Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets’ complete offseason grades, Dwight Howard’s ceiling
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 Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics are still trying to work out a deal that involving Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at what Julyan Stone offers the Charlotte Hornets, Dwight Howard‘s ceiling and Frank Kaminsky‘s uniqueness could limit him.
Grading the Julyan Stone signing (HoopsHabit.com)
"Although it’s mostly an end of the bench kind of signing, Stone stands as a necessary option to have, in case the Hornets need someone to fill in for spot minutes for stretches. Whether Stone can offer more than that would be icing on the cake for the Hornets."
Jordan Treske graded every move the Hornets made this offseason. The Julyan Stone signing received a “C” grade. It was a bit of a surprising move by the team after they had worked out eight different free agent point guards that didn’t include the 28-year old.
Considering how poorly Charlotte’s third string point guards played last season, it shouldn’t be difficult for Stone to fill that role. Plus, if Kemba Walker and Michael Carter-Williams stay healthy, Julyan won’t see much playing time. At the end of the day, he is an emergency option. If he doesn’t work out, Marcus Paige is always waiting in the wings as a two-way player for the team.
Dwight Howard’s ceiling (FanRagSports.com)
"Whether he loses the starting job or not, the finishing job could be very much in jeopardy. If Howard is sitting on the bench during clutch minutes, it’s going to be hard to make a case that he’s a top-50 player."
Fan Rag Sports ranks the Hornets’ newest big man as the 53rd best player in the NBA heading into the 2017-18 season. Despite the high rankings, his floor is as low as 75 while his ceiling is only 45. The eight-time all-star could reach a higher ceiling if he stays healthy, ups his free throw percentage and expands his range to the three-point line like he hinted at earlier this offseason.
There was a time just a few years ago when Dwight was arguably the best big man in the league and a top-five player. Injuries have taken their toll on Howard but he is still an above average center and a double-double machine.
Frank Kaminsky’s limited as a modern big man (TheRinger.com)
"For as much as he dictated matchups in college, he’s a modern-day tweener in the NBA: not good enough defensively to be a 5, or productive enough offensively to be a 4."
Next: 10 Must Watch Games on Charlotte's Schedule
When Cody Zeller was out last season, Kaminsky had his best games at center but with Cody and Dwight Howard on the roster this year, it puts him behind Marvin Williams as a stretch four. While he can still be a productive player, the league has somewhat moved past Frank and he is now stuck between being an oversized power forward and an undersized five. This might be the main reason why he is better suited off the bench rather than starting.