Charlotte Hornets sweep the season series against the Nuggets, beating the Denver Nuggets 122-114

Charlotte Hornets got one step closer to making the playoffs Friday night after defeating the Denver Nuggets 122 to 114. It’s the second straight win for the Hornets, while the Nuggets have lost three out of last four games. Charlotte pulled within two games of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Hornets completed the season sweep of the Nuggets and their third sweep of Denver in last four seasons. Hornets trailed by eight going into the fourth quarter, but scored the first 12 straight and went on a 20-4 run, Kemba Walker helped start the run with a long three-pointer and then next possession had a three-point play. Lamb hit a layup to give Charlotte a 95-94 lead with 8 minutes left, then Belinelli hit two straight threes’. After that, Kaminsky and Belinelli combined for Charlotte's next 12 points. By that time, the game was over. Frank Kaminsky and Marco Belinelli both hit three three-pointers each in the fourth helping Charlotte outscored Nuggets 36-20 in the fourth quarter.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game is Kemba Walker who scored 31 points and had 8 assists. Kemba made 4-of-10 3-pointers and, as importantly, was 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. But the biggest thing Kemba Walker did tonight was becoming the second player in team history to score 8,000 points when he made a three-pointer in the first quarter. The only other Hornet player to do so is Dell Curry. Charlotte Hornets did a lot of good things in this game, hitting 17 three-pointers, the bench outscoring Denver’s bench by 50-19 ( the second straight game where the bench has scored 50+ points). The Hornets looked like a playoff team in the fourth quarter, balling the ball well and forcing turnovers and making stops when needed. Past two games the Hornets have played excellent in the fourth, when earlier in the season the fourth quarter has been their weakness. Hornets do need to work on their defense through, allowing 52 points in the paint and 48.5 percent 3-point shooting isn’t ideal. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Frank Kaminsky with 22 points, Nicolas Batum with 13 points 9 assists, Jeremy Lamb, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 11 points and 7 rebounds. The leading scorers for the Nuggets this game were Nikola Jokic with 26 points 13 rebounds 10 assists, Gary Harris with 20 points, Danilo Gallinari with 19 points, Kenneth Faried with 18 points 13 rebounds. Charlotte Hornets (35-41) travel to go up against triple-double machine Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Charlotte Hornets gets a must-win against the Toronto Raptors, defeating the Raptors 110-106

Charlotte Hornets snapped Toronto Raptors six-game winning streak Wednesday night by beating the Raptors 110 to 106. This loss prevents Toronto from clinching home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, while the Hornets are three games back for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Raptors starting point guard Kyle Lowry was out due to wrist surgery but forward DeMarre Carroll started after missing past two games with a sore lower back. Hornets backup shooting guard Marco Belinelli played after receiving seven stitches to the face after colliding with a Milwaukee Bucks player late in last night game. Behind Frank Kaminsky 13 points in the first half Charlotte led 50-47 at halftime. But after Nic Batum and-one to start the third quarter, Charlotte would miss their next 12 shots that would allow the Raptors to go on an 12-0 run to re-take the lead. The Raptors held Charlotte to just 23% shooting in the third quarter and carried an 74-66 lead into the fourth quarter. But that’s when Marco Belinelli and Kemba Walker came alive scoring a combine 22 points in the quarter. Charlotte made eight threes’ in the fourth quarter helping them score 44 points in the quarter. Walker then hit two big threes’ in the final two minutes, including one that gave Charlotte a 104-101 lead with 37 seconds left. Then finally with eight seconds Marvin Williams hit a huge three-pointer to give the Hornets a four-point lead and take the game away from the Raptors.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game is Kemba Walker who scored 19 points. It was difficult to choose an MVP for this game since there was multiply players who could’ve been MVP but Kemba takes it because Kemba struggled all game long, at one point in the third quarter he was 3-of-16 from the field. But lucky for the Hornets he came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points, and hitting two clutch three-pointers to help give the Hornets this must-win game. I guess that’s why they call him cardiac Kemba! Charlotte did a lot of good things in this game, shooting 50% from the three-point line, grabbing 11 offense rebound that lead to 22 second chance points, only turning the ball over 8 times and forcing 13 turnovers. But the main things were the bench came ready to play, Brain Roberts, Belinelli, Kaminsky and Plumlee(!) all played with a lot of energy and intensity that the bench lack last game. The starters also came ready to play, last game they looked like they didn’t care. But from tip the starters looks dialed in, especially Batum who was more aggressive on offense than usually. Hornets also played much better defense, especially at the end of the game, past games this year they would’ve have allowed the Raptors to score late in the game. But they played good team defense and held their ground. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Marco Belinelli with 21 points, Marvin Williams with 18 points 12 rebounds, Nicolas Batum with 15 points and Frank Kaminsky with 13 points. The leading scorers for the Raptors this game were DeMar DeRozan with 28 points 8 assists, Cory Joseph with 18 points 7 rebounds, Serge Ibaka with 15 points, Jonas Valanciunas with 14 points 15 rebounds. Charlotte Hornets (34-41) return home Friday to go against the Denver Nuggets.

Who will the Carolina Panthers take with the eighth pick in this year NFL draft? Panthers draft rumors 3.0

   With less than a month until the NFL draft, I thought I should do my Carolina Panthers draft rumors 3.0. Before I get into the draft I wanted to go over all the players the Panthers have re-signed since after the first day of free-agency. Panthers have exercised the fifth-year option on wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Running back Jonathan Stewart signed a one-year extension, he’s now under contract through 2018. Panthers re-signed cornerback/special team player Teddy Williams and guard Chris Scott to a one-year deal. The last deal is defensive tackle Kyle Love re-signed with the Panthers to a two-year deal. Now let’s get into the draft rumors involving the Panthers. A report came out today from Matt Barrows who cover the San Francisco 49ers tweeted out that there’s been lots of talk/rumors about Carolina trying to obtain the number two pick from the 49ers. But been told there’s nothing currently in the works. If that is true, I hope the Panthers back off, there would be giving up way too much to be moving up and there no prospects the Panthers are looking at that are going to be taken second in the draft. Sports Illustrated has the Panthers drafting tight end OJ Howard with the eighth pick in the draft. Bleacher Report has the Panthers picking cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the first round. CBS Sports are picking the Panthers to draft running back Leonard Fournette in the first round. NFL.com, FoxSports and Walter football all have the Panthers drafting running back Dalvin Cook with the eighth pick.

