Buzz City Beat: Ranking the Charlotte Hornets’ bench, MKG to have reduced role?

Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the best articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.

At the team’s open practice, Dwayne Bacon (VIDEO) surprisingly defeated Malik Monk and Marvin Williams in a three-point shootout by making 19 three’s which beat Monk’s 16 and Williams’ 18. (Rick Bonnell) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at where the Charlotte Hornets‘ bench ranks in the NBA, if Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is in for a reduced role this year and why Kemba Walker is one of the most loyal players in the league.

Ranking the Charlotte Hornets’ second unit (US.BlastingNews.com)

"Honorable mentions: Charlotte Hornets (Michael Carter-Williams, Malik Monk, Jeremy Lamb, Frank Kaminsky, Cody Zeller)"

This article ranks Charlotte’s bench just outside the top-5 as an honorable mention. On paper, the Hornets’ second unit does look pretty strong. MCW is the biggest question mark but as for the rest, Monk is a promising prospect while Lamb is a proven double-digit scorer and Kaminsky has gotten better every season in the league.

Zeller will probably be Charlotte’s most prominent backup after having an impressive year where he started 58 games in 2016-17. Considering that their bench unit was one of the team’s biggest problems last season, it would be good to see them bounce back and have a similar impact to that of “Bench Force One” which was led by Jeremy Lin a couple years ago. Even though they have what looks to be a reliable bench, the Hornets still rank behind the Cavs (1), Warriors (2), Spurs (3), Rockets (4) and Nuggets (5).

Is MKG in for a reduced role this season? (RotoBaller.com)

"Kidd-Gilchrist is a good fantasy option, but with the addition of Dwight Howard expect to see his minutes reduce. Both of them aren’t known as floor spacers, so because of that expect to see MKG play less."

Unless MKG develops a consistent outside shot, playing him and Dwight alongside each other could be a problem. The floor will be severely compressed. One of the two players will probably lose minutes because of this. While Kidd-Gilchrist may receive fewer minutes, I don’t think his role will change all too much.

Steve Clifford values his defensive ability and he is arguably the team’s best individual defender. Even with the addition of Howard, Michael’s role will remain the same as he will guard the opposition’s best wing scorer. If anything, the Hornets will just have to struggle through some growing pains early on.

Kemba is one of the most loyal players in the NBA (FadeawayWorld.com)

"The 27-year-old point guard landed in one of the worst teams in the league in 2011 and even if they have shown a significant improvement, Charlotte is anything but a contender team. However, Kemba has remained staunch with his team, showing his will to make the Hornets a competitive team."

Next: Five storylines to pay attention to this season

Walker has been through a lot with Charlotte in his six short years with the team. He’s been in and out of the playoffs and on one of the worst teams ever, all while making a name for himself in the Queen City and becoming one of the most beloved players in franchise history. His loyalty may be tested in a couple years when his contract is up after the 2018-19 season. Although, most expect him to re-sign with the Hornets.