Swarm and Sting
Fansided

Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets stall in Week 25 power rankings, Nicolas Batum praises Brandon Roy

By Jerry Stephens

CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 1: Nicolas Batum #5 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 1, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 1: Nicolas Batum #5 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 1, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the best articles from around the internet surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.

Teams are reportedly preparing to pursue a trade for Kawhi Leonard this summer. (RealGM.com) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at where the Charlotte Hornets sit in the Week 25 NBA power rankings, the best player Nicolas Batum has ever played with and Steve Clifford being named a finalist for the Rudy Tomjanovich Award.

Charlotte stalls in week 25 NBA power rankings (USAToday.com)

"This past week, Kemba Walker became the Hornets’ all-time scoring leader, said he’s “tired of missing the playoffs” and combined to score just 17 points on 16 shots (to go along with eight turnovers) in a two-game span."

For the fifth consecutive week, the Hornets came in at No. 21 in the power rankings. The Queen City team went 1-3 this past week with losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers while defeating the New York Knicks. They remain stuck in the bottom 10 as they have yet to pass the Los Angeles Lakers for No. 20 despite Charlotte having a better record.

It’s unlikely that they will fall any further in the rankings by the end of the season but a few more victories could move them into the top-20 and past LA. The top six teams were unchanged while the Oklahoma City Thunder were the big losers falling from No. 7 to No. 11. The winners were the Denver Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets who each moved up two spots while the bottom five teams stayed the same.

Nicolas Batum praises Brandon Roy (SlamOnline.com)

"Former teammate Nicolas Batum recently retweeted a video of Roy knocking down a buzzer beater and called him “the best player [he’s] ever played with.” Batum has also been with Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kemba Walker, and more elite talents during his decade in the NBA"

At his peak, Roy averaged 22.6 points per game and was the face of the Portland Trail Blazers franchise. The three-time all-star would have had even more accomplishments had his career not been cut short due to injuries. He was forced to retire once at 27 years old and again at 28. It’s easy to see why Nic said this because Brandon was a monster in his prime. The two played together for three seasons in Portland.

Batum has played alongside some great players including Kemba Walker who is arguably the greatest Charlotte Hornets’ player of all-time. Looking at Brandon and Kemba’s careers head to head, you could make an argument for either one being the better player but Roy’s postseason success may put him ahead of Walker for now. Still, let’s not forget how incredible B-Roy was.

Steve Clifford named a finalist for the Rudy Tomjanovich award (Twitter/ @ScottAgness)

"Boston’s Brad Stevens is a finalist for the Rudy Tomjanovich Award, recognizing a head coach for cooperation with the media and fans. Other finalists: Steve Clifford, Mike D’Antoni, Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers"

Although Steve has never won the Rudy Tomjanovich Award, he has been named a finalist in three of the last four seasons. This year marks the fourth time he’s been named a finalist since the 2013-14 season. Stan Van Gundy won the award last year while previous winners have been Dwayne Casey (2015-16), Steve Kerr (2014-15), Frank Vogel (2013-14), George Karl (2012-13), Doc Rivers (2011-12) and Jerry Sloan (2010-11).

Next: Kemba's name to be in the rumor mill this summer

Clifford, D’Antoni and Stevens were all finalists last year as well. Kerr and Rivers are each going for their second Rudy Tomjanovich Award while the other three finalists are looking to win their first ever. Credit to the Charlotte Hornets’ head coach for always cooperating with the media no matter the situation or how bad his team has played.

Home/Hornets News