            OJ Howard had a breakout season at Alabama in 2015 where he caught 38 passes for 602 yards and earned Offensive MVP in the National Championship game with 208 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns on 5 catches. Howard was a factor in the passing game in his final year with Tide earning third team All-American and second team All-SEC honors. Howard strengths are that he is a gifted athlete, has long arms and massive hands. Tremendous acceleration into routes, light on his feet and smooth out of his breaks. Can adjust to poorly thrown balls and secure contested catches. Can be lined up anywhere on the field, has the possibility of being an elite playmaker. His weaknesses are he needs more muscle and mass to be a good blocker in NFL. Appears passive and needs to be more serious, scouts have questioned his competitive nature. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore missed his freshman year at Ohio State because of surgery on his hamstrings. Played 7 games in 2015, but couldn’t finish the season due to the chronic issues coming up again. He finally got healthy for his redshirt sophomore campaign in 2016, he won a starting job and made the plays on the field that coaches hoped he would be. He was first-team All-Big Ten, had 4 interceptions and 9 pass breakups. His strengths are that he’s a great athlete, use inside hands to slow the release of receivers, Patient from his press, utilizing well-timed opening to match the receiver. Great balance and footwork, electric closing burst forceful open-field tackler. Works through blockers to get to both wide receivers screens and running plays. Lattimore weaknesses are that he only has one year of starting experience, wasn’t tested by the high-end receiving talent that often. Going to be tough to consistently slow NFL receivers with jam and might to learn to play some off coverage. Has issues recovering against speed merchants. The next player is running back Leonard Fournette from LSU. Coming out of high school Leonard Fournette was the number one recruit in the nation and decided to stay home and play for LSU. As a true freshman, he led SEC in all-purpose yards (137.4 per game; 1,034 rushing yards and 625 on kickoff returns). He followed that up his Sophomore year with nearly hitting the 2,000-yard mark (1,953) and scoring 22 touchdowns. But before his junior year, he suffered an ankle injury, which limited him to play seven games and skipping LSU bowl game. Fournette strengths are; he’s built like a linebacker with speed of a receiver. Long, powerful strides that hit second gear faster than most big backs. Has balance and power to plow through tackle attempts and with a punishing stiff arm. Has experience running from two-back, single-back and off-set looks. Hands are adequate in the passing game. Can create for himself with power and speed. Wins in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Leonard Fournette weaknesses are Aggressive, take on style could lead to shortened career. Struggled with a bad ankle for most of the season. Too quick to hit the accelerator and slam into defenders when there are still cuts and yards left on the play. Doesn't see cutback lanes developing as outside zone runner and prefers to keep runs play-side. Pass protection and routes need extensive work. And finally, the last player is Dalvin Cook is first FSU player to break the 1,000-yard mark as a freshman. Next two years only got better, scoring 19 times, and earning All-ACC both years. Also, named 2016 first-team All-American by Associated Press. But has had some injuries and run in with the law; had hamstring issues in 2015 and three shoulder surgeries since high school, also tore his rotator cuff in high school, then tore part of his labrum in 2014 and again in 2016. His run in with law started when he was in high school, robbery in 2009 (charges dropped); firing and possessing a weapon on school property in 2010 (charges dropped) and again in 2015 where he was charged with misdemeanor battery outside a bar (found not guilty). Dalvin Cook strengths, compact stride length downhill. Cook flourished in the zone, gap, and power schemes at FSU. His best is when running wide allowing lead blockers to set up. Able to escape defenders with good vision and hesitation steps and the ability to change directions with ease. Great red zone runner; brighter the lights, the better he plays. He’s comfortable in both one-back and two-back groupings. Can be dangerous out of the backfield. Delvin Cook weaknesses are not always a tough inside runner, needs to be more comfortable between the tackles. Needs to work on his stiff-arm, inconsistent hands; ball security is an issue with 13 career fumbles. Won’t square-up on blitzes and may not be reliable enough as a blocker to play on third downs.

            Out of these four players, I hope the Panthers draft either Dalvin Cook or Leonard Fournette. I just think the Panthers need to draft a talented running back to be the backup of Jonathan Stewart and someday replace Stewart as the starting running back. I might have said take OJ Howard because he can be promising in the NFL and that the only positions Cam ever throws it too is the tight-end and we need someone to help Greg Olsen out. But I’m that he will just play and not be competitive, I hate players who are passive and look like they don’t want to be out there playing. But the one player I do hope they draft with the eighth pick is Derek Barnett defensive end from Tennessee. I believe he going to be a good player in the league and would help our already stack the defensive line. But enough of what I think the Panthers should, what do YOU think the Panthers should do? Tell in the comment tab below! 

Charlotte Hornets playoff hopes dwindle after heartbreaking loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, 118-108

Charlotte Hornets lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 118-108 on Tuesday night. It’s the first time since the 2011-2012 season that the Bucks took the season series against the Hornets, Bucks have also won 12 times in last 15 games. Charlotte backup guard Marco Belinelli left the game late in the fourth quarter due to a gash over his right eye after colliding with Kris Middleton. Charlotte entered tonight only two games back from the Miami Heat for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference so the Hornets needed this win badly with only nine games left. Milwaukee came out on fire, hitting their first five shots and making 20 of their first 26 shots and shoot 73% from the field in the first half to take a 72-50 lead at halftime. Charlotte trailed by as much as 26 in the second half but would able to cut the deficit to eleven with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter after the Hornets went on an 11-2 that was capped off by Jeremy Lamb transition three. But Charlotte was never able to cut the lead to single digits until the final minutes of the game.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game is Jeremy Lamb who scored 16 points off the bench. Lamb played good tonight, helped keep this game in arms reach for the Hornets. In the second quarter help the Hornets go on 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 14 and again the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 11. Lamb needs to work on his defense but is explosive on offense which is what the Hornets bench needs dearly. The Hornets were terrible on defense tonight, allowing the Bucks to shot 73% from the field and 56% from the three-point line in the first half is embarrassing bad. Giving up 14 threes’ in one game is again embarrassing. The Bucks exploited the Hornets lack of having a backup center, Greg Monroe, and Giannis Antetokounmpo killed Frank Kaminsky on the block. Frank Kaminsky is already terrible on defense much less putting him as center and guard center's that just out muscle him is a bad move. I understand that Miles Plumlee was injury and Johnny O’Bryant were both injury but Plumlee has been cleared for play for a few games, if you want to make a run for the playoffs you’re going to need a backup center. I know that this isn’t the whole reason we lost tonight and that he might be fully in shape yet but putting him for a few minutes a half can change how the other teams attack. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Kemba Walker with 26 points 5 assists, Frank Kaminsky with 20 points, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 12 points 6 rebounds and Cody Zeller with 8 points. The leading scorers for the Bucks this game were Tony Snell with 26 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo 20 points 8 rebounds, Malcolm Brogdon with 14 points 10 assists, Greg Monroe with 13 points 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Charlotte Hornets (33-41) travel to Toronto to face off against the Raptors Wednesday night in a due-or-die game for the Hornets final playoff push.

Charlotte Hornets take care of business defeating the struggling Phoenix Suns, 120 to 106

Charlotte Hornets blew out the Phoenix Suns 120-106 Sunday afternoon. It’s the fourth win in the last five games for the Hornets, while the Suns have lost eight straight. Charlotte is two games back from the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with ten games remaining. Charlotte Hornets came out on fire to start the game, quickly built a 30 to 7 lead with help from Marvin Williams who help sparked the run, connecting on his first three three-pointers. And would lead by 22 at halftime. The Suns did cut the lead to four with 4½ minutes left after TJ Warren made a reverse layup and Devin Booker hit some jumpers. But the Hornets would respond with a Nic Batum three-pointer and Kemba Walker cutting layup that ignited an 11-0 run and would outscore the Suns 14-5 after that to put the game away.

