Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets’ fantasy projections, Ranking the Southeast Division
Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
Here are three interesting trade ideas that a Redditor came up with for the Charlotte Hornets. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Hornets’ fantasy basketball projections, where the team ranks in the Southeast Division and where Cody Zeller ranks among NBA power forwards.
Hornets’ fantasy basketball projections (HashtagBasketball.com)
"The Hornets received an upgrade in Dwight Howard, but remain relatively unchanged other than the addition of Monk, who will likely get over-drafted in most public leagues. We look at the Charlotte Hornets player movement, projections, and fantasy basketball rankings, including a focus on potentially key fantasy players, such as Batum, Howard, and Walker."
Charlotte has a couple players worth drafting pretty high this year. Kemba should probably be taken in the second round while Nicolas Batum and Dwight Howard should be consistent options for later rounds. Nic has a knack for stuffing the stat sheet in a number of different categories while Howard has been a double-double machine throughout his entire career.
MKG, Marvin Williams, Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky are all intriguing options to help fill out your fantasy basketball roster. Malik Monk is the flashy name and he could be a bit of a sleeper pick but he’s not worth the risk in higher rounds until we know how Steve Clifford will utilize him during his rookie season.
Ranking the Southeast Division (HoopsHabit.com)
"3. Overall, Charlotte has a nice mix of players who are young, in their prime and veterans of the game. Don’t be surprised if they can put everything together for a month or so and really make a strong push in the division. They will be one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Southeast this year."
Almost every projection has the Hornets finishing third behind the Heat and the Wizards. Charlotte’s unpredictable and is probably the biggest dark horse in the division. If they stay healthy, the team could finish ahead of Miami and possibly challenge Washington for the title. On the other hand, they could also struggle and finish closer to Atlanta and Orlando which would be disappointing.
On the other hand, they could also struggle and finish closer to Atlanta and Orlando which would be disappointing. Although winning the division is unlikely for the Hornets, the franchise could use a title as they’ve failed to come in first in the Southeast for the past 14 seasons. Regardless, Charlotte looks to have solidified themselves as at least the third best team in the SE division this year.
Is Cody Zeller a top-10 power forward? (HoopsHabit.com)
"Contrary to last season, when Zeller was fantastic at center for the Hornets, he’ll be starting at power forward with Dwight Howard in the middle, and having both Zeller and Howard is a double-edged sword for the team."
Next: MCW underwent offseason knee procedure
Marvin Williams will be Charlotte’s starting power forward and I don’t think we will see very much of Zeller at the four this season. Expect Cody to backup Dwight Howard or start in place of the eight-time all-star if he struggles. There’s a good chance Steve Clifford could choose the starter based on the matchup each game. Still, it’s pretty surprising that Zeller is the eighth best power forward in the NBA.