Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the best articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.
Nicolas Batum joined Stephen Curry and Evan Fournier for Paris Saint-Germain’s match against St-Étienne in France. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at a backcourt connection that dates back to college, the Charlotte Hornets being a playoff-bound team that was in the lottery last year and Nicolas Batum’s ceiling.
Charlotte’s playoff-bound after being a lottery team last year (BballBreakdown.com)
"The Charlotte Hornets didn’t make many waves this offseason, but they’re one of the few Eastern Conference teams who appear to have significantly improved. it’s difficult to imagine the Hornets not making the playoffs in the watered-down Eastern Conference."
This article ranks the five most likely lottery teams from last year to make the playoffs this season. Charlotte came in at #2 behind the Minnesota Timberwolves and ahead of the Denver Nuggets, the Miami Heat, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons who were an honorable mention. Even though most of their moves went unnoticed, there’s a case to be made that the Hornets are one of the most improved teams in the league.
After winning only 36 games last season, we could see as much as a 10-15 game improvement from the Queen City team if everything goes according to plan. If they do manage to make the postseason, it will continue a trend of making the playoffs a year after missing out for the Hornets that stems back to the 2013-14 season.
Nicolas Batum’s ceiling (FanRagSports.com)
"If Howard thrives in Charlotte, however, he could raise Batum’s ceiling. If Howard is affecting defenses at the rim, that could open up cleaner looks for Batum from deep, and his 3-point shooting could go up. Also, as the catalyst of the offense in many ways, he has an outside chance of making the All-Star Game if the Hornets are winning."
FanRagSports ranks Batum as the 57th best player in the NBA with a floor of 60 and a ceiling of 50. Although he had a bit of a down year last season, Nic is still one of the most versatile and underrated players in the NBA. The article notes that he and LeBron James are the only two non-point guards to put up 1,000 points, 400 assists and 100 three’s during the 2016-17 season.
If he can continue to make an impact on both ends of the court while slightly upping his shooting numbers, Nic could be in the conversation for an all-star spot depending on Charlotte’s record. It’s unlikely that he will actually get in but just being in the conversation would be a big step forward for the France international.
UCONN backcourt provides chemistry for the Hornets (iSportsWeb.com)
"Chemistry is always key for any team, especially ones like Charlotte, who hope to make a run at the seventh or eighth seed in a relatively weak Eastern Conference. With Walker and Lamb, who played on the same team in college, the Hornets already have the backbone of a former National Championship winning squad."
Next: Why Melo should join Charlotte
Even though their history has been talked about, Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb haven’t yet been able to replicate their college success in the NBA. In 2011, they helped lead UCONN to a NCAA national championship. Hornets’ fans are hoping that they can rekindle their connection and one day do the same for Charlotte.