Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets Need Another Star, Team’s Worst Defender
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 weren’t able to snap their two-game win streak as a blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers led to their third consecutive loss. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the team needing another star, if Frank Kaminsky is their worst defender and the Greensboro Swarm fall to the Windy City Bulls despite a big scoring night from Cat Barber.
Hornets Need Another Star
"The Hornets get Kemba Walker every night and don’t know who their second star will be. The theory in the NBA is that a team needs three superior players to win. Many nights, the Hornets have only one."
After signing Nicols Batum to a max-level contract this past summer, the Hornets are still looking for another star to pair alongside Kemba Walker. The story of Charlotte’s season has been Kemba carrying the team without much help. Sure there are games when Nic goes off or when a role player steps up but the team’s still lacking a secondary scorer and star that consistently puts up solid numbers each game.
If a contending squad needs three stars then the Hornets are still two away from achieving that mark. The direction that they are going, finding a second star may take longer than expected as it is proving to be a difficult task. Maybe Batum will become the star Charlotte has been looking for but until they find a second star, their struggles will persist.
Charlotte’s Worst Defender
"All 309 qualified players were ranked in each of the four categories, using stats accurate heading into games on March 12. Their defensive scores were determined by summing their ranks across the board: the lower, the better; the higher, the more porous."
Bleacher Report put a list of the top five worst defenders in the NBA at each position and Frank Kaminsky was the only Hornets’ player named. Although he was not actually listed in top five for the center position, Charlotte’s big man was named as an honorable mention. As the only player from the team to make the rankings, it can be said that Frank might be the worst defender on the roster.
Former Hornet, Spencer Hawes, was ranked as the fourth worst defender at the center position. Crazy to think that both of these two struggling defenders were both on the same team earlier this season. No wonder Steve Clifford rarely played them together.
Swarm Fall to Windy City Bulls Despite 35 From Barber
"Cat Barber led all scorers with 35 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Swarm who fell to 15-28on the season. Damien Wilkins was the second-highest scorer with 23 points, converting 12-of-14 chances from the charity stripe. Cheick Diallo, on assignment from the Charlotte Hornets, added 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Swarm."
Next: Analyzing the Hornets' Defensive Woes
Cat Barber continues to perform for the Swarm since being traded to the Charlotte Hornets’ affiliate earlier this year. Too bad his 35-point game didn’t lead to a victory for Greensboro. With only a few games left in the season, the Swarm is tied for the second-worst record in their conference at 15-28.