Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets Take on Pacers, Barely Missing on Draft Picks
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Buzz City Stings is your daily destination for the latest and best news from around the internet about the Charlotte Hornets. On the second game of their five-game road trip, they are set to take on Paul George and the Indiana Pacers. In this edition, we look at barely missing on draft picks and revisit the Southeast Division.
Hornets Take on Paul George and the Pacers
“The Charlotte Hornets (14-10) were interrupted on their three-game winning streak two nights ago, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers defeated them 116-105.the Indiana Pacers (12-12) just can’t seem to get consistent. Maybe against Charlotte they will manage to do something about that. They defeated Portland 118-111, and they have a chance to do something they didn’t for quite some time. Win two in a row. Paul George was in turbo mode against Trail Blazers, scoring 37 points and catching five rebounds.” (RealSport101.com)
After taking on LeBron James the game before, the Hornets will be tasked with checking yet another superstar in Paul George when they travel to Indiana. It won’t be an easy task but it will take a collective team effort to slow down PG13 and pull off a win over the up and down Pacers. This is a road game that could help boost Charlotte’s spirits and confidence with a victory.
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Barely Missing on Draft Picks (Kaminsky, MKG)
“Kidd-Gilchrist was drafted number two overall in 2012 and Kaminsky was selected with the ninth pick in 2015. The Hornets have constructed a formidable and successful team built around the coaching style of Steve Clifford. The formerly projected ceilings of Kidd-Gilchrist and Kaminsky represent the pinnacle of that construction: a team knocking on the door of title contention. The trouble with a team in Charlotte’s position is that falling short of those ceilings is more costly than it is for some other teams.” (RealGM.com)
Charlotte’s poor drafting has been a topic of conversation for years and I’m sure the old narrative has gotten annoying to fans but the reality remains the same. This isn’t to bash Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or, Frank Kaminsky, as each player has been productive during their time with the Hornets. It is to point out that the team had higher hopes when they selected these players and neither of them will likely reach the high ceiling that was once placed on them and it may be the sole reason why they aren’t yet competing for a title.
Revisiting the Southeast Division
“The Charlotte Hornets looked really good to start off the season. A healthy Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, plus veteran additions in Roy Hibbert, Ramon Sessions, and Marco Belinelli led to the squad making significant on-court buzz, pun intended. The team got off to an 8-3 start, but followed that up with a four-game losing streak, that included overtime defeats to the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks. It may be too early to judge most teams with new pieces and new coaches after roughly 20 or so games, but the teams from Southeast Division are surely hoping the upcoming holidays bring them the big boost they need to turn the corner before the All Star break.” (Sports.abs-cbn.com)
After the first quarter of the 2016-17 season, the Charlotte Hornets lead the Southeast Division by two games. They are well on their way to winning their first ever Southeast Division title as the Atlanta Hawks, the Washington Wizards, the Orlando Magic, and the Miami Heat are all struggling so far. While the Hawks are 12-12, the Hornets are the only team over .500 in the division after the first quarter of the season.
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