Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets haven’t addressed shooting, Growth of Kemba
Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest and greatest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
The Charlotte Hornets held a workout for eight free agent point guards as they look for a backup option to Kemba Walker and Michael Carter-Williams. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at how the team still need to address their lack of three-point shooting, Kemba Walker’s development and Malik Monk‘s road to recovery.
Hornets still haven’t addressed three-point shooting (BleacherReport.com)
"The Charlotte Hornets slid somewhat as a three-point shooting squad last season. They went from top five in triple makes and attempts and top10 in percentage during the 2015-16 campaign to 11th in makes, ninth in attempts and 18th in percentage in 2016-17. The 2017-18 season could see another step back in that regard for the Hornets."
Even though the Hornets added sharpshooter Malik Monk through the draft, it is unclear how successful he will be shooting from deep in the NBA. The team lost Marco Belinelli who was one of their best three-point shooters. Adding Dwight Howard could either help or hurt the team’s spacing.
With Howard and MKG on the court at the same time, the floor will be severely cramped but if Dwight can be semi-dominant down low, it will allow Charlotte’s shooters to get open on the outside. If Kemba continues his shooting growth, Batum can bounce back, MKG can slightly develop an outside shot, Marvin can be consistent, Howard can make three’s like he’s been practicing and Malik Monk/Frank Kaminsky can be lethal off the bench, the team should be just fine in terms of three-point shooting.
Growth of Kemba Walker (iSportsWeb.com)
"The rise of a star is often a spectacle like none other in sports. Kemba Walker has escalated through the ranks of the NBA and has turned into a spectacle of his own. The former Connecticut Husky has elevated his play every year and has developed into a multi-faceted point guard."
Kemba’s rise to stardom has been pretty amazing. He was a college star but his brand fell off a bit after a few inefficient seasons with Charlotte. Walker is now one of the biggest stars in the Queen City and if he continues on this path, he will be a multi-time all-star and end his career as the best player in Hornets’ history.
The 27-year old is arguably a top-eight point guard in the NBA. If he continues to grow his game, who knows how high Kemba can climb among the league’s elite. Development has been key for Walker and he has made the jump from a poor shooting, ball dominant guard into a highly efficient playmaker.
Malik Monk to make full recovery by training camp (RealGM.com)
"Monk did not play in Orlando Summer League after suffering an ankle injury in pre-draft workouts. He’s expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp."
Next: Rumor: Hornets could sign Kris Joseph
This is great news for the Charlotte Hornets. Their first round pick was always expected to make a full recovery from a minor injury (ankle sprain), it’s reassuring that Malik Monk will be ready by the start of training camp. After missing the summer league because the team didn’t want to risk playing him, he needs the reps in camp and preseason to get up to speed.