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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets in the open East, Dwayne Bacon works out with Rudy Gay

By Jerry Stephens

ORLANDO, FL - JULY 4: Dwayne Bacon #4 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during the game against Marcus Paige #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2017 Orlando Summer League on July 4, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JULY 4: Dwayne Bacon #4 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during the game against Marcus Paige #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2017 Orlando Summer League on July 4, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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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.

Kemba Walker is holding dribbling drills in South Africa while the team has officially signed Marcus Paige and Mangok Mathiang to two-way deals. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Charlotte Hornets‘ positioning in the wide open Eastern Conference, Dwayne Bacon working out with Rudy Gay and Dwight Howard‘s search for Superman.

Hornets can take advantage of open Eastern Conference (SI.com)

"The Hornets, Heat, and Pistons, in particular, have tried to use adequacy as a stepping stone. They’ve taken their lumps in season after season in the pursuit of incremental progress."

Even though Charlotte didn’t make any big moves, they did manage to get marginally better and that was enough this offseason in the East. With many teams taking a major step back in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets were able to move up by default. After multiple up and down seasons, the team looks to find some consistency in making the playoffs and possibly finding success once they get there.

Making the postseason is the first step. The real test for Charlotte’s growth will be if they can continue to make the playoffs in back to back years which they have not done since 2000-02. With the weakening East, it will probably take at least a couple years for other teams to get back in contention so that should help the Hornets.

Dwayne Bacon works out with Rudy Gay (Social Media)

"Dwayne Bacon worked out with Rudy Gay today"

The Hornets’ second round pick posted the video of him after a workout with San Antonio Spurs’ forward Rudy Gay on his Instagram story. It’s good to see the rookie working out with a seasoned veteran during the offseason. In many ways, their play styles are similar in that they are score first players who excel at creating space and making midrange jumpers.

Dwayne reminds me of a young Rudy Gay in that he is an athletic, scoring forward with raw potential. It’s good for him to learn from veterans and continue his development. Bacon also announced that his new number for next season would be #7 after wearing #4 in college, during his introductory press conference and the Orlando Pro Summer League.

Dwight Howard: Searching for Superman (HoopsHabit.com)

"A man with abilities such as those just doesn’t disappear. I believe that Howard will dust off his cape, and put it on again as an All-Star next season. But before he dons his suit, a few things must happen along the way."

Next: Can Charlotte win a playoff series in 2017-18?

Although I don’t think Dwight will return to the Superman form that he enjoyed during his prime, I do expect him to put up close to all-star numbers with Charlotte. If he manages to average close to 15+ PPG and 12+ RPG, Howard could be in the conversation for an all-star bid for the first time since the 2013-14 season which may be the closest to Superman that we’ll see from here on out. If he’s healthy, we may see a few glimpses of the old Dwight this year.

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