Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets need to avoid Brandon Jennings, Go-to play
Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest and greatest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
The San Antonio Spurs were able to advance past the Houston Rockets after beating James Harden and company without Kawhi Leonard in Game Six. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Charlotte Hornets needing to avoid Brandon Jennings in free agency, the team’s go-to play involving Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller. Plus, Rasheed Sulaimon performing well at the D-League Elite Mini-Camp.
Hornets Need to Avoid Brandon Jennings (BleacherReport.com)
"Bringing him off the bench doesn’t elevate Charlotte’s scoring machine. He can’t play off Walker as part of dual-point guard lineups, and it’s too much work to hide him on defense. If he’s the best the Hornets can afford, they’re better off picking up Sessions’ team option and/or scouring the trade market."
When Jennings was waived near the end of February this past season, Charlotte was one team linked to the point guard. They needed a backup for Kemba Walker to close out the season and help the team make the playoffs but instead of going for Brandon, they decided to stick with Briante Weber. Even though they didn’t make the playoffs, it’s unlikely that Brandon would’ve changed that outcome.
Going into the offseason, the Hornets need to look past Jennings once again. His style may draw the interest of a few teams but Charlotte could and needs to do better than an inefficient scorer. At this point in his career, Brandon is probably only a third-string point guard on a good team or a backup for a bad team.
Charlotte’s Go-to Play and Co-Stars (16WinsARing.com)
"Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller have never been tabbed as one of the NBA’s best duos. But together, they’ve quietly formed one of the deadliest screen-and-roll chemistries in basketball."
Our friend, Max Seng, takes an in-depth look at the Kemba-Cody connection on pick and rolls. With Zeller setting screens for Walker, the Hornets’ all-star point guard ranked at the top of the league in points per game as the pick and roll ball handler. Developing his outside shot has made his pick and roll game even more deadly.
If opponents go under the screen, Kemba can knock down the three and if they trail over the top, Walker’s speed allows him to beat them to the basket. As for the big man, Cody is the perfect fit. He may not be the biggest name or the best low post scorer but his speed, agility and athleticism are better than most centers in the league. He constantly beats his man down the court or on pick and rolls for easy buckets.
Sulaimon Performs Well at D-League Elite Mini-Camp (Maryland.247Sports.com)
"Sulaimon, who plays for the Charlotte Hornet’s D-League team, averaged 8.6 points on 11-for-21 shooting with four assists and 1.3 steals, highlighted by a 14-point, 10-assist game. He also shot 13-of-15 from the free-throw line."
Next: Five Free Agents Charlotte Should Avoid
Even though Perry Ellis was by far the most impressive Greensboro Swarm player at this event, Sulaimon managed to put up decent numbers to help make a name for himself. If he can continue to play well during the summer league, the Duke/Maryland product shouldn’t be too far from an NBA call-up. At the very least, Rasheed will earn some more minutes in the D-League next year. Unless he chooses to play overseas.