Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets’ players with the most to prove, What to do with Jeremy Lamb?
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 Queen City team is working to make Julyan Stone their third string point guard if he can get out of his contract in Italy. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Charlotte Hornets‘ players with the most to prove, what the team should do with Jeremy Lamb and a 30 for 30 on Muggsy Bogues.
Hornets’ players with the most to prove (FanRagSports.com)
"He still managed to be one of three centers in the NBA to average 20 points, 20 rebounds and two blocks per 100 possessions, joining DeAndre Jordan and Hassan Whiteside. The talent, while diminished, is still there. His mindset has to change."
After a down season last year, Dwight has to prove that he still has plenty left in the tank at 31-years old. Many think his best days are behind him and while that may be true, Howard can still be a borderline all-star on a playoff contending team. Nekias Duncan also listed Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Michael Carter-Williams and Nicolas Batum as players with something to prove this year.
The team has been waiting for MKG to develop more of an offensive game and an outside shot since he entered the NBA. Maybe this will be his breakout season. It’s been quite the fall from grace for MCW but the former Rookie of the Year is looking to rebounds in 2017-18 with Charlotte. As for Batum, he needs to round out his already versatile game by becoming a better and more consistent three-point shooter.
What should Charlotte do with Jeremy Lamb? (iSportsWeb.com)
"If this season is just more of the same, Lamb will continue to viewed by teams as “almost good” and will be traded again. To add some extra pressure, he will be competing with rookie Malik Monk for minutes and the public is keen on Monk going into the season."
There is a case to be made that Lamb is the Hornets most expendable player. They have a number of serviceable wings on their roster as it is arguably their deepest position. Plus, the addition of Dwayne Bacon may make Jeremy dispensable as the two have similar skill sets with the rookie being on a more team friendly contract.
Still, Lamb has his moments where he looks like a player who could easily average over 10 points per game off of the bench. This will be a make or break season for Jeremy. If he doesn’t show improvement, he could be on his way out of Charlotte before the trade deadline this season.
ESPN 30 for 30 on Muggsy Bogues (ClutchPoints.com)
"Titled as “Baltimore Boys”, the documentary centers around the Dunbar Poets, a Bogues-led squad that went unbeaten from 1981 to 1983. This enormous feat propelled the Poets to being dubbed as among the best high school teams ever."
Next: Five bold predictions for the 2017-18 season
Before making a name for himself in Charlotte, Bogues was the best player on one of the best high school basketball teams. The story focuses on the success of the team despite being surrounded by problematic issues within their city of Baltimore. If you’re a Hornets’ fan, this is worth watching for Muggsy alone.