L.A. Lakers | | Derrick Coleman (19) | Elden Campbell (13) | David Wesley (8) | Charlotte Coliseum23,799 | 28–21 |- | 50 | February 18 | L.A. Clippers | | Derrick Coleman (17) | Elden Campbell (12) | Baron Davis (7) | Charlotte Coliseum18,796 | 29–21 |- | 51 | February 20 | Miami | | Eddie Jones (18) | Derrick Coleman (12) | Anthony Mason (7) | Charlotte Coliseum21,539 | 29–22 |- | 52 | February 22 | Houston | | Derrick Coleman (32) | Derrick Coleman (12) | Anthony Mason (11) | Charlotte Coliseum15,921 | 30–22 |- | 53 | February 24 | San Antonio | | Derrick Coleman (19) | Derrick Coleman (20)