Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets improvement might not matter, Malik Monk isn’t worried about falling out of the rotation
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Lonzo Ball is set to return to the Los Angeles Lakers for their game against the Charlotte Hornets. (SilverScreenAndRoll.com) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at why Charlotte’s belief might not matter, Malik Monk not being concerned about falling out of the team’s rotation and Marvin Williams shooting a career-high from three.
Charlotte believes they’re turning the corner but it might not matter (FanRagSports.com)
"Even if the Hornets do start winning more, it might not matter much. It seems likely that they’ll miss the postseason for the third time in four years, and it’s hard to see how general manager Rich Cho can improve the roster beyond this season."
Although the Hornets have turned things around a bit during their West Coast road trip, they still have a long road ahead. They are still nine games under .500, 12th in the Eastern Conference and four and a half games behind the Indiana Pacers for the eighth seed. The fact of the matter is, their recent form is promising and the confidence that Dwight Howard and Kemba Walker have is a good sign going forward.
As @HoopsPlusTheHarm pointed out, Charlotte would need to go 27-18 over their final 45 games to finish with a 41-41 record. While that will probably be good enough to secure a playoff spot in the East, the team hasn’t shown an ability to string together wins so far this season. And even if they do make the postseason, it doesn’t solve all of the problems that they will face in the future but at least it will be a small band-aid.
Malik Monk isn’t worried about being benched (BasketballInsiders.com)
"“I don’t think nobody likes being on the bench and not playing basketball, but it just comes with being a rookie,” Monk told Basketball Insiders. “I’m gonna continue doing my routine off the court, getting up shots, weights, and all that stuff like that. Nothing’s gonna change from my work ethic whether I’m playing or not.”"
It sounds like the Hornets’ rookie isn’t too concerned about falling out of the rotation. Both Steve Clifford and Stephen Silas benched Monk because of defensive issues but the 11th overall pick remains optimistic. Malik talked about his time in the G-League with the Greensboro Swarm and his thoughts on the team’s playoff hopes.
Monk added that although things are up and down, “everything’s good” and he labeled this season as a “learning year.” It seems like the first-round pick has accepted his current role with the team and rather than being frustrated, he has embraced the challenge of earning his minutes. We’ll see if the Kentucky-product can get back into the rotation this season and it may largely depend on whether or not Charlotte’s in the playoff hunt.
Marvin Williams on his career-high shooting percentage from three (Twitter/ @730TheGame)
"“I haven’t changed anything with my routine or approach, I know how to shoot a basketball. I probably make 600 three’s a day and I think having the same routine everyday helps” – Marvin Williams on shooting a career high percentage from behind the arc"
Next: When was Charlotte's best chance at an NBA Title?
Even though Marvin’s scoring and rebounding are down a bit, he is shooting 41.7% from three-point line which is a career-high and 45.8% from the field which is his best mark since the 2010-11 season. It’s crazy to think that Williams makes 600 three’s every day. After a bit of a down season last year, the Charlotte Hornets have their consistent stretch four back.