The MVP for the Hornets this game is the captain Kemba Walker who scored 31 points and handed out 9 assists. Kemba always comes ready to play but the past few games he hasn’t been playing well. But that changed today, shooting 55% from the field and 44% from the three are great numbers to see out of our number one scorer. He also had two buzzer beaters in this game also, hitting a three-pointer right before halftime and crossing-over a Phoenix defender and hitting a mid-range jumper as the third quarter was winding down. I guess he thought he was back at UCONN or something. That not much more to say about this game, Suns never led in this game, Hornets had 8 steals and blocked two shots which are two great stats to see from a team that is known for their defense. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also did a great job on Booker who scored 70 points in the Suns game before this game. Shutting down Booker for the first 10 minutes of the game, not allowing him to score or get into a rhythm. The leading scorer for the Hornets this game were Marvin Williams with 21 points 7 rebounds, Nicolas Batum with 18 points 10 assists, Cody Zeller with 16 points 4 steals, Frank Kaminsky with 10 points and Marco Belinelli with 8 points. The leading scorers for the Suns were Devin Booker with 23 points, TJ Warren with 21 points 10 rebounds, Tyler Ulis with 16 points 9 assists, Alan Williams with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Charlotte Hornets (33-40) host the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night. 

Charlotte Hornets loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-105, snapping Hornets three-game winning streak

Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 112 to 105, snapping Hornets three-game winning streak. Cavs bounced back after losing to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night. Hornets are still three games back behind the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Hornets backup center Miles Plumlee (calf strain) and backup point guard Ramon Sessions (knee) were both cleared to play against the Cavs but did not play. Sessions missed the past 21 games while Plumlee missed the last 16 games for the Hornets. Charlotte went on an 11-1 run in the fourth quarter to cut the Cavs lead to just two and had a chance to tie the game at 100 with four and half minutes left, but Kemba Walker made only one of two free throws. Cavs quickly responded with JR Smith hitting a three-pointer on the next possession and then Kevin Love hit a 12-foot jumper and then LeBron James converted in the lane to push the lead to eight. Charlotte would cut the lead to five, but Batum missed an open three-pointer with 25 seconds left. James grabbed the rebound and was fouled and would make two free throws to put the game away.

The MVP for the Hornets this game is Marco Belinelli who scored 22 points off the bench. Belinelli stepped up when MKG got in foul trouble and came up huge for the Hornets in the fourth quarter. Scoring nine points in the quarter, including a transition dunk to cap off the 11-1 run from the Hornets to cut the Cavs lead to two. Charlotte did everything right tonight to win just the Cavs made enough plays especially at the end of the game to win. The Hornets outscored the Cavs in the paint 50-40, grabbed 14 offense rebounds that result in 24-second chance points, forced the Cavs to turn the ball over 12 times and even made ten three-pointers. Like I said the Cavs just made enough plays to take this win from the Hornets. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Kemba Walker with 28 points 5 assists, Nicolas Batum with 19 points, Cody Zeller with 15 points 11 rebounds, Marvin Williams with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The leading scorers for the Cavs were LeBron James with 32 points 11 assists 9 rebounds, Kyrie Irving with 26 points 7 assists, Kevin Love with 15 points 12 rebounds and JR Smith with 9 points. Charlotte Hornets (32-40) play Sunday afternoon against the Phoenix Suns, the next game for Devin Brooker after scoring 70 points(!) against the Boston Celtics. 

Charlotte Hornets defeat the Orlando Magic 109-102! Takes the season series against the Magic!

For the first time in franchise history, the Charlotte Hornets sweep the season series against the Orlando Magic, beating the Magic 109-102 on Wednesday night. It’s the third straight victory for the Hornets and pulls the Hornets within three games from the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Magic starting forward Jeff Green didn’t play tonight due to back spasms, Hornets starting forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist did play after spraining his ankle in the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks. It only took less than three minutes for Marco Belinelli to score 11 points in the second quarter to help give the Hornets a five-point lead and outscore Orlando 14-3 to start the second quarter. The Magic would re-take the lead by converted nearly 48% from the field and hitting six threes’ in the first half and led at halftime, 54-48. Orlando led by as many as ten points twice in the third quarter, but with help from Kemba Walker, who scored 8 points in the quarter. Charlotte pulled within five going into the fourth quarter. Charlotte outscored the Magic 20-10 during a five-minute stretch that began at the seven-minute mark. During that time, Frank Kaminsky scored 11 points, including three three-pointers. Hornets went up 104-97 after Walker’s three-pointer with two minutes left. Charlotte outscored the Magic 32-20 in the fourth quarter. Orlando would make a run with less than a minute left, but it was too late and the Hornets held on and won.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game is Frank Kaminsky who scored 18 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Frank scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Hornets make a comeback and get the win. Frank has been playing good ever since the All-Star break, especially after coming back from his shoulder injury. Usually after an injury it takes time for a shooter to get going again, but Frank didn’t miss a step averaging 16 points in the previous three games since returning from a shoulder injury. The Hornets didn’t shoot the three ball well in this game, only shooting 33% for the entire game. But they made it up by scoring 50 points in the paint. It helped the Hornets grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and scoring 16 points off those rebounds, also having 24 assists is a great stat to see from a team that likes to share the ball. Charlotte starters didn’t play well, being outscored 70-63 by the Magic starters. But the bench help keep the Hornets into it and the starters made enough plays in the fourth quarter to help get the victory for the Hornets. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Kemba Walker with 22 points 7 assists, Marco Belinelli with 20 points, Cody Zeller with 15 points 6 rebounds, Nicolas Batum with 10 points and 6 assists. The leading scorers for the Magic this game were Terrence Ross with 19 points, Elfrid Payton and Evan Fournier both had 15 points, Nikola Vucevic with 14 points 12 rebounds and a career-high 8 assists. Charlotte Hornets (32-39) return home Friday to take on defending NBA Champions Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Five Hornets players scored in double-digits help the Charlotte Hornets blow out the Atlanta Hawks 105-90

Charlotte Hornets beat the Atlanta Hawks 105 to 90 and are undefeated this season when facing the Hawks. It’s the second straight win for the Hornets while the Hawks have lost four straight. Hornets pulled within three games of the eighth-place Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Kemba Walker became the third player in franchise history to make 200 three-pointers in a single season. Atlanta was without All-Star forward Paul Millsap due to a tenderness in the right knee and was without top reserve guard Kent Bazemore due to a bone bruise in right knee. Hornets starting forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist left the game with a right ankle strain in the third quarter and did not return. Charlotte went on 23-4 run to start the second quarter and took a 51-42 at halftime. Hornets stretched its lead to 22 early in the fourth quarter after Frank Kaminsky drove and dished it to Marvin Williams for a dunk. Around the two-minute mark in the fourth quarter, Atlanta threw in the white flag and put in their bench players to play the rest of the game.

            The MVP for the Hornets for this game would be Nicolas Batum who scored 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and dished out 6 assists. Ever since Batum came back from his migraines problems the Hornets are 2-0. Batum is a key part of the Hornets offense, from his passing to his ability to shot the three ball to posting someone up and hitting a fade away on one foot and his rebounding. When he’s out the entire offense suffers from it. Charlotte did a lot of good things in this game, scoring 17 points off 18 Hawks turnovers. In the first half, Dwight Howard killed the Hornets on the boards but after halftime Hornets did a better job of containing Howard, especially on the offensive boards. Another stat that I like was Hornets bench outscored Hawks bench 43-22. I think the one of the reason Hornets bench has been playing so much better of late has been the play, Briante Weber. Weber brings a burst of energy when he comes in, from full court press to handling the ball well and not turning the ball over. He not a scorer but he brings so much other stuff to the team and can get to the line and score if he has too. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Kemba Walker with 16 points, Frank Kaminsky with 14 points 5 assists, Marvin Williams with 13 points 8 rebounds and Jeremy Lamb with 12 points. Leading scorers for the Hawks this game were Dennis Schroder with 20 points 6 assists, Dwight Howard with 13 points 10 rebounds, Ersan Ilyasova with 13 points 6 rebounds and Tim Hardaway Jr. with 11 points. Charlotte Hornets (31-39) travel to Orlando tomorrow to face off against the Magic Wednesday night. 

