Buzz City Beat: Charlotte noticed Kemba after NCAA Tournament, How to fix the Hornets
Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
The Charlotte Hornets are set to take on the Atlanta Hawks as they look to sweep the season series against their division rivals. (HeroSports.com) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at how Kemba Walker‘s March Madness run put himself back on Charlotte’s draft board, fixing the Hornets and a big opportunity for Malik Monk.
Kemba put himself back on Charlotte’s draft board with NCAA Tournament run (RealGM.com)
"The Charlotte Hornets had crossed Kemba Walker off their draft list but that changed when Michael Jordan watched him play during the Big East Tournament and NCAA Tournament. The Hornets had already drafted D.J. Augustin and he was viewed at the time as their long-term solution at point guard."
When Walker led UCONN to the Big East Title and the National Championship, Michael Jordan saw a bit of himself in Kemba and fell in love with the point guard. Walker’s incredible and improbable run during his junior year helped build his brand and solidify his name inside of the lottery in the 2011 NBA Draft. I’m sure plenty of other teams took notice of him after carrying the Huskies to the NCAA Title.
Kemba’s ability to hit clutch shots was what reminded Jordan of himself along with Walker being a great competitor. It’s a good thing that MJ wanted Kemba because he’s since become the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer. They took Walker with the ninth overall pick and D.J. Augustin has been a role player for most of his NBA career.
How to fix the Hornets (BasketballInsiders.com)
"The Hornets need to accept the fact that they aren’t very good. Slated for their second straight losing season, Charlotte needs to take account of the current roster and determine who will and won’t last through a rebuild."
The only player that should be safe on Charlotte’s roster is Kemba Walker. Although, Jeremy Lamb and Treveon Graham have both also played well this season. The Hornets need to see what Malik Monk, Dwayne Bacon and Willy Hernangomez bring to the table and if they are going to be reliable role players for the team next year.
Two “focus areas” for Charlotte are the draft and free agency. In the draft, they just need to make a good pick which has been a rarity for them over the past decade. As for free agency, the Hornets have almost no money to spend but “Avery Bradley, Willie Reed and Shabazz Muhammed” could be buy-low options for them this summer.
Patience meets opportunity for Malik Monk (NBA.com)
"The recent news of Michael Carter-Williams’ season-ending shoulder surgery has officially closed the door on his 2017-18 campaign. But when one door closes in the NBA, another one generally opens, and this time, it’s for Hornets rookie guard Malik Monk."
Next: 5 draft prospects to watch in NCAA Tournament
After sitting on the bench for most of the season, Malik Monk finally gets his chance to play meaningful minutes as the Hornets’ backup point guard to close out the year. This is an opportunity for him to build some confidence going forward and settle even more into the NBA style and speed of play. We’ll see if the rookie can make the most of his chance as it could result in him having a bigger role next season.