Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets Gave Weber an Opportunity, What Could’ve Been

Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest and greatest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.

In their last outing, the Charlotte Hornets‘ three-game win streak came to an end at the hands of LeBron James and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at Briante Weber getting an opportunity, Marco Belinelli letting it fly and yet another reminder of what could’ve been.

Hornets Gave Briante Weber an Opportunity (BasketballInsiders.com)

"As Weber put up big numbers in the D-League, he was left to watch as others around the D-League continuously were called up and given an opportunity to prove themselves. It would be easy to sit back and get upset about not earning a call-up, but he took a different approach and stayed patient."

Briante Weber’s story is an interesting one. Despite playing well, he knew his opportunities would be limited. But he stuck to his style of play, continued to work on his craft and now he has his chance to stick with an NBA team in the Charlotte Hornets if he plays well enough to close out the season. He has quickly become a fan favorite and Steve Clifford looks like he will ride with him as the backup point guard for the rest of the year.

Weber might not be the prototypical point guard that can shoot but he still puts up great numbers by picking his spots and he also is a willing defender which can’t be said for a lot of players. Honestly, the Hornets are lucky to have him. He probably would’ve been with the Golden State Warriors but a series of events with Jose Calderon being released, Kevin Durant getting injured and Treveon Graham recruiting Briante, he ended up in Charlotte.

Coach Clifford also recently said, “Guys that compete naturally without being asked to compete every day, those are guys you need.” (Chris Kroeger) I think that speaks directly to Weber’s tenacity and fight while on the court.

Charlotte Gets a Reminder of What Could’ve Been (FanRagSports.com)

"Devin Booker was incredible. Booker scored 70 points, with 19 in the first half and an incredible 51 in the second half. He had 23 in the third quarter and then an unreal 28 in the final period. Booker hit 21 of 40 shots from the field and 24 of 26 from the free throw line. If the scoring wasn’t enough, he also added eight rebounds and six assists."

If you wanted something to get upset about, Devin Booker dropped 70 points in an NBA game. Why would that make you upset? Because the Hornets could’ve drafted him last season instead of Frank Kaminsky. They needed a shooting guard that could space the floor and instead of going with the young prospect in Booker, Charlotte chose to select the proven big man in Kaminsky.

This isn’t to bash Frank because he’s had a solid season but it appears as if the Hornets missed out on yet another superstar level talent. At only 20-years old, almost four years younger than Kaminsky, Booker is proving himself as one of the best outside shooters and all-around scorers in the league today. He has a bright future and with each success that he has, Hornets’fans will always be reminded of what could’ve been.

Let it Fly Marco (Sports.Yahoo.com)

"Marco Belinelli produced 22 points, three triples, three boards, two assists and one turnover in 32 minutes off the bench on Friday. He’s been hot over the past four with averages of 14.8 points, 2.0 trey-bombs and just 0.8 turnovers per game on 45.7 percent shooting, so he’s certainly someone to consider throwing out there as a 3-point streamer."

Next: The Hornets Aren't Going to Rest Players

For weeks the Charlotte Hornets have been looking for someone to step up off of the bench and Marco Belinelli has been the one to do so as of late. After only having one 20-point game this season, the Italian has scored 20+ in back to back outings. This is an important stretch for not only the player but for the team as well as the 31-year old is putting them in positions to win games.