Charlotte Hornets snap three-game losing skid, beating the Washington Wizards 98-93

Charlotte Hornets defeated the Washington Wizards 98-93 on Cam Newton bubble head night. Snaps Charlotte three-game losing streak, while the Wizards have lost three out of their last four games. Charlotte is four games back of Miami for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs with 13 games left. Charlotte Hornets signed center Johnny O'Bryant to a rest of the season contract and point guard Briante Weber to a two-year deal early this week. Weber is expected to be the backup point guard for the rest of the season, while O’Bryant is expected to return soon from an ankle sprain and be the backup center until Plumlee is fully healthy. Hornets starting shooting guard Nic Batum was back in the starting lineup after missing the past two games due to a migraine. Kemba Walker hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Hornets a 93-86 lead with 1:23 seconds left in the game. Beal answered with a three of his own and then stole an inbound pass at midcourt and dunked to cut Charlotte lead to two with 17 seconds remaining. Marco Belinelli was fouled with 13 seconds left but only made one of the free throws, giving the Wizards a chance to tie with 14 seconds to play But Beal missed a step-back three from 28 feet with 10 seconds, Marvin Williams grabbed the rebounds and was fouled and made two free throws to seal the victory for the Charlotte Hornets.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game was Cody Zeller who scored 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting and grabbed 5 rebounds. Cody was a man on a mission, Zeller was doing it on both sides of the court, grabbing a season-high 4 steals and blocking 2 shots. If it wasn’t for Cody the Hornets might not have been in this game, since he and Marvin were the only two Hornets to make a field goal in the first quarter. Charlotte looked like their old selves this game, playing great defense; holding the Wizards to just 36% from the field. To moving without great without the ball and outscoring the Wizards 40-28 in the paint. If the Hornets could ever get everybody healthy and play like they did tonight, they wouldn’t have to be worried about missing the playoffs because they would already be a playoff contender. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Marvin Williams with 16 points 8 rebounds, Kemba Walker with 16 points 6 assists, Frank Kaminsky with 14 points, Nicolas Batum with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. The leading scorers for the Wizards this game were John Wall with 19 points 8 assists, Bradley Beal with 18 points, Otto Porter Jr. with 16 points, Bojan Bogdanovic with 12 points, Marcin Gortat with 6 points and 16 rebounds. Charlotte Hornets (30-39) host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

Indiana Pacers use a big second half to beat the Charlotte Hornets 98-77

Charlotte Hornets lost to the Indiana Pacers 98-77 on Wednesday night. It’s the third straight loss for the Hornets and fourth in previous five games. Since the All-Star break the Pacers have held 9 of their 11 opponents to fewer than 100 points. The Pacers never seemed tired, even though they were on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to at New York Knicks last night. Hornets starting shooting guard Nicolas Batum missed his second straight game due to a migraine, Batum went and had a CT scan done early today and the result was negative. So hopefully Nic can come back Saturday. Nothing was decided in the first half of this game, Pacers and Hornets were tied 42 apiece at halftime. The Pacers did open the second half on a 21-5 run to quickly take a double-digit lead and would eventually outscore the Hornets 33-16 in the third quarter. Charlotte would make one last comeback attempt, opening the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run that pulled the Hornets within 10 points. But the Pacers answered with a 14-2 run to go ahead by 22. The Hornets eventually waved the white flag and put the bench players in around four minutes left in the game.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game would be Briante Weber who scored 8 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Weber who is on his second 10-day contract with the Hornets took over for Brain Roberts as the backup point guard for the Hornets this game. He did not disappoint. The past two games Weber has played excellent for the Hornets, he hustles, is fast and athletic, plays great defense, can get into the line and make layups or kick it out to the right player for a three-point jumper, has a good mid-range jumper, makes good decisions when the ball is in his hands, has active hands on defense (2 steals against the Pacers) and is basically everywhere on defense. I’m not saying that Weber should be our full-time backup point guard, but he been playing better than Brain Roberts and I do believe he’s earned another 10-day contract or even a rest of the season contract. Hornets shot 13% from the three-point line only making 3 of 23 attempts, Pacers made four times as many three’s than Charlotte did. Charlotte did outscore the Pacers in the paint 42-18 but only shot 40% overall while Indiana finished at 53%. There not much else to say about this game, Charlotte just didn’t look invested into it and the Pacers just took over in the second half. I do believe after watching this game, the Hornets are trying to tank this rest of this season. From how they perform to the number of minutes some players played from others. I don’t blame them, I typed an entire article on how they should. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Frank Kaminsky with 20 points, Marco Belinelli with 11 points, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 10 points, Jeremy Lamb with 8 points and 7 rebounds. The leading scorers for the Pacers this game were Paul George with a season-high 39 points, Monta Ellis with 16 points, Jeff Teague with 8 points 11 assists, Myles Turner with 6 points and 11 rebounds. Charlotte Hornets (29-39) host the Washington Wizards Saturday. 

Should the Charlotte Hornets tank the rest of this season?

Fans and reporters have been discussing this topic for weeks now, should the Charlotte Hornets tank the rest of this season? In my opinion, they should. Charlotte has lost two straight games and is 6-12 since the beginning of February. The Hornets are as of right now in the 11 spot in the Eastern Conference standings and are four games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the 8^th and final playoff spot. In front of the Hornets in the standings are 9 seed Chicago (who won the season series against the Hornets last night) and 10 seed Miami. Per ESPN BPI playoff chance as of today, Hornets have a 5.8% chance of making the playoffs after losing to the Chicago Bulls last night. And if they do somehow make the playoffs, more likely they will be the 8^th seed and will face the Cavs in the first round. Charlotte Hornets have 18 games left with ten of those against the playoff bound teams.

            The advantages for the Hornets if they tank are, they will get a top-10 pick in this year draft. Unlike last year draft, this draft class might possibly be the best and deepest draft in recent memory, crop of the talent has both star power and depth particularly at the point guard and forward positions, while the Hornets own their first-round pick. Also with a deep free-agency the Hornets can go out and sign some players this summer, re-build their bench like it was a few years ago, when Lin and Al was coming off the bench. With Brain Roberts being the only player entering free-agency this summer for the Hornets, Charlotte can also make a few trades to acquire some better players. Another reason the Hornets should tank is allowing some of the players able to rest without having to worry about making it before the playoffs start. Backup point guard Ramon Sessions being out since February 3^rd with knee surgery and backup center Miles Plumlee being out since February 13 with a calf strain. But, most Hornets fans know that that the team won’t go down without a fight, their goal is making the playoffs. Another playoff appearance would help continue to build the winning culture that Charlotte Hornets is trying to develop. If they do make the playoffs and lose in the first round, they will still get a pretty decent mid-first round draft pick and still make some moves in free-agency. 

