Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
Frank Kaminsky channeled his inner Vlade Divac when posing for a photo in the throwback uniforms. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at training camp storylines for the Charlotte Hornets, Hawks’ player’s reaction to Dwight Howard being traded and who Dwayne Bacon most wants to play against.
Charlotte Hornets’ training camp storylines (NBA.com)
"As it stands now, the Hornets have 13 players signed to guaranteed deals and can take on two more before reaching the NBA’s maximum allotment. Treveon Graham (G/F) and rookies T.J. Henderson (G, N.C. State), Isaiah Hicks (F, North Carolina), Luke Petrasek (F, Columbia) and T.J. Williams (G, Northeastern) will all be vying for the final two roster spots."
Treveon Graham’s spot on the team is likely safe. Not only is he a favorite of Steve Clifford because of his defensive intensity but he was also a dominant force during summer league. That leaves the last spot up for grabs between the four rookies. Looking at the roster, big men Isaiah Hicks and Luke Petrasek probably have the most likely chance at making the team.
Charlotte has plenty of guards so that may rule out Henderson and Williams. Although, if they play well and an unforeseen injury happens, they could very well earn a roster spot. Keep an eye on the Hornets’ five preseason games as the performances of these players could determine if they get cut or not.
Hawks’ players “screamed in jubilation” after Dwight Howard was traded (BleacherReport.com)
"Speaking on his podcast, ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe (h/t Dime Magazine’s Jamie Cooper) said he had been told stories of “Hawks players learning about the trade and screaming with jubilation into their phones.” Lowe added some Hawks players had grown irritated with Howard"
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Howard get a bad rap with a team. It happened in when he left Orlando and didn’t get much better in LA, Houston or Atlanta. It will be interesting to see if this “bad teammate” talk carries over to Charlotte. So far, Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum and the rest of the team seems happy to have the eight-time all-star.
It’s worth noting that Howard was named Hawks’ Teammate of the Year for the 2016-17 season. It’s a bit strange that his former teammates would vote him as their best teammate then be ecstatic that he got traded. Whatever the case may be, this just adds to the narrative that Dwight is not a good teammate and a bad locker room presence.
Dwayne Bacon can’t wait to take on James Harden and Dwyane Wade (CharlotteObserver.com)
"Asked who he’s most excited to match up against as a pro, Bacon shrugs off any suggestion of being starstruck by Houston’s James Harden or Cleveland’s Dwyane Bacon – oops, we mean Dwyane Wade."
Next: 5 takeaways from 2017 Media Day
It’s great to see a rookie with a lot of confidence and no fear. The only problem is that Dwayne may not get the chance to go up against the best in the NBA this season because of the Hornets’ rotation. If Bacon follows his strong summer league performances with a good preseason showing, Steve Clifford may consider giving him consistent minutes off the bench this year.