Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the best articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.
Recapping All-Star Saturday Night, Spencer Dinwiddie won the Skills Challenge while Devin Booker was victorious in the Three-Point Shootout and Donovan Mitchell stole the show in the Dunk Contest. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Charlotte Hornets being one player away from contending, Willy Hernangomez modeling his game after Marc Gasol and Kemba Walker wanting players to speak out.
Hornets are one player away from contending (CharlotteObserver.com)
"Steve Clifford says this is the most talented team he’s coached. But even if they had spent the season free of injury, they don’t strike me as a team that would contend for home court in the playoffs. They are only one good player away from contending for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. But, man, has that player been tough to come by."
Many believed, including Steve Clifford, that this quad was already good enough to compete for a top-six seed in the East. Now, it’s pretty easy to see that they are not yet at that level. I would argue that they are one good shot creator away from contending. Aside from Kemba Walker, this team doesn’t have a secondary playmaker and lacks players who can create for themselves.
Maybe Malik Monk will be that player in a couple seasons but until then, the Hornets will struggle to make the playoffs. Especially considering that most teams in the Eastern Conference are getting better and trending upward. What once looked like a promising roster, now looks like a team stuck in mediocrity and loaded with bad contracts that they can’t get out of. We’ll see if Charlotte can find that “one good player” sooner rather than later.
Willy Hernangomez wants to play like Marc Gasol (WFNZ.com)
"Willy Hernagomez when asked who he would compare his game to: “One of my favorite players, who I try to learn every day is Marc Gasol. I can not say I’m the same player but this is one of my goals. I’m kind of this player.”"
Willy wants to do what Marc Gasol does. He wants to be able to play in the low post, open the court and make plays for the Hornets like his fellow countryman does for the Memphis Grizzlies. While the comparison is a bit of a reach, you can see where the newest Hornets’ player is coming from. It’s clear that he has tried to model his game after Gasol.
Hernangomez also said that he is an “energy guy” and that he likes to set screens, rebound, pass and space the floor. Willy said that he “does many things on both ends of the floor” and that he “especially likes to play in the low post.” It will be interesting to see if the Spaniard gets playing time post-All-Star Break and how the team will use him. Even before playing in a single game for Charlotte, he is already one of their most versatile big men.
Kemba calls FOX host “disrespectful” for comments about LeBron (CharlotteObserver.com)
"Asked what he’d do if someone told him to “shut up and dribble,” Walker said he honestly wasn’t sure what he’d say. But he said he admired the response from James. “It was pretty disrespectful. People should have the chance to say whatever they want, especially a guy like LeBron. He’s huge, an icon. He should have an opinion if he wants to.”"
Next: Predicting the second half of the season
Kemba clearly believes that athletes shouldn’t stick to sports. I commend Walker for standing with LeBron James and wanting players to speak out. The Hornets’ all-star point guard has been vocal on social issues in the past like when he led an effort to improve the community in 2016 when Keith Lamont Scott was killed by Charlotte police. While he isn’t the most outspoken NBA player, he does believe in people standing up for what they believe in.