Butler, Wade and Rondo combine for 66 points, help Chicago Bulls defeat the Charlotte Hornets 115-109

Charlotte Hornets lose to the Chicago Bulls 115-109 Monday night. Charlotte’s drop the season series against the Bulls with the loss while the Bulls snapped a season-high five game losing streak. Rajon Rondo returned to the starting lineup for the Bulls, replacing Jerian Grant as the starting point guard. While Hornets fans were able final see Briante Weber play in the third quarter, replacing Brain Roberts as the backup point. Weber is on his second 10-day contract with the Hornets. Charlotte starting shooting guard Nicolas Batum was out this game due to a migraine, Jeremy Lamb took his place in the starting lineup. Hornets did get back Frank Kaminsky, who had missed last five games with a shoulder sprain. A day after the Bulls scored a total of nine points in the first quarter against Boston Celtics, the Bulls scored 36 points in the first quarter of this game. Bulls team who average six threes’ a game, made eight three-pointers in the first quarter to help them build a 12-point lead. Hornets fought back from 16 points down to tie it up in the third quarter at 69 apiece but would never able to re-take the lead. Every time Hornets got close, Mirotić seemed to hit a big shot for the Bulls.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game would be Jeremy Lamb who scored a career-high 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from the three-point line. In three games as a starter this season, Lamb was averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds before this game. Lamb has been playing great off the bench the past few weeks, giving Clifford someone to rely on scoring when Kemba and Batum are on the bench. But, Lamb still needs to work on his defense, biting on Wade’s fake pump to many times and just making some terrible decisions on the defense side. But Lamb can be dangerously good for the Hornets, with his ability to shoot the ball from deep, driving down the line and make difficult layups, to hitting floaters and being able to grab the rebound, Lamb can be a good starter for the Hornets if he’s able to work on his defense. The biggest reasons why Charlotte lost, was first the Hornets bench play, the Bulls reserves outscored the Hornets reserves 38-16. One of the Hornets biggest weaknesses all season long has been from the bench playing terribly. Right now, the Hornets do not have a true center with Miles Plumlee missing 3-weeks with a calf strain. Due to that, the Hornets are putting Frank Kaminsky/Marvin Williams as the backup center. Frank doesn’t play like a center and the other team center just bullying him on the block. Marvin does a decent job, yet again he’s not a true center, so when he’s in as center that means the Hornets are going small so the other team big man takes advantage of it. The drive and kick game for the Bulls killed the Hornets all game long, for whatever reason the Hornets cannot defend that this season since that’s how the Pistons beat us twice so far this season. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 22 points, Kemba Walker with 21 points 10 assists, Marvin Williams with 13 points 18 rebounds and Cody Zeller with 11 points. The leading scorers for the Bulls were Nikola Mirotić with 24 points 11 rebounds, Jimmy Butler with 23 points 11 assists, Dwyane Wade with 23 points and Rajon Rondo with a season-high 20 points. Charlotte Hornets (29-38) travel to face off against the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night. 

Behind Anthony Davis 46 points, New Orleans Pelicans beat the Charlotte Hornets in overtime 125-122

Charlotte lost a close one to the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime, 125-122. Charlotte’s still hasn’t won an overtime game this season. There were 18 ties and 24 lead changes in this game. New Orleans came into this game with a record of 2-6 since acquiring DeMarcus Cousins in a trade with the Sacramento Kings during the All-Star weekend. The Pelicans won despite Cousins not returning to the court after picking up his fifth foul with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Cousins seemed frustrated most of the night scrappy with Cody Zeller, who dunked over Cousins on a fast break. Backup forward Frank Kaminsky was out again due to left shoulder sprain, the Hornets were also without Johnny O’Bryant who was out due to right ankle sprain, who had been playing well for the Hornets before getting injured. Charlotte had a chance to win at the end of regulations after Davis missed baseline jumper with eight seconds left, but a poor end bound pass and good defense would force overtime. After a turnover by Batum (shocker) and missed a three-pointer, Davis drove the line and made a floater to put the Pelicans up five with 20 seconds in overtime. Batum scored on a layup to cut the lead to 123-120, Holiday would add two free throws to put the Pelicans up two scores. After a layup by Belinelli, Holiday was called for traveling in the backcourt with 1.8 seconds left giving Charlotte a chance to send the game into double overtime, however, Walker’s long three-point attempt was off the mark at the buzzer.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game was again Marvin Williams who scored season-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Marvin Williams followed up his great performance Friday against the Magic, with another fantastic performance in this game. Marvin Williams has been struggling from beyond the arc the entire season but has made up for it on his defense and grabbing rebounds, an ability to drive to the basket and hit floaters and get fouled and make free throws. I was glad when the Hornets re-signed Marvin last offseason and he hasn’t disappointed in my opinion. Charlotte Hornets did not play Hornets style of basketball in this game. Hornets attempted 46 three-pointers, the Hornets never shoot that many three’s in a single game. On top of that, the Hornets defense was terrible, I understand that Davis is an All-Star and is one of the top up-and-coming players in the league. But when he’s the only player scoring for the Pelicans late in the game, the player who defending Davis should not leave him for any reason, but that happened numerous time late in this game, which he took advantage of. Including the floater to put New Orleans up by five with 20 seconds left in overtime. If the Hornets want to make the playoffs there going to make smarter decisions on the offense side and learn how to control a team best player. The leading scorers for the Hornets were Kemba Walker with 14 points 12 assists 8 rebounds, Nicolas Batum with 24 points 8 assists, Jeremy Lamb with 14 points and Marco Belinelli with 12 points. The leading scorers for the Pelicans were Anthony Davis with 46 points 21 rebounds, Jordan Crawford with 19 points, Solomon Hill with 16 points, Jure Holiday with 15 points and 13 assists. Charlotte Hornets (29-37) play at home Monday night against the Chicago Bulls, the who are in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. 

Panthers bringing back two former players! Day one of Carolina Panthers free-agency!

On the first day of free-agency, the Carolina Panthers were busy. Either signing former players to trading players for draft picks, David Gettleman, and the Panthers was busy. The Panthers started the day by bringing back defensive end Julius Peppers on a one-year 3.25 million deal. After that Gettleman went out and signed pro bowl safety Mike Adams to a two-year deal. Soon after that Panthers agree to trade defensive end Kony Ealy and a third-round pick to the New England Patriots for a second-round pick in this year draft. Then they went and signed former Buccaneers wide receiver/special team player Russell Shepard to a three-year deal and quickly after that Panthers signed former Vikings wide receiver Charles Johnson to a one-year deal (yes, the Panthers now have two players named Charles Johnson, which is going to get old really quick). They finalize Matt Kalil 5-year $55 million contract. And to finish the day off the Panthers signed former Panther Captain Munnerlyn to a 4-year deal.

