Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets player watch, Kemba Walker’s future
Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the best articles from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
Dwight Howard and Michael Carter-Williams were seen getting up shots and running the court for some extra work after the team’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at how some of the Charlotte Hornets‘ players are trending, Kemba Walker‘s future and the Greensboro Swarm falling to the Erie BayHawks for their third consecutive loss.
Charlotte Hornets player watch (Reuters.com)
"G/F Nic Batum was limited to 27 minutes on Friday night in his second game back from a torn ligament in his elbow. Coach Steve Clifford wants to keep Batum and F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist fresh as the Hornets will play six games over nine days."
Even though Nicolas Batum was supposed to be limited to only 20-22 minutes when he returned, he’s looked good and Steve Clifford has played him closer to 30 minutes in each game since coming back. Being able to play so many minutes after missing so many games speaks to Nic’s conditioning level and how hard he worked while out. MKG, who missed seven of the team’s first 11 games, is still looking to regain his fitness but is looking better each game.
After the Hornets’ heartbreaking loss to Chicago, Kemba talked about missing the game-winning shot. The all-star point guard said that he got the look he wanted but lost the ball a bit on the way up. Walker’s trending upward as he followed up his 47-point performance against the Bulls with 26 points versus the Clippers.
Kemba Walker: Past, Present and Future (NBA.com)
"Charlotte Hornets point guard, Kemba Walker, reflects on the “Past, Present, and Future” of his basketball journey."
The Bronx native touched a bit on his past saying that he was a “very energetic kid” and that he didn’t know he would play basketball. As for his present, Kemba thinks that he’s a “more complete player” and a “floor general.” The stats back up his statement as Walker has upped his scoring efficiency and become an all-around player by adding a consistent three-point shot to his game.
When talking about his future, the 27-year old wants to become an even more complete player by “adding more assists.” Like many other NBA players, his ultimate goal is to win a championship. Looking at his future from the outside, Kemba is set to be a free agent after the 2018-19 season and if Charlotte hasn’t shown signs of being close to a championship, will Walker leave for a better chance to accomplish that feat?
Greensboro Swarm drops third straight (Gleague.NBA.com)
"The Erie BayHawks (3-4), NBA G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club, earned their third straight win tonight, taking down the Greensboro Swarm (2-4), 106-91. Erie is now 2-0 against the Swarm this season."
Next: The Honeymoon stage is over for Howard and the Hornets
After going 2-1 in their first three games of the season, the Hornets’ G-League affiliate has lost three straight with two of them being against Erie. Terry Henderson led Greensboro with 24 points and eight rebounds while two-way player Marcus Paige put up 20 points. The Swarm is still looking for their first win without Jalen Jones and Charles Cooke who left the team to rejoin their parent club in the New Orleans Pelicans.