Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the best articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.
Dwight Howard picked up his 10th technical foul of the season. If he gets to 16, he will be suspended for one game. (Twitter/ @Rick_Bonnell) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we review the Charlotte Hornets midway through the season while also looking at if Marvin Williams should be invited to the three-point shootout during All-Star Weekend and the Greensboro Swarm falling to the Lakeland Magic.
Hornets’ midseason review (BreezeJMU.org)
"Kemba Walker is one of the few bright spots on the team and Howard is averaging over 15 points and 12 rebounds per game, but Monk hasn’t come close to providing the scoring punch the Hornets need. Charlotte isn’t going anywhere this season and should seriously consider trading Walker for young assets and starting from scratch."
There were high hopes in Charlotte before the season started but at the halfway mark, those expectations have subsided. Although Kemba and Dwight have been great, Malik Monk has been ineffective for the most part as he can’t seem to get consistent minutes off of the bench. The rookie, much like the team as a whole, has not lived up to expectations just yet. Still, at only 19, he has plenty of time to develop into a productive player.
Despite the Hornets’ struggles, it’s unlikely that they trade their star player and hit the reset button. Even if a rebuild is the best approach going forward for the franchise, there is no way this team can survive yet another rebuild and keep their fans interested.
NBA should invite Marvin Williams to participate in three-point contest (ClutchPoints.com)
"With Marvin Williams leading the league in 3-point percentage, he seems to be an obvious candidate to participate in the All-Star shooting event. That has not been the case though as he has yet to receive an invite for the competition despite making it known that he is very much willing to join."
Although Marvin is no longer leading the NBA in three-point percentage as the leader usually changes with every passing game, he is still near the top of the league and that shouldn’t be overlooked. I think the league should invite Williams as he’s been a sharpshooter this season and is deserving of an invitation. Plus, there aren’t many big men competing. Kemba Walker represented the Hornets in the three-point shootout last season when he finished in third place.
Bradley Beal, Wayne Ellington, Klay Thompson and Devin Booker have already been invited to participate in the three-point shootout. Eric Gordon, who won last year, should also be participating as the reigning champion. Stephen Curry won’t take part in the All-Star Weekend event but he will compete next year when the game is in Charlotte.
Swarm lose to the Magic in overtime (Gleague.NBA.com)
"The Lakeland Magic (15-13) defeated the Greensboro Swarm (9-20) 116-114 with an overtime win. Rodney Purvis hit two free throws with 2.2 seconds left in the game to take the lead. The Magic then turned to their defense to hold onto the win with a last-second shot attempt by the Swarm."
Next: Rumor: Hornets tried to engage Spurs in Kawhi-Kemba trade
Marcus Paige couldn’t create some magic against the Magic as his potential game-winning three-point shot was off the mark. Greensboro has now lost two straight games and are only 2-9 in their last 11 outings. While Paige (23p), Cat Barber (22p, 8a), Roscoe Smith (17p, 14r), Sam Thompson (16p) and Terry Henderson (15p) all played well, the Swarm’s defense wasn’t good enough to stop Lakeland when it mattered the most.