Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
Charlotte Hornets‘ big man, Dwight Howard, is only shooting 6.9% (2-29) from 5+ feet so far this season. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at Malik Monk getting more comfortable, Marcus Paige leading the Greensboro Swarm over the Long Island Nets and D12’s historically poor free throw shooting.
Malik Monk is starting to feel more comfortable (WFNZ.com)
"Hornets Guard Malik Monk: “I’m Starting To Feel A Lot More Comfortable.” [He] joined Garcia & Bailey to discuss his rookie season so far, and how his knowledge for the game is growing."
The Hornets’ rookie says that he is getting more comfortable and it’s showing with his play on the court. After some early struggles, Monk has had two 20+ point outings in his last five games. While he is still a bit inconsistent in terms of scoring on a nightly basis, he is playing more fluid and his understanding of the team’s offense is clear. Like most rookies, it takes time to adjust to the speed and style of the NBA.
Malik also mentioned that the biggest challenge has been learning the defensive coverages and being tuned in on the defensive end. The biggest thing he’s learned from Kemba Walker is not to rush the process and always be on the attack. While Monk says he is best at scoring, he also thinks his ability to distribute and create for others is a big part of his game.
Paige’s shot propels Swarm past Long Island Nets (JournalNow.com)
"Marcus Paige hit the biggest shot of the game as the Greensboro Swarm staged a fourth-quarter comeback to win a close one over the Long Island Nets. Paige hit a long 3-pointer from behind an on-ball screen at the top of the key with 31.7 seconds left to put the Swarm up 2"
Marcus Paige had himself a game against Long Island as Greensboro picked up their first road win of the 2017-18 G-League season. The former UNC point guard put up 16 points, three rebounds and two steals versus the Nets. New Orleans Pelicans’ assignee, Jalen Jones, led the Swarm with 23 points and 11 boards off of the bench. Here are highlights of Marcus Paige from the game.
Jones and fellow Pelicans’ two-way player Charles Cook, who put up 14 points and nine rebounds in the game, have since been recalled to New Orleans. Aside from Paige, the Hornets’ other two-way player, Mangok Mathiang, almost recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 points and nine rebounds. T.J. Williams also added 11 points with the second unit. The Greensboro Swarm improved to 2-1 with the victory.
Charlotte Hornets worst free throw shooter (BleacherReport.com)
"The eight-time All-Star center is losing significant ground in this battle, sitting nearly 25 percentage points beneath his rookie rate (67.1). If he can’t curb this trend, he’ll post a new career-low for the second time in three seasons."
Next: Second round pick Dwayne Bacon is an ideal rookie
Dwight is only shooting 40.6% from the free throw line so far this season which is by far the worst mark in the NBA. His shooting from the charity stripe isn’t getting any better and it seems to only be getting worse later in his career. Other players like Andre Drummond, Clint Capela and even DeAndre Jordan look to be righting their wrongs from the free throw line this season. This will probably be one of those things that will always plague Howard.