Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
Charlotte-native Anthony Morrow gave a shoutout and a prayer to Steve Clifford. (Uninterrupted) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we preview the Charlotte Hornets matchup against the Chicago Bulls, why the team has been a bummer so far this season and Mangok Mathiang being called up from the Greensboro Swarm.
Charlotte vs Chicago preview and prediction (RealSport101.com)
"Charlotte, though, need this game as well. Look for Walker to carry them down the stretch once more, this time coming out on the winning end of a 110-106 victory."
The Hornets have lost five of their last six games but they have a couple winnable games coming up against Chicago and the Los Angeles Lakers at home. Unfortunately, Charlotte will be a bit shorthanded without Cody Zeller, Frank Kaminsky and head coach Steve Clifford. Still, they should have enough to get a much-needed win to hopefully help turn around their season.
As for the Bulls, their last win came against the Hornets on November 17th. They’ve lost 10 straight since that game and are the worst team in the NBA at 3-20. Chicago’s struggled everywhere but particularly on the road as they only have one win outside of the Windy City so far this season. Losing to this lowly Bulls’ squad at home would be cause for concern for Charlotte.
The Hornets are kind of a bummer (FanRagSports.com)
"The Charlotte Hornets were a fun, up-and-coming team two years ago when they won 48 games and saw the emergence of Kemba Walker as a bona fide star. Now the Hornets are mostly an afterthought in the NBA landscape. They won 36 games last season and are 9-14 to start this year, which is only better than the lowly Hawks and Bulls in the East."
Charlotte’s been one of, if not, the most disappointing teams in the NBA so far this season. They were supposed to be a top-six team in the East but they currently sit in 13th place in the Eastern Conference which is behind the likes of the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, and the New York Knicks. Expectations were high before the start of the season and rightfully so when considering the amount of money this team is spending on players.
Luckily for the Hornets, it’s still early and there’s still time for them to turn things around but the clock is ticking and the pressure is now on this team as there is real concern that they might miss out on the playoffs for the second consecutive season. If that were to happen, there’s a good chance that Michael Jordan will clean house.
Team calls up two-way player Mangok Mathiang (Twitter/ @HornetsPR)
"OFFICIAL: @hornets two-way player Mangok Mathiang has been transferred back to the Charlotte Hornets. Last appeared in game with CHA on 10/25/17"
Next: 2018 Draft Preview - Williams, Duval Knox, and Bridges
With Cody Zeller out indefinitely (torn left meniscus) and Frank Kaminsky day-to-day (right ankle sprain), the Hornets’ frontcourt was running thin. Calling up Mangok gives them some depth behind Dwight Howard and Marvin Williams. Johnny O’Bryant is Charlotte’s only other healthy big man at the moment. Mathiang has averaged 9.9 points and 8.5 rebounds with the Greensboro Swarm in the G-League this season.