South Charlotte Today

DJ Bakker Quickly Adapting, Aligning With Hornets As Greensboro’s New Head Coach

Sep 12, 2024

Adaptability is a crucial trait in the NBA G League. During the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July, the Charlotte Hornets and Greensboro Swarm were interviewing candidates for the head coaching position of their G League team. One candidate was DJ Bakker. "We did DJ’s interview at the Encore hotel," recalled Cole Teal, General Manager of the Greensboro Swarm. "We thought we were going to this one room and about five minutes in, we had to move to a different one. Right then and there, DJ’s like, ‘That’s the G League!’"

This minor inconvenience exemplifies life in the G League—a reality Bakker is well-acquainted with, leading to his appointment as the Swarm's new head coach. Previously an assistant in Milwaukee, Bakker held a 39-25 record over two seasons as head coach of the Detroit Pistons’ G League affiliate, Motor City Cruise (2021-23), furthering his extensive background in player development.

“When we set out to start the search, we were very privileged to even interview DJ,” said Jeff Peterson, President of Basketball Operations for the Hornets during Bakker’s introductory press conference on Tuesday afternoon in Greensboro. “It became evident right away that he was the right person and the right coach for this job. He has a ton of experience not only in the G League but also in the NBA. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to bring a competitive group to the floor every night in Greensboro.”

Bakker expressed enthusiasm about his new role: “The opportunity to interview for this position at this time in this organization was very attractive to me. I love this league... The biggest key to success in the G League is adaptability and coaching the group that’s in front of me that night.”

Bakker began his NBA career as a video coordinator for Chicago back in 2009 and later worked with Orlando, Dallas, Toronto, Detroit, Milwaukee, and now Charlotte. His varied experiences have allowed him to work with players such as Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams, and Khris Middleton.

“Toronto was a big step for me,” explained Bakker regarding his tenure from 2016-18 with Raptors' player development team. He highlighted working closely with Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam—key contributors on Toronto's 2019 NBA title team.

Bakker has already been involved daily with Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee to align play calls and strategies between both teams ensuring seamless transitions for players assigned from Charlotte to Greensboro.

Peterson emphasized alignment between Greensboro and Charlotte: “[Greensboro’s] going to be completely aligned with the Hornets... We’re really excited that [DJ’s] going to be a critical part of our organization.”

Teal noted that at least 50 percent of NBA players on Opening Night and playoff rosters had G League experience over each of past two seasons. This underscores how integral it has become as a developmental tool rather than punishment.

“Our players are getting awarded an opportunity to get minutes with Swarm,” explained Bakker adding excitement about alignment between both teams' visions.