The BUZZ Is Back!
Well, fans, the Buzz is finally back in the Queen City! Eleven years after the name and team picked up and moved from Charlotte to New Orleans, the “purple and teal” returns to its rightful home. That’s right, Charlotte’s NBA team is now officially the Hornets.
But the excitement on Trade Street goes farther than just a new name and color scheme. The Hornets are projected to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference due to the addition of former Pacers’ superstar Lance Stephenson combined with an impressive run to a playoff berth last season.
All in all, if everything goes to plan, this will be a fantastic season to be a fan at “the Hive.” Here’s a preview of the QC’s new-look basketball team.
Players To Watch
Calcagno:
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: The pressure has been on MKG in Charlotte ever since he was drafted with the second-overall pick by the team back in the 2012 NBA draft. And unfortunately, to the average fan, the Kentucky product has been a disappointment thus far. This season, however, Kidd-Gilchrist could be an essential part of Head Coach Steve Clifford’s lineup due to his new-look shot and improved offensive skills. If the swingman can begin to live up to his post-draft expectations, there's no ceiling to Charlotte’s potential success in 2014-15.
Marvin Williams: Williams has big shoes to fill after former Bobcats power forward Josh McRoberts took his “talents to South Beach” this past summer via free agency. McRoberts was the “glue guy” for the ‘Cats last season, seemingly keeping the pieces together through his hustle and passing ability. Marvin Williams, who was picked up by Charlotte from the Utah Jazz in July, will have to fill that void for the Hornets next season. Statiscally, the two are very comparable players, but one has to wonder how Charlotte will fare without such an important day-to-day player like McRoberts.
by Mark Calcagno and Jonathon Hoppe