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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets visit Panthers’ OTA, No telling who they will draft

By Jerry Stephens

Feb 23, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) dunks the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) dunks the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports /
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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 Cleveland Cavaliers took a 3-1 lead in their series against the Boston Celtics after a win in Game Four as they moved one step closer to reaching their third straight NBA Finals. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at a few members of the Charlotte Hornets visiting Panthers’ OTA, it is unclear who the team will draft and Fred Whitfield talks 2019 NBA All-Star Game.

Hornets’ Visit Carolina Panther’s OTA (Panthers.com)

"Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford attended the practice session with three of his players – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller and Johnny O’Bryant."

Considering how often Thomas Davis goes to the Spectrum Center to watch the Hornets, it’s only fair that they return the favor every now and then. Steve Clifford and Ron Rivera have a close friendship that has been shown many times in the past with them meeting plenty of times and Coach Clifford being a part of Rivera’s support group.

This was probably just a nice event for the players to attend but it could also have been a valuable learning experience. Nevertheless, it’s great that both the Panthers and the Hornets support each other. Here is a cool photo of Cam Newton and MKG.

No Telling Who Charlotte Will Draft (WCNC.com)

"The Hornets had less than a 1 percent chance to land the No. 1 or No. 2 pick, and a 1.2 percent chance to land pick No. 3 in the weighted lottery. They had a 90.7 percent chance to stay at No. 11, which ultimately is where they ended up. The Boston Celtics received the No. 1 pick. Here’s who the latest mock drafts say Charlotte may select."

This article lists four different credible sites’ mock draft picks for the Hornets and each of them came up with four different answers. That just shows how uncertain it is as to who Charlotte will select with the 11th overall pick this year. This draft class is stacked but is isn’t yet clear how the lottery will play out.

Obviously, Markelle Flutz, Lonzo Ball and Josh Jackson are the top three prospects but after that, it’s anyone’s guess how the draft will play out. SBNation has Charlotte taking Lauri Markkanen, DraftExpress has them taking Frank Ntilikina, ESPN/Sports Illustrated has the team selecting Zach Collins and USA Today thinks Luke Kennard is the choice. For now, we will just have to wait and see.

Fred Whitfield on 2019 All-Star Game (NBA.com)

"Hornets President and COO Fred Whitfield discusses the 2019 All-Star Game coming to Charlotte."

Next: Charlotte to host 2019 NBA All-Star Game

Now that the NBA has announced the 2019 All-Star event is set to be held in Charlotte, the Hornets’ president shared his thoughts. Obviously, the organization is excited for the opportunity to host. Looking at Michael Jordan‘s statement, it is clear that the Hornets’ staff is looking forward to All-Star Weekend.

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