Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets rise in Week 5 power rankings, Same old team
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Steve Clifford’s side is set to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves as they attempt to get revenge at home. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at where the Charlotte Hornets sit in the Week 5 power rankings, how the same problems keep plaguing the team and a day with associate head coach Stephen Silas.
Charlotte rises in Week 5 power rankings (USAtoday.com)
"The good? The Hornets snapped a six-game skid on Saturday against the Clippers, Kemba Walker has put up 73 points and made 11 of his 18 three-point attempts in his last two games and Nicolas Batum is back in the lineup. The bad? That six-game skid."
The Hornets climbed from No. 24 last week to No. 23 this week. Even though the team only went 1-2 during the week, they still managed to rise in the rankings. Although to go up any higher, they will need to string together a couple victories, get back over .500 and show that they are at least a top-20 team in the NBA because they haven’t looked like one so far this season.
Charlotte comes in just ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers (24) and just behind the Utah Jazz (22). The Boston Celtics, who are riding a 15-game win streak, still hold the No. 1 spot ahead of the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. As the Hornets’ schedule gets easier later in the year, they should win more games and climb up in the rankings.
Same old Hornets (iSportsWeb.com)
"The Hornets snapped a six-game losing streak two nights ago in a 102-87 win against the L.A. Clippers. While the win was impressive, the circumstances were not. Again and again, the Hornets have come out flat, lazy, and unimaginative. Time after time they have posted awful shooting percentages and even worse defensive ratings."
Some of the things that plagued the Hornets’ team that went 36-46 last year, still seem to hurt them this season. Just like last season, Kemba Walker looks head and shoulders above every other player and seems to have almost no help at times. Before the 2017-18 campaign started, there were high hopes for this team as it looked like they had a strong roster on paper.
Luckily for Charlotte, they have a lot going in their favor. They are just getting key players back from injury, their schedule gets easier as the season goes on and it’s still very early in the year. I think they will eventually turn things around. Still, it isn’t a good sign that a team whose staple has been good defense and not turning the ball over has been lacking in both of those categories.
A day with Stephen Silas (SBNation.com)
"“If you gain the right type of communication with your group they will try hard to meet your expectations,” Clifford says. “That’s what he’s very good at. He has a way to gain their respect and establish the right kind of credibility so they know he can help them. There’s nothing more important than that.”"
Next: Steve Clifford benches Malik Monk
This article details what Hornets’ associate head coach, Stephen Silas, does on game day from morning shootaround at 9:30 a.m. to game time at 7:30 p.m. It gives a great inside look at what goes on during the typical day between Silas and the rest of the team. Stephen is one of the best assistants in the NBA and it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a head coach in this league and this article shows why he keeps drawing interest from other teams.