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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets Most Surprising Player, Review of Recent Trades

By Jerry Stephens

Feb 4, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; The Charlotte Hornets and the NBA celebrate Black History Month with all players wearing t-shirts for pregame against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; The Charlotte Hornets and the NBA celebrate Black History Month with all players wearing t-shirts for pregame against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Welcome to Buzz City Beat, Swarm and Sting’s daily dose of the newest and best articles from around the web surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.

After losing seven consecutive games and before taking on the Brooklyn Nets at home, the Charlotte Hornets have an off day as they attempt to regroup. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at Cody Zeller being the team’s most surprising player, a quick review of the Hornets’ recent trades, and Charlotte’s prospects that should’ve stayed in college a bit longer.

Cody Zeller: Charlotte’s Most Surprising Player

“His new career-high averages of 10.9 points and 6.6 rebounds don’t jump off the page, but Zeller’s advanced stats do. He ranks amongst league leaders in true shooting percentage. A high IQ player, Zeller does the small things that help his team win. When he has been forced to miss time this year, Charlotte has struggled. As a result of his progression in year four, he’s become an answer at center for the Hornets.” (FanSided.com)

For those who don’t know, Cody Zeller is a legit big man in the NBA. He is the Hornets’ third best player this year and he is proving that he can hold his own against some of the better center’s in the league. Don’t overlook the Indiana product because he is quickly becoming a top-10 center. This jump was definitely a surprise but it was a pleasant one for Hornets’ fans.

More from Swarm and Sting

Review of the Hornets’ Recent Trades

“The Charlotte Hornets make a lot of trades, and many of those have turned out quite well. By the NBA trade deadline every February, you can pretty much count on at least one transaction from this team.” (CharlotteObserver.com)

Hornets’ beat writer, Rick Bonnell, graded each of Charlotte’s last eight trades before the Miles Plumlee deal. A quick rundown of the previous trades shows the positive moves that the team has made over the past few seasons. Hopefully, the Plumlee trade turns out to be one of the positive ones.

A Few Prospects Should’ve Stayed in College Longer

“This season was even worse for him. Harrison played just 17 minutes in five games for Charlotte before the team waived him ahead of the early January deadline to guarantee his contract. After the Hornets waived him, Aaron latched on with their minor league affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. On Friday, they traded him to the Delaware 87ers—a move that might not bring him any closer to the Association in the long run.” (BleacherReport.com)

Next: Perry Ellis on a Tear With the Greensboro Swarm

Bleacher Report’s list of player who should still be in college but instead tested the waters of the NBA too early includes two Charlotte Hornets’ prospects. Both Aaron Harrison and Noah Vonleh, each no longer with the team, made the list. Luckily, they cut ties with these players before being tied down for too long but it still says something that the organization invested so much into these players who clearly weren’t and still aren’t NBA ready.

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