            Now, in my opinion, all of these deals are fantastic. At first, I didn’t like the idea of bringing back Peppers just because of his age, but seeing that’s his only agreed to a one-year deal was great. I mean in 15 years with the Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers, he has totaled 143.5 regular-season sacks, earning him nine Pro Bowl appearances and selection to three All-Pro first teams. This includes at least seven sacks in all but one season. He has also shown a knack for staying healthy, missing only two games since his rookie season and playing in all 16 games in each of the last nine years. At 37 years, old, Peppers has not slowed down much, converting from defensive end to linebacker and still finding ways to get to the quarterback and between the boost to the pass rush and the improved veteran leadership, the Panthers could be a stronger team next season. Mike Adams has been a Pro Bowler two of the past three seasons, amassed 737 tackles and 25 interceptions with four different teams. He was an unrestricted free agent after spending the past three seasons with the Colts, playing in the Pro Bowl following the 2014 and 2015 season as an injury replacement after picking off five passes each year. Adams, a natural strong safety, can provide more opportunities for Coleman at the free safety spot. The trade that sent Ealy to the Pats in exchange for a second-round pick, makes me believe that the Panthers will take a defensive end with the eighth pick in the draft. Possible either Solomon Thomas from Stanford or Derek Barnett from Tennessee and then draft a running back in the second round. With this trade it allows Ealy to have a fresh start since he hasn’t bloomsome into the playmaker most people expected him to be, especially after his Super Bowl performance which he would have been MVP if the Panthers would’ve won. Remember the Panthers still have a compensatory third round draft pick for losing Josh Norman in free agency last season. The Russell Shepard sign expected since there were rumors of the Panthers talking to Shepard last week. Shepard is considered an “up-and-comer” receiver who especially stands out on special teams possible a replacement for free agent Philly Brown who is expected not to re-sign with the team. Shepard has 30 catches for 432 yards and three touchdowns over a 3-year career. Shepard also averaged 14.8 yards per catch last season. There’s not much known about receiver Charles Johnson, expect that he’s spent past three seasons with Minnesota, catching 60 for 834 yards and two touchdowns. He’s fast and believes he can be an asset for Cam Newton, "Me and my agent were talking about it for a long time," Johnson said. "He said, 'Man, you're really fast and Cam Newton has a really strong arm. If those two intersect, it can be a good thing.' It’s a good thing the Panthers got depth in the receiver corps since they lost Ginn and Brown. The last two deals are the two that worry me the most, the first one is Matt Kalil 5 year, 55 million contract. That’s a lot of money for an offensive tackle missed all but two games in the 2016 season due to a hip injury. Though he was named a Pro Bowler as a rookie, since then hasn’t yet to fulfill the promise of his dynamite NFL premiere. Since Mike Remmers was never the same after Super Bowl 50 and signed with the Vikings, the Panthers were desperate to keep Newton upright, healthy, and happy. Hopefully joining his brother on the offensive line help him be better. But the Panthers will still need to either draft or sign an offensive lineman since they have no idea when Michael Oher will get out of the concussion protocol. The last signing the 4-year deal for nickel corner Captain Munnerlyn. Munnerlyn turns 29 in April, so he should have a few more productive seasons remaining after signing this deal. The tackle totals indicate he can contribute to the run defense, and he has spent large portions of his career defending speedy receivers in the slot. The secondary was a huge weak spot for the Panthers last season due in large part to starting two rookies (Daryl Worley, James Bradberry) for most their games. Carolina's defense finished with the third-highest completion percentage and fourth-most passing yards to opposing quarterbacks in 2016. But with this signing the Panthers got talent and veteran leadership in the secondary, the Panthers will look to challenge for the postseason in 2017.

            Carolina Panthers had a busy first day in free agency, I assume the Panthers will sign a free agent offense tackle and possible make a few trades before or during the trade. But, overall it was a productive day for the Panthers, filling holes in the defense that needed to be filled, signing wide receivers to take the place of Brown and Ginn and signing an offensive tackle to help protect their franchise quarterback. The next blog post unless something changes before then will be Saturday night on the Charlotte Hornets game against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Charlotte Hornets annihilate the Orlando Magic, 121-81

Charlotte Hornets dismantle the Orlando Magic Friday night, 121 to 81. The Hornets have won six straight against the Magic and won three out of their last four games. While the Magic has lost three of their last four games. This game marks the first 40-point victory by Charlotte since January 2002 against the Knicks. Backup forward Frank Kaminsky (left shoulder sprain) and backup center Johnny O’Bryant (right ankle sprain) were both out this game for the Hornets. Frank participated in shoot around before the game but didn’t play, expect him to come back soon. The Hornets never trail this game, shooting a season-high 59% from the field while hitting 10 three pointers. Hornets had a season-best 34 assists which helped them score 30-plus points in three-quarters.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game was Marvin Williams who scored 12 points, grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists! Marvin also provided the highlight of the night with a posterized dunk over Bismack Biyombo on a three-point play with less than a minute left in the second quarter. Marvin Williams has been playing great all season long. He’s been struggling from beyond the arc the entire season, but has made up for it on his defense and grabbing rebounds, the ability to drive to the basket and hit floaters and get fouled and make free throws. I was glad when the Hornets re-signed Marvin last offseason and he hasn’t disappointed in my opinion. After Coach Clifford singled out the bench play after the Miami Heat game the bench come ready to play, scoring 61 points for the Hornets. If Charlotte can get half of that production from their bench each game, the Hornets would be a dangerous team going into the postseason. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Kemba Walker with 23 points, Marco Belinelli with 18 points, Nicolas Batum with 15 points 10 assists and Brain Roberts with 15 points. The leading scorers for the Magic were Aaron Gordon with 20 points, Evan Fournier with 14 points, Mario Hezonja with 11 points, Bismack Biyombo with 7 points and 10 rebounds. Charlotte Hornets (29-36) play again tomorrow night at home against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Charlotte Hornets lose a close one to the Miami Heat, 108-101

Charlotte Hornets lost a close one to the Miami Heat Wednesday night, losing 108-101. Its snaps Charlotte’s two-game winning streak, while the Heat are 20-4 in last 24 games, it’s the NBA’s best record in that time span. Hornets back-up center Miles Plumlee (right calf strain), back-up forward Frank Kaminsky (sprained left shoulder) were both this game for the Hornets. While Johnny O’Bryant left early in the second quarter and would not return with a sprained right ankle, also Nic Batum missed a stretch of the second half with a sprained left ankle but would return. The first half of this game was back and forth, both teams going up eight or nine at one point in the first half, but at halftime, the game would be all tied up at 54 apiece. Miami opened the fourth quarter on a 15-3 run to take a 96-89 lead, Charlotte would cut it to four on a Kemba jumper with about two minutes left, the Heat got an offensive rebound from Waiters and Whiteside on the same possession, one that would last for more than a minute. Waiters capped the possession by hitting an acrobatic three-pointer with 45 seconds left to put Heat up 105-98. Kemba Walker stole a pass and had a fast break opportunity but missed the layup with 25 seconds, one that would’ve have cut the Heat lead to just two. But, the Heat would make some free throws and hold on for the win.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game would be Kemba Walker who scored 33 points in three-quarter (didn’t score in the first quarter). If it wasn’t for Kemba Walker the Hornets would have not been in this game late. When the Hornets were down double-digits in the second and third quarters, Coach Clifford put in Kemba and the Hornets would make a run and either tie it up or take the lead. The things I had concerns about the Hornets this game was the 13 offensive rebounds for the Heat that turned into 16-second chance points and while the Heat lead 38-16 in bench points, you cannot win when you get that big of a disadvantage in bench point and second chance points. The most frustrating play of the night was when the Heat grabbed two offensive rebounds on the same possession late in the fourth quarter after the Hornets had cut the lead to four with two minutes left in the game. It's frustrating because the first rebound the Heat got, Waiters was by himself and could dribble it back out which was understandable. But the second offensive rebound the Hornets should’ve grabbed it, when Waiters missed the three-pointer both Batum and Zeller was in positions to grab it, but Batum just stood there while Zeller started running back on offensive without even trying to grab the ball, allowing Whiteside to grab it and pass it back out to Waiters that would eventually hit a gut-wrenching three-pointer that helped sealed the victory for the Heat. That’s the biggest and most frustrating play of the game for the Hornets, especially since Zeller is known for his screen setting and rebounding and if one of them would’ve grabbed it, it would’ve been a completely different game. The leading scorers for the Hornets were Nicolas Batum with 16 points 7 rebounds 4 steals, Marvin Williams with 14 points 12 rebounds, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 12 points. The leading scorers for the Heat were Dion Waiters with 24 points, Goran Dragic with 22 points 10 assists, Luke Babbitt with 12 points, Hassan Whiteside with 10 points 15 rebounds. Charlotte Hornets (28-36) host the Orlando Magic Friday, Hornets are 2-0 against the Magic this season. 

