Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets next man up, Where Kemba Walker ranks among top point guards this season
Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
Kemba Walker continues to climb the charts and is either first or second in many of the team’s franchise records. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at Johnny O’Bryant being the next man up for the Charlotte Hornets, where Kemba Walker ranks among other top point guards for the remainder of the 2017-18 season and the Greensboro Swarm falling to the Santa Cruz Warriors.
JOB is Charlotte’s next man up (BasketballInsiders.com)
"“I just try to be kind of whatever they need,” O’Bryant told Basketball Insiders. “Cody Zeller is a big part of that second unit, a big defensive anchor. He talked, he brought a lot of energy. I’m just trying to make up for that as well as bring an offensive punch to it as well.”"
With Cody Zeller out, O’Bryant has been called on to step up his game and he has performed admirably as the Hornets’ emergency big man. He is averaging 5.3 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game so far this season which are both a career-highs for Johnny. With no other options off of the bench, JOB was the only option for the team but he has been an adequate replacement until Zeller gets back.
Although he has played well in short bursts, there are times when O’Bryant looks for his shot too much and doesn’t go with the flow of the offense. The understanding of the offense and when to shoot or pass should come easier with more playing time. His energy is his biggest asset and the main reason Charlotte decided to keep him on their roster. If nothing else, he helps provide a spark with the second unit.
Where Kemba ranks among top PG’s for the rest of 2017-18 (BleacherReport.com)
"Pick your favorite MVP candidate. Select your preferred superstar. As Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale documented earlier this season, none of them are going to post differentials that span this yawning chasm created by Charlotte’s irreplaceable heart and soul."
B/R ranks Walker seventh among all point guards in the NBA with only Kyle Lowry, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry ahead of him. Considering how many great players there are at the point guard position, Kemba did outrank a number of all-star level players on this list like John Wall, Ben Simmons and Mike Conley.
If the MVP award truly valued the Most Valuable Player to a single team, Kemba would be at the top of the list. There are times when he single-handedly carried the Charlotte Hornets and is their only consistent offensive option. That is probably a big reason as to why he is ranked so high on this list. If the team can step up around Walker, I think he could play better than both Lowry and Lillard for the remainder of the season which would put him in the top-5.
Swarm fall to the Santa Cruz Warriors, 116-102 (Gleague.NBA.com)
"In front of a sold out Fieldhouse at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, the Swarm fell, 116-102, to the Santa Cruz Warriors in the second game of its back-to-back on Saturday night. The defeat moves the Swarm to an 8-16 record."
Next: Could Steve Clifford soon return to the Hornets?
Although Greensboro played well, they didn’t have enough firepower to outscore Santa Cruz. Cat Barber led the Swarm with 23 points while Sam Thompson scored 21 points off of the bench and both two-way player, Marcus Paige and Mangok Mathiang, each put up a double-double. The Charlotte Hornets’ G-League affiliate has now lost four straight and has yet to win in 2018.