Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
Stephen Curry has been ruled out of his marquee matchup against the Queen City team. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Charlotte Hornets‘ Christmas wish list, Steve Clifford taking an indefinite leave of absence and a trade idea involving Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Hornets’ Christmas wish list (Inquisitr.com)
"It’s time they decided what to do with Marvin Williams. The Hornets are in desperate need of a rebounder to take the pressure off Dwight Howard. A move for Nikola Mirotic of the Bulls would be a perfect fit."
While I agree that Charlotte needs to think about whether Marvin Williams is their best option as the starting power forward from here on out, I don’t think that Nikola Mirotic is the answer. The Hornets already have a stretch four who isn’t overly consistent and struggles on defense with Frank Kaminsky. Plus, the Bulls’ big man hasn’t proven to be a great rebounder averaging only 5.5 boards in 24 minutes per game last season.
If Charlotte really wanted to move Marvin and get an upgrade at PF, they should look to get a solid two-way player like Trevor Booker, Kenneth Faried, Julius Randle or Derrick Favors. Although it would take more to acquire one of those players, they are all significantly better rebounders than Williams. (ESPN) As for Mirotic, he should not be anywhere close to the Hornets’ Christmas wish list.
Steve Clifford takes a leave of absence (NBA.com)
"The Charlotte Hornets announced today that Head Coach Steve Clifford will be away from the team for the immediate future to address his health. Currently, there is no timetable for his return. Hornets Associate Head Coach Stephen Silas will serve as acting head coach."
It’s unclear what the health issue is that Coach Clifford is dealing with but it is serious enough to keep him away from the team. He missed the Hornets’ game against the Orlando Magic on December 4th with an illness and wasn’t with Charlotte for their practice on December 5th either. It’s not clear how long Steve Clifford will be out since there is no timetable for a return.
We hope that Steve Clifford gets better soon and is able to return to his coaching duties on the sideline. While he is out, Stephen Silas will fill in as the team’s head coach. He’s been with Charlotte since 2010. Silas is one of the best assistants in the NBA and has head coaching ability as he was interviewed for the Rockets’ head coaching job back in 2016 and also met with the Warriors and Blazers for their top assistant role.
Trade idea: MKG to Philadelphia (SportsTalkPhilly.com)
"he downside to adding Kidd-Gilchrist to the fold would be a contract that runs for two more seasons after this one at a cap hit of $13 million per season. While Kidd-Gilchrist would resolve many of the Sixers’ bench issues he would jeopardize any long-term plans that the Sixers have in relation to free agent additions."
Next: A closer look at Dwight's post-up problems
A trade involving MKG to the 76ers would almost surely include Jerryd Bayless being dealt to the Hornets plus another player so that the salaries could match. That would give Charlotte added point guard depth and they would also be able to squeeze another player out of Philly like either Jahlil Okafor or Justin Anderson. (ESPN Trade Machine) Making the trade would allow Jeremy Lamb to slide into the starting lineup. The only problem is that it would leave Charlotte without their best individual defender.