Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
A Redditor pointed out that Frank Kaminsky wore a chain with Kemba Walker‘s logo after their game against the Detroit Pistons. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Charlotte Hornets‘ updated rotation, how Nicolas Batum‘s injury will affect the team and how the franchise created excitement this summer.
Jeremy Lamb: expected starter to open regular season (CBSSports.com)
"Lamb is expected to join the starting five to begin the season with Nicolas Batum (elbow) sidelined for 8-to-12 weeks, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports."
With Nic Batum out, Jeremy is the expected starter. When Nicolas missed five games last season, Steve Clifford inserted Lamb into the starting lineup where the former UCONN star filled in well. In those five games, he averaged 15.2 points per game, 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 45.3% from the field, 33.3% from three and 81.2% from the free throw line.
As for the rest of the rotation, Malik Monk is expected to take Lamb’s sixth man role off of the bench while either Dwayne Bacon or Treveon Graham will slide into the backup wing role behind Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. While most would call for the Hornets’ first-round pick to start, his lack of experience coupled with Coach Clifford’s unwillingness to start a rookie means that he will come off the bench with Batum absent.
Will Nicolas Batum’s injury doom Charlotte? (BasketballInsiders.com)
"The loss of Batum is a terrible blow to the Hornets, but so far it’s been next man up with Lamb ready to shoulder some of the scoring burden and Monk accustomed to playing with the ball in his hands."
Luckily for the Hornets, they have some quality wing players in Lamb and Monk who can fill in for the time being but if Nic is going to miss more than six weeks, the team could be in some trouble. If the injury forces him out for eight or even 12 weeks, then they will be without arguably their second best player for nearly half of the season. Being in the weakened East will surely help.
It will all depend on the play of supporting players like Jeremy, Malik and most importantly Dwight Howard. If Charlotte’s recently acquired big man can have a positive impact and turn back the years to return to near all-star form, they should be in good shape. Still, if they want to make a postseason run, the Queen City team will need Batum to be healthy.
How the Hornets put bounce in their step (BizJournals.com)
"Last year, the Charlotte Hornets suffered through a dreary 36-46 season, watched the All-Star Game leave town for New Orleans and finished the season wondering whether Buzz City was fizzling out. Nothing a surprise draft pick, a trade for a veteran who may or may not be capable of a big comeback and a familiar Swoosh logo couldn’t overcome."
Next: Four players key to Charlotte's success in 2017-18
After missing the playoffs last season, Charlotte had to create buzz surrounding the team. They did so by drafting Malik Monk, trading for Dwight Howard and releasing Jordan brand uniforms including a classic throwback jersey. Even though the Hornets haven’t had much success in recent seasons, there is a new found belief and hype around them because of the organization’s summer moves.