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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets’ offseason grade, Betting on Dwight Howard

By Jerry Stephens

ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 23: New Charlotte Hornets center Dwight Howard and former professional basketball player Dikembe Mutombo attend the game between the Chicago Sky and the Atlanta Dream on June 23, 2017 at Hank McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 23: New Charlotte Hornets center Dwight Howard and former professional basketball player Dikembe Mutombo attend the game between the Chicago Sky and the Atlanta Dream on June 23, 2017 at Hank McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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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 Los Angeles Lakers won the Las Vegas Summer League championship while Lonzo Ball took home the LVSL MVP. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we grade the Charlotte Hornets‘ offseason, the team betting on Dwight Howard and updated Rookie of the Year odds for Malik Monk.

Hornets’ offseason grade (CBSsports.com)

"Charlotte wanted a rim protector in a world where traditional centers have never had less value. The Hornets now have a non-shooter on the wing (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) and a non-spacing center (Howard). This is a big gamble, but they gave up very little in an attempt to improve a team last year that just missed the playoffs."

CBSsports gave Charlotte a “C” grade for their offseason moves. The big issue Matt Moore has with the team’s roster is the limited spacing MKG and Dwight Howard provides to the starting lineup. Still, I find that grade rather low. The team didn’t give up much to get Howard, MCW was a low-risk, high reward move and they got good value with their draft picks. To me, that deserves better than a “C” grade. A “B-” grade would suffice.

It’s worth noting that the CBSsports experts have the Hornets finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 0.1% chance to win the NBA Championship. The moves they made this summer are to try and get back into the postseason which is a realistic goal for this team. While a championship is a long shot, getting out of the first round would probably exceed expectations.

Charlotte’s betting on Dwight Howard (BasketballInsiders.com)

"The hope for the Hornets is that Howard is the missing piece the team needs in order to get to the next level. This would translate into making the playoffs after coming up just short last season and having made it the season before that."

The Hornets took a chance by making a move for Howard. Considering that he came at such a low cost and that Charlotte had the best offer, it shows how badly the Hawks wanted him out of Atlanta and how few teams actually valued trading for Dwight. Still, Steve Clifford’s side is hoping that the eight-time all-star can have a career resurgence in the Queen City.

Even if Howard doesn’t make a significant improvement, his play last year wasn’t all that bad and would probably be a welcome sight for the Hornets as he averaged a double-double. It is unlikely that Dwight will ever return to his superstar form but if he can just be a consistent rebounder and interior defender, then that should be enough to help Charlotte get back into the playoffs. Luckily for the team that’s making this bet, it is a low-risk move.

Updated Rookie of the Year odds (ASeaOfBlue.com)

"Malik Monk’s odds didn’t change at all, as they’re still sitting at 16-1. It’s hard to see him making enough of an impact with the Charlotte Hornets while playing alongside scoring machine Kemba Walker."

Next: Hornets, Raptors discussed Valanciunas trade

Since Malik Monk did not play in the Orlando Pro Summer League, his odds to win ROY did not change. Lonzo is still the odds on favorite. After an impressive summer league, Dennis Smith jumped from 16/1 odds all the way up to 3/1 and the second favorite behind Ball while the biggest drop came from Jonathan Isaac who fell from 16/1 to 33/1.

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