Swarm and Sting
Fansided

Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets’ Final Four Presence, Swarm End Season on High Note

By Jerry Stephens

Mar 31, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward center Cody Zeller (40) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) tip off the game at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward center Cody Zeller (40) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) tip off the game at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the greatest articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets inched closer to the postseason as they were able to narrowly defeat the Denver Nuggets at home. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the team’s Final Four presence, Greensboro Swarm end season on a high note and how they might hit the playoff jackpot.

Hornets’ Final Four Presence (SportsOnEarth.com)

"In the Hornets locker room, the NCAA Tournament is a special time of year, given the collection of players on the roster who have won the national championship and played on the big stage at the Final Four."

Five Hornets’ players have won a NCAA Championship with Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams and Miles Plumlee all lifting the trophy at one point in their college careers. Not to mention that Frank Kaminsky also played in a National Championship game in his senior season at Wisconsin. Unfortunately, their success in college has not resulted in success at the NBA-level.

Charlotte actually has players who won in three consecutive years with Plumlee’s coming in 2010, the Kemba and Jeremy’s incredible run in 2011 and finally, MKG’s powerhouse Kentucky team in 2012. Marvin’s the only one represented this year with the UNC Tar Heels in the Final Four. The amount of success that Hornets’ players have had in college is pretty amazing.

Swarm End Season on High Note (Greensboro.com)

"It would’ve been just fine with Damien Wilkins if Friday night’s Greensboro Swarm game never ended for a couple reasons. First, he was hot, scoring a season-high 40 points. Second, it was the Swarm’s season finale."

Greensboro finished their inaugural season with a record of 19-31 which is the third-worst record in the East and the fifth worst record overall. Although, that doesn’t mean the year was a waste. It was actually a success for the Swarm. Despite their downfalls, the Hornets’ affiliate did a decent job of developing talent and they also ended the season on a high note.

Not only did Wilkins drop 40 but Cat Barber also had 22 points to help Greensboro grab a 122-105 win over the Maine Red Claws in their season and home finale. They may be missing out on the playoffs but that’s not what the D-League is all about. Instead, look at the progress made by the individual players this year.

Charlotte Might Hit Playoff Jackpot (CharlotteObserver.com)

"The Hornets (35-41) are two games out of eight place in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. There’s really no wiggle room left and they need things to fall like they did Friday, when they won and the other competitors for that final playoff spot (Chicago, Miami, Denver and Indiana) all lost. It actually allowed the Hornets to move past Detroit and into 10th place."

Next: Belinelli Has Been Unleashed in March

There’s only a little more than a handful of games left in the season but the Hornets aren’t giving up their quest for the playoffs. ESPN gives Charlotte an 8% chance of making the postseason which is still low but they are making progress. Just a few weeks ago they looked down and out but now they have moved past the Pistons and are within striking distance of the eighth seed. They may do the improbable and hit the jackpot.

Home/Hornets News