Swarm and Sting
Fansided

Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets won Dwight Howard trade, MKG’s new shot mechanics

By Jerry Stephens

Dec 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) goes up for a shot in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) goes up for a shot in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest and greatest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.

We are only a few days away from free agency but blockbuster moves are already going down as the Houston Rockets traded for Chris Paul. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at how the Charlotte Hornets won the Dwight Howard trade, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist working on new shot mechanics and two players to watch in summer league.

Hornets won the Dwight Howard trade (ClutchPoints.com)

"Ultimately, Howard was a low-risk and high-reward gamble for the Hornets. His attitude, salary, injury history, age and decline killed his superstar trade value and brand."

Even though Dwight is past his prime a bit and he can no longer be the focal point of a team, the 31-year old is still a walking double-double. He’s averaged a double-double all 13 seasons that he’s been in the NBA. The most interesting stat from the article was that only once since 2006 has Howard missed the playoffs. That’s a good sign for Charlotte.

The Hornets have needed a big man who can dominate the boards and that’s exactly what #12 can do for them. After only giving up Miles Plumlee and Marco Belinelli to get him, it’s clear that Rich Cho fleeced the Hawks. Despite winning the trade on paper, we will still have to wait and see if the Dwight experiment can work in the Queen City.

MKG working on “new mechanics” (Twitter/ @Kroeger)

"MKG getting some shots up after #Hornets minicamp for Summer League. Putting his new mechanics to work."

While Kidd-Gilchrist’s form looks the same, the speed of his shot and release does look a little bit better. At this point, he isn’t going to reinvent his shooting form but the 23-year old is still young enough to improve his shot even if it is just marginally. Steve Clifford has been working one on one with Micheal during practice on post moves. (Video)

Will these “new mechanics” improve his shooting percentages for next season? Only time will tell because we’ve seen MKG work tirelessly on his shot for multiple summers with almost nothing to show for it. Just by looking at the video, I can say that his shot does look a lot smoother from start to finish.

Players to watch in Summer League (CharlotteObserver.com)

"The first is Przemek Karnowski, the 7-1 center from Gonzaga. The other summer league player comes out of Charlotte Christian, the school that Steph Curry and his brother Seth attended. The player is Anthony Gill."

Next: Bacon can shine in Orlando Summer League

In my opinion, Karnowski is not an NBA player. He does have the size and strength but lacks the agility and quickness to play in today’s game. Although, he could be a decent pickup for a D-League team. As for Gill, I am interested to see how he plays alongside some NBA talents like Briante Weber and Johnny O’Bryant. Even if no one on Charlotte’s summer league roster earns an NBA contract, this is one of the stronger teams that the Hornets have sent to Orlando.

Home/Hornets News