Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets’ star praises Treveon Graham, Potential Cody Zeller replacements
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 Hornets‘ big man, Frank Kaminsky, had his jersey retired at his high school (Benet Academy) in Lisle, Illinois. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at Kemba Walker speaking highly of Treveon Graham, potential replacements for Cody Zeller and Marcus Paige having mixed results with the Greensboro Swarm.
Kemba praises Treveon Graham (Twitter/ @JustinThomasNBA)
"Kemba Walker on Treveon Graham following the win in OKC, “If we can have more guys like Tre that would be great,”"
After a career game against the Thunder, Walker commended the great play of Treveon Graham. The second-year player put up 12 points in 20 minutes while shooting 4-5 from the field and 3-3 from beyond the arc. The VCU product has worked tirelessly on his game and has become a consistent outside shooting for Charlotte.
Tying his career-high with 12 points, Graham very may well have earned more minutes going forward. With Cody Zeller out and Frank Kaminksy playing the backup center spot, Treveon has filled in as a stretch four. His hustle and toughness make him a key player for the team. The 24-year old may not do anything spectacular but he makes winning plays and Kemba Walker has taken notice.
Potential Cody Zeller replacements (HoopsHype.com)
"Players like Tiago Splitter, Emeka Okafor and Anderson Varejao are among the possible candidates who could fill in for Zeller. However, we also looked at others who may be available that have established connections to the organization."
This article lists Roy Hibbert, Kwame Brown, Jordan Hill, Brandon Bass, Samuel Dalembert, Glen Davis and Charlie Villanueva as possible candidates that Charlotte could sign. The Hornets could sign a free agent to a prorated non-guaranteed minimum deal and it would keep them under the under the tax line. If Charlotte doesn’t decide to sign anyone, they will rely on Frank Kaminsky, Treveon Graham, Johnny O’Bryant and two-way player Mangok Mathiang to help provide frontcourt depth.
If Charlotte was to sign any of the players listed above, I think that Jordan Hill would be the best option and probably makes the most sense since he was linked with a move to the Hornets during the offseason. Looking at the free agent market, there aren’t a lot of great big men available. Other potential replacements include Kris Humphries, Derrick Williams and Thomas Robinson.
Marcus Paige has mixed results with Swarm (TheTimesNews.com)
"Greensboro Swarm guard Marcus Paige scored a career-high 32 points on 12-for-15 shooting, including an 8-for-9 mark on 3-pointers, to propel the Swarm to a 132-126 victory against the visiting Reno Bighorns."
Next: Kevin Durant commends Kemba Walker
Even though Paige has had a couple big games for Greensboro, he has been up and down for most of the season. He is the team’s third-leading scorer at 14.6 PPG but Marcus has struggled with his efficiency shooting only 42% from the field. His inconsistent play has resulted in the Swarm’s 5-10 record. As a two-way player, they rely heavily on him so hopefully, the career game is a step forward in the right direction for the former UNC player.