What will Carolina Panthers do in this year draft? Panthers draft rumors 2.0

Since the NFL combine ended yesterday, I thought it was a good time to do my 2.0 draft rumors for the Carolina Panthers. Before I get into that, the Panthers re-signed wide receiver Brenton Bersin to a one-year contract and allowing receiver Philly Brown to test out free agency. Panthers also re-signed safety Colin Jones to a two-year contract. While they re-sign defensive end Charles Johnson to a two-year deal and re-sign running back Fozzy Whitaker to a two-year deal. The final move the Panthers made today was placing a second-round tender on restricted free-agent guard Andrew Norwell to retain his rights for the 2017 season. Now since I got that out of the way, I looked at four websites to see what the insiders think the Panthers will do with the eighth pick in the draft this year. Bleacher Report has the Panthers drafting cornerback Quincy Wilson from Florida, CBS Sports had the Panthers drafting running back Leonard Fournette, LSU. SB Nation predicted the Panthers to draft defensive end Solomon Thomas from Stanford, while NFL.com had the Panthers drafting defensive end Derek Barnett from Tennessee. Now let’s talk about those player’s strengths and weaknesses!

            The first player, I’m going to start with is Quincy Wilson from Florida University. He was 2^nd-team All-SEC in 2016. He has a prototypical size for a cornerback, big and physical and is very competitive and likes to run his mouth. Willing to take on challenges of taking on team’s top receivers. Uses play strengths to overcome some athletic and speed deficiencies. Can maul receivers off the line of scrimmage and eliminate them from a route, can make quick reads on in-breaking routes and attacks in front of the route. Finished with 6 interceptions, good downhill tackler plays off perimeter blocks quickly. Wilson weaknesses are that his hips and feet can exceedingly sticky in his transitions. Has average footwork, when his feet fail him, he opts to use his hands. Could see illegal contact and holding penalties if asked to play corner early in his career. Allows too much separation against complex routes, below average reactive athleticism for the position and will struggle to carry long speed. Overall, plays like Panthers starting safety Tre’ Boston and more a likely will be move to safety in the NFL other than playing cornerback. The next player is running back Leonard Fournette from LSU. Coming out of high school Leonard Fournette was the number one recruit in the nation and decided to stay home and play for LSU. As a true freshman, he led SEC in all-purpose yards (137.4 per game; 1,034 rushing yards and 625 on kickoff returns). He followed that up his Sophomore year with nearly hitting the 2,000-yard mark (1,953) and scoring 22 touchdowns. But before his junior year, he suffered an ankle injury, which limited him to play seven games and skipping LSU bowl game. Fournette strengths are; he’s built like a linebacker with speed of a receiver. Long, powerful strides that hit second gear faster than most big backs. Has balance and power to plow through tackle attempts and with a punishing stiff arm. Has experience running from two-back, single-back and off-set looks. Hands are adequate in the passing game. Can create for himself with power and speed. Wins in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Leonard Fournette weaknesses are Aggressive, take on style could lead to shortened career. Struggled with a bad ankle for most of the season. Too quick to hit the accelerator and slam into defenders when there are still cuts and yards left on the play. Doesn't see cutback lanes developing as outside zone runner and prefers to keep runs play-side. Pass protection and routes need extensive work. The next player is defensive end Solomon Thomas from Stanford, who was an All-American and won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the year when with Stanford. He really impressed people in last year bowl game against UNC where he was everywhere on the field, 7 tackles, 2 for loss and a sack. He has a well-built frame, can line up at multiple positions. Able to get off blocks quickly and attack early skilled hands. Powerful for his size and outstanding athleticism. Solomon is an unpredictable pass rusher, can attack both the edges and crank up a ball rush; very good pursuit speed and range as a playmaker. His weaknesses are that he needs to get bigger and stronger through his lower body and needs to work on his snap-count guesser with seven offside penalties in 2016. The final player I’m going to talk about is defensive end Derek Barnett from Tennessee. He was first-team All-SEC and an All-American during his last season with Tennessee. Barnett has strong, fast efficient hands. Is a good rusher, attacks the edge very well; uses jab steps and lateral movement to get to the edge of the blocker. He’s a punishing hitter, delivers crushing tackles/sacks when given the opportunity. Has good field awareness, recognizing play-action, reverse and screens. And is fluid enough to drop into space and play some zone. Some weaknesses are that he admitted being a slow starter who has had issues with sluggishness to start a season. Will overthink plays at times rather just reacting, can be undisciplined with guessing with snap count and take penalties. Has change of direction issues, while a quarterback with pocket mobility can elude him.

            Out of these four players, I would want the Panthers to draft Leonard Fournette with the eighth pick in the draft. The Panthers need a running back that can replace Jonathan Stewart in a few years and I believe that Fournette can take his place and be a star in this league. But, I don’t that’s what GM David Gettleman will do, I think Gettleman will take a defensive end in the first round and take a running back in the second round. It’s just Gettleman MO to take a defensive player in the first round of the draft. So, if the Panthers draft Derek Barnett I wouldn’t mind that, but I do not want the Panthers to draft Quincy Wilson, the Panthers don’t need another Tre’ Boston on the team and they especially don’t need to waste their first-round pick on a Tre’ Boston type player. But at the same time, the draft is over a month away and I’m sure things will change before then and these four players might not even be on the Panthers radar. Check tomorrow for a new post on Charlotte Hornets game against the Miami Heat!

Charlotte Hornets win back to back games! Beating the Indiana Pacers 100 to 88

Returning home after three weeks on the road the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Indiana Pacers 100 to 88. It’s the first time since January 20-21 the Hornets have won consecutive games. It was the first time the Hornets were on TNT this season. Backup center Miles Plumlee (right calf strain) and backup forward Frank Kaminsky (sprained left shoulder) were both out for this game. Charlotte started the game on a fast start, using a 9-0 run to push their lead to 18-11 with three minutes left in the first quarter and with Batum banking in a three-pointer at the buzzer to help give the Hornets a 27-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. Charlotte would use a 10-2 run right before half to lead 58 to 37 at halftime. Pacers 37 points in the first half matched a season-low for a Hornets opponent. But, the Pacers would start the third quarter scoring 10 unanswered and would hit five three-pointers in the quarter to help outscore the Hornets 29-16 in the third. Indiana would cut the lead to 82-75 early in the fourth quarter, but Lamb’s three and layup help kept the Pacers at bay and with MKG and-1 under two minutes left that pushed Charlotte’s lead to double-digits and helped seal the victory for the Hornets.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game would be Nicolas Batum who scored 21 points. Nic played at another level tonight, hitting tough shots, making crisp passes, and just playing hard. If the Hornets want to make a run into the postseason there going to need Batum to play like this for the rest of the season. The Hornets played great, forced 15 turnovers which helped them get a big lead early in the game. Even though the Hornets allowed the Pacers to get back in the game in the second half. The Hornets was able to push their lead back to double-digits and finish late in the game. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game was Kemba Walker with 28 points 7 assists 6 rebounds, Jeremy Lamb with 14 points, Cody Zeller with 13 points 11 rebounds, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 11 points and 13 rebounds. The leading scorers for the Pacers this game was Paul George with 36 points 10 rebounds, CJ Miles with 16 points, Monta Ellis with 12 points, Jeff Teague with 10 points and 8 assists. Charlotte Hornets (28-35) will travel to Miami to face off against the Heat Wednesday night. Also, Congratulations to Kemba Walker who was named Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday. He averaged 27 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds from February 27-March 5. It’s the fifth time he won the award. 

