Buzz City Beat: Charlotte vs Orlando prediction, Should the Hornets start tanking?
Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
With Steve Clifford feeling under the weather, associate head coach Stephen Silas is set to take the helm and coach the Charlotte Hornets for as long as the head coach is out. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we preview the Charlotte matchup against the Orlando Magic while also looking at if the Hornets should tank and which tier the team ranks in.
Charlotte vs Orlando preview and prediction (RealSport101.com)
"This is a game both Southeast Division teams need, but even with the Hornets struggling, they seem more in line to pull out a win in this one by a 118-107 count."
After a strong start to the season, the Magic have lost eight of their last 10 games. In their first meeting this year, Charlotte defeated Orlando, 120-113 at home. This will be the second matchup between the divisional rivals so far this season. Dating back to the 2015-16 season, the Queen City team has won eight straight outings versus the Magic.
The Hornets should get a boost with Kemba Walker returning after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury. Although they’re on a four-game losing streak, Charlotte’s played surprisingly well at home this season. They have a 7-3 record at the Spectrum Center. The return of their all-star point guard and their home court advantage should be enough to get a much-needed win in this one.
Should the Hornets start tanking? (BleacherReport.com)
"The Hornets will want to explore a miniature teardown if they’re not around or above .500 at the trade deadline, in hopes of snagging a top draft pick before Walker’s contract year. For now, we’ve seen enough to know we haven’t yet seen enough."
The short answer is no but the longer answer is that they should at least be considering it as a last resort after a slow and underwhelming start to the season. If Charlotte’s on the outside looking in of the Eastern Conference playoff picture in February, their best option may be to blow this team up and look to rebuild once again. That won’t be a popular decision but how long can one team live in mediocrity?
Luckily for the Hornets, their schedule gets a lot easier later in the season. They currently have the third toughest strength of schedule in the NBA which means they are getting their most difficult games out of the way early on. Everyone getting healthy should also help the team. The most realistic option is that Rich Cho and the front office attempt to strengthen their roster around the trade deadline in hopes of a playoff push rather than blow up the team and tank.
Which tier does the team rank? (WashingtonPost.com)
"two have been worse (Miami and Charlotte). It still seems as though the Heat and Hornets will wind up with better records, assuming early injury issues for Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum and Hassan Whiteside eventually subside."
Next: Rumor: Hornets interested in trading for Jordan Clarkson
Charlotte ranks in “Tier 6” alongside the Heat, the Pacers and the Knicks. Considering that there are only eight total tiers, the Hornets are much closer to the bottom than they are to the top. Tier 4, which includes the Raptors, the Pistons, the 76ers, the Bucks, the Wizards, the Nuggets, the Timberwolves and the Thunder, is a realistic spot for the team to be in by the end of the season.