Author Scotty & Evan

Familiar Fowl Foe: NFC Division Round Preview: Seahawks at Panthers

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camvrussell

By Jason Sharpe

After a bye-week of rest and preparation, the NFC top-seeded Panthers host the NFC Wildcard Round-winning Seahawks on Sunday at 1:05 P.M.

CHARLOTTE N.C. – The NFC Division Round matchup for the Carolina Panthers will be one that NFL fans have seen a lot the past few seasons, and one that fans just can’t seem to get enough of. It’s almost like the two teams are fated to clash on the field, specifically in playoff games.

The Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks already faced off on Oct. 18 in Week Six of the regular season in Seattle, where the “Cardiac Cats” grinded out a narrow 27-23 victory. Now the two teams meet again for the second time this year, and for the sixth time in the past four seasons, including last season’s NFC Division Round 31-17 loss in Seattle. Prior to the Week Six victory, the Panthers had not beaten the Seahawks the prior four times they’ve met on the field over the past four seasons.

Fresh off a playoff bye-week, the NFC top-seeded Panthers host the NFC Wildcard Round-winning Seahawks, with a trip to the NFC Championship Round on the line. Both teams will be running out onto the field at Bank of America Stadium with a chip on their shoulder. The Seahawks look to avenge their fourth quarter defensive meltdown during Week Six, while the Panthers look to reverse the outcome of last year’s NFC Division Round 31-17 blowout loss attributed to turnovers, and continue their historic season into the next round of the playoffs.

Headed into the week leading up to Sunday, the “X Factor” of the game was whether or not the Seahawks’ highly touted running back, Marshawn Lynch, would be dressed out and ready to play. Lynch ruled himself out of the NFC Wildcard Round versus the Minnesota Vikings, saying that “he just didn’t feel like he had it” coming off abdominal surgery on Nov. 25 and not having played in a game since. Lynch has been practicing with the Seahawks all week, but it was still up in the air heading into the end of the week whether he would be on the field for Sunday’s game. However, we got our answer shortly after midnight Friday on the east coast. According to ESPN’s Kenny Mayne, who asked Lynch about his status for Sunday’s game, the Seahawks running back replied early Friday morning with two words: “I’m ready.” With Lynch set to suit up on Sunday, the Panthers now have two days to incorporate Lynch’s presence into their defensive approach.

To sum up what to look for in this matchup, be ready for a close, defensive game. The game will come down to the battle for yards on the ground, as well as mistakes leading to a few big plays, which will make the difference in the outcome.

Keys To The Game

Panthers:
1. Limit turnovers. No turnovers would be nice. Any opportunity gifted to the Seahawks’ offense often ends up with points on the scoreboard.
2. Establish the ground game early. Very simple, the Panthers must be able to pick up yards by grinding it out in the trenches. Look for the Panthers to try and established the run game early via read option plays, which has constantly kept opposing defenses guessing, which Jonathan Stewart and company have taken advantage of when Cam Newton lets them keep the ball and find the hole for the medium to long gain on the ground.
3. Pick apart the “Legion of Boom” via quick short to medium completions and by spreading the zone. The Seahawks rely heavily on their secondary, who normally play man-to-man or cover three. The Seahawks tend to be overconfident in their man-to-man coverage, so quick completions for short gains out of the slot will be key to keep the drive alive, and win the game on the clock in regards to time of possession. If the Panthers desire to go deep, they must be strategic in the huddle. They must be able to sell a run or short pass at the line of scrimmage. The offensive line must hold the pocket to give Newton time to throw, and the receivers must coordinate being able to spread the secondary when they drop back into cover three. This will hopefully lead to one or two receivers gaining a step on whoever is covering them once the switch to the zone is made, leading to an opportunity for a big gain through the air.
4. Contain Russell Wilson, inside and outside of the pocket. The Panthers’ defense must break through what has seemingly been a weaker Seahawks’ offensive line this year and force Wilson to throw off-balanced on the run, without giving him the opportunity to scramble for yardage. A “QB Spy” must be incorporated in most defensive plays to achieve this. Look for Luke Kuechly to be the man assigned this job.
5. The “X Factor” – shutdown Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks’ running attack. With the aforementioned weaker Seahawks’ offensive line, the Panthers’ defensive line must be able to quickly shed their blocks and close up the holes for Lynch. The linebackers must be able to quickly recognize the run and rush to whatever hole Lynch tries to rumble through.