Charlotte Hornets gets impressive road win, beating the Denver Nuggets 112-102

Charlotte Hornets pick up an impressive road win by beating the Denver Nuggets 112-102 to finish a 5-game road trip. Center Cody Zeller was back in the starting line-up for the Hornets, it’s the first time since February first since Cody was a starter. Backup center Miles Plumlee was out again due to a right calf strain while Frank Kaminsky was out and is expected to miss several games with a sprained left shoulder, an injury he suffered in the fourth quarter of the Phoenix game. He was averaging 17 points a game since the beginning of February. Denver came out flat this game, after having two impressive road wins early in the week. Late in the first quarter, Charlotte went on a 17-0 run to take the lead for good. The Hornets would score the first ten points of the third quarter and would lead by as many as 20 in the third quarter. Denver would make a run to get it under ten on a Mason Plumlee three-point but Marco Belinelli would answer with a corner three. The Nuggets would cut it to four with four minutes left but Hornets scored nine straight to go back up 13 and closed it out on the free-throw line.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game would be Johnny O’Bryant who came off the bench and scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, was 1-of-2 from the three-point line and grabbed 6 rebounds. O'Bryant signed a 10-day contract with Charlotte on Feb. 24 after playing under two 10-day contracts with Denver. O’Bryant looked good with the Hornets, was aggressive, made good decisions when the ball was in his hand, has a good jumper especially from a big man, sets some good screens, does needs to work on his defense. But overall O’Bryant looked good, just hope he plays like that daily. The Hornets beat a very good team by scoring the ball and playing good defense late in the game. Hornets shot 45% from the field, shot 58% from three and six Hornets scored in double-digits in tonight’s win. And when the Nuggets cut the lead to four late in the game, the Hornets started playing tougher defense, forcing Denver to shoot difficult shots and grabbing the rebound to not allow the Nuggets anymore opportunity’s that possession. The leading scorers for the Hornets were Kemba Walker with 27 points, Nicolas Batum with 21 points 9 assists, Marvin Williams with 14 points 12 rebounds, Jeremy Lamb with 12 points, Cody Zeller with 11 points and 8 rebounds. The leading scorers for the Nuggets were Nikola Jokic with 31 points 14 rebounds, Danilo Gallinari with 22 points, Jamal Murray with 14 points, Will Barton with 9 points. The Charlotte Hornets (27-35) will host the Indiana Pacers Monday night on TNT. 

Charlotte Hornets lose to the Phoenix Suns, 120-103

Charlotte Hornets lost to the Phoenix Suns, 120-103. The Suns are 8-4 against Eastern Conference teams at home this season. Hornets backup center Miles Plumlee missed his sixth game due to a right calf strain and Frank Kaminsky left the game in the fourth quarter due to left shoulder, which a major loss for the Hornets since Frank had been playing great the past month. The injury bug has been over the Hornets all season long. Charlotte looked good in the first quarter, good defense leading to easy buckets and led by as many as ten points. But the Suns would go on a 10-0 run in the second quarter to take the lead and would lead at halftime, 61-58. The first play in the third quarter was an and-1 from Nic Batum to tie the game up, but the Suns would quickly go on a 12-0 run to retake the lead. Phoenix led by as many as 12 in the third, but the Hornets cut the deficit to two, 87-85. But the Hornets would just run out of gas in the fourth quarter and didn’t have the offensive explosion to keep up with the Suns.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game would be Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who scored 7 points, grabbed 8 rebounds (5 of those were offense rebounds) and had 6 steals. MKG has always done the dirty work for the Hornets, playing good defense, grabbing rebounds, hitting the floor for the ball. MKG hustle every game and even though he needs work on the offense side. Charlotte did not play good defense in tonight’s game, allowing the Suns to shoot 59% from the field. Hornets should never allow any team to shot that well from the field and turned the ball over 16 times which lead to 29 fast break points for the Hornets. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game was Kemba Walker with 26 points 8 assists, Marvin Williams with 19 points, Frank Kaminsky with 16 points and Nicolas Batum with 12 points. The leading scorers for the Suns were Marquese Chriss with 17 points, Alan Williams with 16 points 12 rebounds, TJ Warren with 16 points 8 rebounds, Devin Brooker with 15 points and 9 assists. The Charlotte Hornets (26-35) play their last game on this week-long road trip Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. 

Charlotte Hornets beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 109-104

Charlotte Hornets beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 109 to 104. Charlotte has won five straight against the Lakers and two of their last three games, while the Lakers have lost five straight and 16 of their last 20. Charlotte’s starting center Cody Zeller returned after missing six games with soreness in his quadriceps. He was on minutes’ restriction and came off the bench. He scored six points in 19 minutes of play. The Lakers started the game on fire, hitting their first five shots, but the Hornets stayed in it with help from first three of their shots being three-pointers. Charlotte would go on a 13-0 run to push their lead to six, but the Lakers responded with a 10-0 run to tie the game, but the Hornets would lead 58-55 at the half. After Clarkson put the Lakers ahead on a layup with 2:23 to play in the fourth quarter, Walker answered with a three-pointer. Then Marvin Williams then hit a three-pointer with the shot-clock winding down to put Charlotte up 103-98 with a minute left. Russell would hit back-back three-pointers in the final seconds of the game to cut the Hornets lead to just three, but Kemba four clutch free throws sealed the win for the Hornets.

            The MVP for the Hornets this game would be Kemba Walker who scored 30 points and dished out 7 assists. It’s the first time in his career where he has scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games. The 11 points in the fourth quarter from Kemba, helped the Hornets get the win. But the player who has been playing outstanding since the start of February is Frank Kaminsky who been averaging 18 points, which ranks third among NBA sophomores. The only alarming thing about this game was the Hornets gave up 22 fast break points. Most of those of points come from seals since the Lakers had 9 steals, The Hornets aren’t known for turning the ball over or allowing so many fast break points in a single game. But, on the bright side, it was nice to see Cody back on the court, he looked great besides looking a little bit out of shape which is understandable. The leading scorers for the Hornets this game were Frank Kaminsky with 24 points 12 rebounds, Marvin Williams with 16 points, Marco Belinelli with 11 points. The leading scorers for the Lakers were Julius Randle with 23 points, 18 rebounds 8 assists, D’Angelo Russell with 23 points 9 assists, Jordan Clarkson with 16 points, Nick Young with 15 points. Charlotte Hornets (26-24) go against the Phoenix Suns Thursday night.