Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets potential all-star candidates, Positional battles
Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the best article from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.
The Denver Nuggets recently released veteran point guard Jameer Nelson. Could he be an option for Steve Clifford’s side and reunite with Dwight Howard? In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at potential all-star candidates for the Charlotte Hornets, positional battles on the team and Michael Carter-Williams suffering a setback in practice.
Charlotte’s potential all-star candidates (FanSided.com)
"Kemba Walker: Charlotte won only 36 games last year and Walker was still selected by players and coaches to represent his conference in New Orleans. He’s a favorite to do so once again. Dwight Howard: If he throws in effective defense on a competitive Hornets team, this isn’t all that crazy."
If Kemba continues to put up the numbers that he has the past couple seasons, he is essentially a lock to make the all-star game this year. He will be Charlotte’s first player to make consecutive all-star games since Glen Rice from 1996-98. Even though there are many great guards in this league, Walker is on his way to cementing himself among the elite.
As for Howard, the weakened Eastern Conference could open up a few all-star spots. With Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Paul Millsap and Carmelo Anthony (who were all all-stars last year) moving West, it opens up spots in the East. Although, it is unlikely Dwight claims a spot as centers/big men have had a hard time getting into the game since the voting rules changed.
Hornets’ positional battles (TheRinger.com)
"There may not be enough minutes to go around up front in Charlotte. Since neither Zeller nor Howard has 3-point shooting range, Clifford would have to install some high-low sets and go away from the spread pick-and-roll to use them together. Zeller’s biggest strength is his speed, which would be less of an advantage at the 4."
The Zeller vs Howard debate will likely rage through the season. While Dwight is a better interior defender and rebounder, he doesn’t space the floor and isn’t as quick as Cody. There is a good chance that Zeller could overtake the starting role at some point this season as he was able to man that role last year.
If that happens, Howard’s confidence will probably take a big hit and his demeanor could change. That may end up being a distraction in the locker room. Many would argue that at this point in their careers, Cody is actually a better player than Dwight. It will be interesting to see how Coach Clifford handles this front court situation.
MCW suffers minor setback (CharlotteObserver.com)
"One day after his first full-court scrimmaging of the preseason, Charlotte Hornets point guard Michael Carter-Williams experienced knee pain Monday, and was held out of scrimmages."
Next: Kemba Walker says that Dwight Howard is a 'Game Changer'
At this point, it’s unclear when MCW will return to action. It’s already been a couple months since his procedure and had to sit out after only one scrimmage. What was supposed to be a short-term issue could easily turn into a long-term injury for the Hornets’ backup point guard. To add to Charlotte’s injury woes, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will likely miss the season opener with a personal matter.