Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
After defeating the Detroit Pistons and picking up their fourth straight win, the Queen City team now has a 24% chance of making the playoffs. (FiveThirtyEight.com) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the Charlotte Hornets gaining momentum, Kemba Walker talking about learning from Michael Jordan and Dwight Howard moving up the rebounding leaderboard.
Charlotte Hornets gaining momentum (Twitter/ @Kroeger)
"Hornets haven’t won 4-straight since 11/2-11/9 of 2016. Charlotte has had its last 8 three-game win streaks snapped before reaching four-straight."
It’s incredible that Charlotte went more than a year without a four-game win streak. That streak came to an end when they defeated the Pistons after picking up three previous victories over the Orlando Magic, the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards. If they win their next game, the Hornets will have their first five-game win streak since the 2015-16 season (Feb. 6th – Feb. 21st).
During their win streak, Charlotte has outscored their opponents by an average of 12.5 points per game while posting the fourth best offensive rating (117.3) and the third-best net rating (+15.9) since the All-Star Break. It’s also worth noting that the Hornets have made the most three’s since the ASG and are shooting at a 46.3% clip from beyond the arc which is the third-best in the NBA. We’ll have to wait and see if they can continue their great play.
Kemba talks about learning from MJ (Air.Jordan.com)
"What are your interactions with MJ like? Walker: When I have streaks of not playing he’ll be like “what are you doing? Like, make a shot.” But then he’s also constantly helping me, with my leadership, he believes in me as a leader. So it’s unreal to have that kind of mentor, one that stays on top of me but keeps me focused in the right direction."
It speaks volumes that Michael Jordan believes in Kemba as a leader. It must be great for Walker to have such a great guide like MJ to help lead him in the right direction. It’s clear that the Hornets’ point guard has not only become the team’s unquestioned leader but he is also the face of the franchise and the heart and soul of the entire organization.
After years of improving his game and learning from other leaders like Al Jefferson, Kemba has taken the place of Charlotte’s leader over the past couple seasons. In the article, Walker also talked about what it’s like to be a Jordan Brand athlete. He said that he still finds it “crazy.”
Howard continues to climb rebounding leaderboard (Twitter/ @Mikecwright)
"With 12 rebounds earlier today, Dwight Howard tied Bob Pettit for 17th all-time in rebounding (12,849) per @ESPNStatsInfo"
Next: Rumor: Hornets, Knicks discussed Monk trade
Once the 32-year old Hornets’ big man passes Pettit, he will be less than 100 rebounds away from passing Jerry Lucas. If he continues at his current pace of 12.7 rebounds per game, there is a good chance that he will pass Buck Williams and Shaquille O’Neal to reach 15th all-time on the rebound list. With each passing game, Dwight Howard is further securing his spot as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.