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Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets move up in Week 3 power rankings, Frank’s breakthrough

By Jerry Stephens

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 5: Marvin Williams #2 and Frank Kaminsky #44 of the Charlotte Hornets box out Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 5, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 5: Marvin Williams #2 and Frank Kaminsky #44 of the Charlotte Hornets box out Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 5, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.

Here’s how each player stacks up in terms of TPA after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at where the Charlotte Hornets rank in the Week Three NBA power rankings, Frank Kaminsky finally taking a step forward and how Dwight Howard‘s rebounding has helped.

Hornets move up in Week 3 power rankings (USAtoday.com)

"Injured swingman Nicolas Batum could return as early as Nov. 15, as he told Fox Sports Southeast, which will give Charlotte an immediate boost on both ends of the floor. Aside from finishing last season second on the team in scoring, Batum led the Hornets in assists with 5.9 per game."

Charlotte moved up one spot from Week Two to Week Three as they climbed from No. 19 to No. 18. It wasn’t a huge improvement but it’s worth noting that they have moved up for the second consecutive week. As the team gets healthier and players return, especially Nic Batum, they should continue to get better and potentially break into the top half of the power rankings at some point this season.

The Hornets are now one spot ahead of the Indiana Pacers (No. 19) and one spot behind the Utah Jazz (No. 17). Steve Clifford’s side is only 1-4 on the road so far this season and has lost their last two after going on a three-game win streak. The Boston Celtics have moved up to the No. 1 spot while the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ struggles have them down to No. 23.

Frank Kaminsky is breaking through (HashtagBasketball.com)

"Kaminsky is shooting .519 on two-pointers and .440 overall – he’s not exactly setting the world on fire, but those are both career highs. Even as he improves, he shouldn’t be expecting an All-Star nod anytime soon. But if he can play up to the level he’s shown early this season, he can become a fan favorite and a valuable contributor in Charlotte."

At times, Frank looks like a real consistent offensive threat off of the bench. Then the next minute, he looks a one-dimensional stretch four who can’t score inside and struggles on the defensive end. If he can find some sort of consistency on offense, it would be enough to make Kaminsky an effective player while overshadowing his defensive downfalls.

Still, the third-year big man looks to be making a breakthrough this season. He’s looking more confident and comfortable in his role behind Marvin Williams. It’s still early in the year so we’ll see if he can keep this up throughout the 2017-18 campaign.

A Dwight Howard improvement under the glass (iSportsWeb.com)

"Just like a vintage French wine, that exfoliates an aroma of robust flavor when opened, Dwight Howard‘s awe-inspiring presence as he jumps into the restricted zone for a rebound produces the same classic feeling."

Next: Jeremy Lamb is taking his game to the next level

Although the Hornets were already one of the best rebounding teams in the league last season, Dwight’s dominance on the glass has made them better, particularly on the offensive end. Charlotte was only 27th in the NBA last year with an offensive rebound percentage of 19.9%. That number has gone up to 20.6% and they now rank 21st. While that jump isn’t huge, it is noticeable and they haven’t lost anything in terms of defensive boards either going from 79.6% to 80.8%.

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