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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets Have No Answers, Rich Cho NOT on the Hot Seat?

By Jerry Stephens

Mar 13, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) talks to Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) in the second half at Spectrum Center. The Bulls won 115-109. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) talks to Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) in the second half at Spectrum Center. The Bulls won 115-109. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Buzz City Beat is a daily roundup of the latest and greatest news and stories from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets dropped a close game to the Chicago Bulls in their last outing as their fourth quarter defense let them down once again. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the possibility of Steve Clifford and Rich Cho not being on the hot seat, the team not having any answers on defense and evaluating the Nicolas Batum puzzle.

Clifford and Cho NOT on the Hot Seat? (NBA.com)

"(Sessions getting hurt has really hurt the Hornets, too; they were counting on his ability to penetrate and not only create shots for others, but to draw fouls and get them in the penalty early in quarters.) Roy Hibbert didn’t work out in the middle, and maybe that’s on Cho/Clifford, but that doesn’t rise to a fireable offense."

NBA expert, David Aldridge, was asked about the possibility of Steve Clifford and/or Rich Cho being fired at the end of the season and while he though Charlotte has regressed, none of the coach’s or general manager’s actions have been fireable. Obviously, the Hornets haven’t played well but one down season after a 48-win year shouldn’t necessarily result in a total overhaul. Aldridge even goes as far as to blame owner Michael Jordan for player personnel decisions instead of Cho.

That being said, the team must turn things back around next season. If Cho doesn’t put together a strong roster or if the squad underperforms next year, expect both Coach Clifford and the GM to either be fired or on the hottest of hot seats. MJ will, at the very least, give them both one more season.

Hornets Have No Answers on Defense (CharlotteObserver.com)

"Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford says he’s responsible. Guard Kemba Walker points the finger at himself and his fellow players. Now that the blame game is out of the way, it’s time to again look at the main problem that continues to plague the Hornets, one that is sending them rapidly out of contention for a berth in the NBA playoffs. In a word, defense, or the lack of it."

We have heard this all season. Clifford hasn’t gotten the team to respond defensively like he has in the past while players just haven’t put enough of an onus on themselves to defend. Almost 70 games into the season and neither side have figured it out. The most telling defensive stat for the team’s poor defense this year is that they are 29th (second worst in the NBA) in clutch time defense with a 125.0 defensive rating.

Evaluating the Puzzle That is Nic Batum (HoopsHabit.com)

"Going forward, Batum likely isn’t the 20-point per game scorer many hoped he could turn into, unless he revamps his game to attack the rim more. Many of Batum’s weaknesses offensively were masked last season by the ability off the bounce of Jeremy Lin and Courtney Lee."

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This article from Max Seng hits the nail right on the head for fans of the Charlotte Hornets. His future with the team looked bright after a career season but regression this year has started to raise questions about the big contract he received. Nicolas is very talented and has the tools to be an all-around player but far too often, he underperforms by missing key shots or turning the ball over too much and at inopportune times.

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