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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets Need Cody Healthy, Approach for the Rest of the Season

By Jerry Stephens

Jan 13, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller (40) shoots against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 13, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller (40) shoots against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Welcome to Buzz City Beat, Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest and greatest news from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets are resting as the NBA is in the midst of the All-Star break but Kemba Walker will be active as he participates in All-Star weekend. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the team needing a healthy Cody Zeller, how they should approach the rest of the season and the Heart of the City.

Hornets Need a Healthy Cody Zeller

“From an outside perspective, one could argue that Charlotte Hornets big man Cody Zeller has bordered on bust status since being drafted No. 4 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. Over the course of his first three seasons, he averaged 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 offensive rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 21.6 minutes per game. If the 2016-17 NBA regular season has proven anything, however, it’s that value can be determined in a vast number of ways.” (HoopsHabit.com)

Cody is one of the more undervalued players in the NBA and for Charlotte. His number might not be great but his style of play makes a big impact. This season, the team’s 22-17 with him but only 2-15 with him out. The Hornets need their whole team to be healthy but namely, Zeller going forward. Getting him back and healthy for the second half of the season will drastically help their playoff hopes.

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How Charlotte Should Approach the Rest of the Season

“They may well stand pat and let the season play out as it may. Part of the reason for this answer is in unforgiving salary cap situation. The books for the next two years include six contracts that pay out in eight figures. Acquiring any significant talent would take a lot of cap maneuvering. Charlotte wants a winner in their city. After losing the All-Star Game, the team could surely use a win at the trade deadline. The biggest win for the development of the franchise, though, is to let the chips fall as they may, no matter how hard that is. The organization has no choice but to play this season out.” (TheSportsBlaze.com)

Interesting point made in this article. The Hornets might not be buyers or sellers this trade deadline and they might just stand pat and ride out the rest of the season with what they have. I think they should fully commit in one direction but staying with their current roster and playing out the year is a real possibility.

Kemba Walker: Heart of the City

“Knowing Walker, he would selflessly trade all the individual accolades and awards in a heartbeat if it meant his team would be that much more successful in terms of wins and losses. For now though, one of the smallest players on the court has earned the right to shine on the NBA’s biggest stage at All-Star Weekend.” (NBA.com)

Next: It's Time for Charlotte to Blow it All Up and Tank

Sam Perley highlights the fact that Kemba is a true homegrown talent and that is why the Charlotte Hornets’ fans have a strong connection with their point guard. The franchise drafted him and everyone has watched him develop into the All-Star that he is today. Walker and the Queen City have a special connection and even though he was born in New York, Charlotte very may well have become his home.

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