Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the best articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.
The Phoenix Suns finally traded Eric Bledsoe as they dealt the point guard to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Greg Monroe, a 2018 protected first round pick and a 2018 protected second-round pick. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we preview the Charlotte Hornets game against the New York Knicks while also looking at the key to Kemba Walker‘s offensive game and if the team should be hitting the panic button this early in the season.
Hornets @ Knicks prediction (RealSport101.com)
"The Charlotte Hornets (5-5) have slid back down to .500 after back-to-back road defeats to the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Kemba Walker struggled mightily with his shot on both occasions. The Knicks extend their streak to three with a 108-104 home win over the Hornets."
These two teams are trending in opposite directions as of late with the Hornets losing their last two and the Knicks winning two straight. After back to back poor performances, Kemba should bounce back against New York as he is averaging 28 points per game in his last five trips to Madison Square Garden. The Knicks were projected to be one of the worst teams in the East this season but early on, they have a somewhat surprising 5-4 record with a win over the Cavs.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist still isn’t with the team meaning rookie Dwayne Bacon should get another start at small forward while Dwight Howard is dealing with a minor foot sprain that he will most likely play through. The matchup to watch is between Marvin Williams and Kristaps Porzingis. The size differential is obvious but looking at Porzingis’ form, he could be in line for yet another big night unless Charlotte finds a way to slow him down. If Kemba scores 20+, I think the Hornets win.
Finishing in the paint is key to Kemba’s offensive game (TheStepBack.com)
"So far this season Walker is finishing a career-high 59.5 percent of his shots between 0-3 feet per Basketball-Reference. For a player who stands at just 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-3 wingspan, Walker probably shouldn’t be finishing at such a high rate. But like the rest of his game, Walker has done so much work to improve that he provides himself with a multitude of resources to use when he gets inside."
Kemba makes up for his lack of size with creativity around the rim. Walker creates space in different ways with his speed, athleticism and a bit of skill like reverses, wrong foot layups and timing. He is also surprisingly strong for someone his size.
The Hornets’ point guard doesn’t have the same athletic ability as Russell Westbrook or John Wall but he still manages to finish in traffic. Kemba actually hasn’t actually completed a dunk since the 2012-13 season. Walker is averaging a career-high percentage around the rim and we should only expect his finishing to continue getting better from here on out.
Should Charlotte hit the panic button? (BleacherReport.com)
"Could the Charlotte Hornets maybe generate some offense when Kemba Walker isn’t in the lineup? They put up 112.1 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, the equivalent of the NBA’s second-best mark. That number plunges to 81.2 when he steps off—a 30.9-point swing in the wrong direction."
Next: Jeremy Lamb is taking his game to the next level
The Hornets’ backup point guard spot was an area of concern last season and it looks like they’ve failed to address that need over the summer. They should be hitting the panic button when it comes to the backup PG spot. Just like last year, the team struggles mightily when Kemba sits. Malik Monk is still learning to play PG at the NBA level and even when MCW comes back, he probably won’t be that much of an improvement (based on his recent production). The return of Nicolas Batum should help as Jeremy Lamb will be able to move back to the bench and help solidify Charlotte’s second unit scoring.