Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
To add to the Charlotte Hornets‘ injury woes, Frank Kaminsky has been added to the injury report with an illness. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Hornets hosting the Orlando Magic, Charlotte’s mission to escape mediocrity and what the team needs from Kemba Walker.
Hornets host Orlando Magic (SportsChatPlace.com)
"The Orlando Magic will be looking to stay hot and improve on their 4-1 record. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets haven’t quite enjoyed the same success at this early stage of the season as they’ve lost three of their first five games."
Charlotte’s looking to close out their current three-game homestand with a win after falling to the Rockets last time out. On a positive note, Cody Zeller should return to the team after missing the last three games with a bone bruise in his right knee. Dwight Howard will be facing his former team and looking to have a big game like he did against Atlanta and Houston.
Orlando has gotten out to a surprisingly good start to the season as they are currently the best team in the East. They’ve beaten the likes of the Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs within their first five games. It’s safe to say they are exceeding expectations.
Charlotte’s mission to escape mediocrity (HashtagBasketball.com)
"No matter what, the Hornets need change. Whether it means that they will tank for a few years, and rebuild through the draft, or move some of their players for salary flexibility, the future certainly looks eventful for Charlotte."
The Hornets have been stuck in mediocrity for quite some time now. And while they’ve made some significant improvements over the past few years, it hasn’t been enough to get them over the hump. Injuries haven’t helped the team still struggles to make the playoffs in a weaker Eastern Conference.
In my opinion, trading Kemba Walker isn’t the answer. Charlotte could look to create some salary cap space by trimming their larger contracts but that might not effective unless the team is looking to fully rebuild like the 76ers did a few years back. Their best bet is probably to stay the course, hope Malik Monk pans out and that they can remain competitive with a big three of Dwight Howard, Nicolas Batum and Walker for at least a couple seasons.
Kemba Walker needs another all-star level year (16WinsARing.com)
"That’s the sign of a true scorer becoming more efficient with the ball and more effective on the floor for his team. Should those improvements continue this year, I see no reason why Walker couldn’t earn a second-straight All-Star berth and possibly put himself in the discussion for All-NBA honors."
Next: Has Superman Dwight Howard returned?
For the Hornets to reach their goals this year, they will need Walker to continue to improve his play and reach new heights. The injury to Nicolas Batum made Charlotte need an all-star type season out of Kemba even more so than before. This team will only go as far as their best player takes them so the better Walker is, the better their record will be.