Seahawks:
1. Generate turnovers. Specifically, force Cam Newton out of the pocket for him to make a split-second decision when throwing on the run. Newton has used better judgment this season when the pocket collapses on pass plays and he is forced to scramble and/or throw on the run. However, there is still the chance that Newton will try to force a big play in a tightly covered area, which has historically led to interceptions.
2. Third Down. Stop the Panthers on third down, specifically on third and long pass plays when Newton sees nothing down field, and decides to tuck it and run. During these situations, Newton has been a huge factor this season for the Panthers to continue drives in close games.
3. Shutdown Greg Olsen. When the Seahawks faced the Panthers in Week Six, Olsen had a day against the secondary, with seven receptions for 131 yards and one touchdown. Olsen is arguably Newton’s go-to receiver, and the secondary must adjust to cover and shutdown Olsen, as they have had trouble facing opponents’ with receiving tight ends heavily incorporated into their offenses this season.
4. Shutdown the read option plays. Newton and Jonathan Stewart and company have become extremely synchronized in running the read option. When they establish the ground game early through Newton handing the ball of to the running backs in the read option, it normally leads to medium to long yards gained on the ground. This is where the Seahawks’ defensive line comes in. On paper, they outmatch the Panthers’ offensive line, and must be able to immediately recognize when the running back gets the ball on a read option play, adjust, shed the block and make the quick tackle.
5. Wear down the Panthers’ defense. To do this, the Seahawks must mix up their play calling while running a hurry-up offense. Marshawn Lynch must be able to take control of the ground game by running hard up the middle to wear out the defensive line and linebackers trying to stop the run. By running a hurry-up offense and mixing up play calling, the Panthers’ linebackers and secondary will not only grow tired by being forced to switch on the fly to either the run or pass defense, but being constantly kept off guard will wear down the defense mentally.

Charlotte Basketball: More Excuses than Wins

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The Hornets have reached that point in the season that Charlotte basketball fans have become accustom to, the time period in which the losing begins to become so prevalent that you are forced to frantically search for potential trades that could hopefully shake things up enough to get us into the 8th seed. It has been long enough since the season started that injuries are starting to take over but the playoffs are too far away to motivate, at this point in the season most teams are just praying to get through January and reach the All-Star Break. Charlotte basketball fans have not seen a playoff win since the 2001-2002 season, to put that in perspective I was in 8th grade the last time we won a playoff game…….I am now 28. However, it is important that we as fans do not become complacent, demand better and continue to cheer on our team. With that being said, tonight’s game against the Hawks and every game until the All Star break is extremely crucial.

Now,  let’s take a look at this Hawks matchup tonight. The Hawks lead the overall series by 15 games, they are first in our division with a record of 23-15, and they’ve won the 2 previous meetings this season by a combined 5 points (including our home opener).  Now if you read the nationally written game previews they will tell you that Hawks score in the paint well and the Hornets don’t, while that is true the Hawks are almost dead last in the NBA in rebounding, this is a perfect opportunity for Cody Zeller to step up. Cody has been on a bit of a rebounding tear the past few games, he has been in the double-digits for boards 3 out of the last 5 games. If we can get our bigs to rebound we can eliminate those second chance points in the paint (Spencer, I am looking at you, it is time for you to have some kind of impact).

In the previous two matchups the Hornets have also shot much better from 3 than the Hawks, we are going to need that good perimeter shooting and perimeter defense we saw from the Hornets at the beginning of the year to happen tonight. While from the outside looking in, the Hawks would appear to be a heavy favorite, winning 15 out of their last 18 games, and the two previous matchups against the Hornets, however the Hornets are a much better team at home and are a better team at home than the Hawks are on the road.

It is time to stop making excuses for this team and this organization, this fanbase has waited almost 15 long years for a playoff win. The Hornets need to win and they need to win NOW. If Charlotte can get a string of wins going this month they could easily find themselves back in the playoff hunt, they are only 2.5 games back behind the 8th seeded Magic.

What’s The Buzz?: Hornets look to slow down hot Warriors

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Steph & Dell via NBA.com

Steph & Dell via NBA.com

 

by Trace Walker

On Wednesday night, Stephen Curry, alongside his Golden State Warriors, will come home to Charlotte. The roots run deep for Steph in Charlotte, as he attended Charlotte Christian HS and nearby Davidson College. Basketball runs in the family as Steph’s father, Dell Curry, played ten seasons for the Hornets from 1988-1998 and is the current broadcast announcer for the Hornets. Dell is also the leading scorer (9,839) and has the most made three pointers (929) for the franchise.

The Warriors come into the matchup smoking hot and have showed no signs of slowing down in the early stages of the season. A youthful Hornets team look to slow down the oncoming train that is Golden State. After losing defensive anchor Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Hornet hopefuls believed the 2015 season would be yet another year of disappointment, but the young team has overcome adversity to start the year off 10-7. Led in scoring by guards Kemba Walker (18.4) and Nicolas Batum (16.8), the Hornets have seen a spike (and no I’m not talking about Jeremy Lin’s hair) in offense.

 

Many believed that the Hornets would lack offensive power but the team is ranked 7th in points per game (102.5). The defense was also expected to take a hit, but Charlotte is ranked top ten in opponents points per game.
The biggest thing to keep an eye out for on Wednesday night is the ability to hit shots from deep. In the past, being consistent from three for the Hornets was nearly nonexistent. However, this year the addition of shooters Jeremy Lin, Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb, Frank Kaminsky, and Spencer Hawes have completely revamped Charlotte’s offense. The Hornets are averaging nearly 10 three pointers made per game, which is four more than last year. No stranger to the three point line are the Golden State Warriors whom are leading the league in three point shooting with 13 made a game. At the head of the GSW three point attack is reigning MVP, Stephen Curry. Curry has dominated the league this year, putting up video game like numbers nightly; 31.9 PPG, 6 assist, 5 three pointers per game.
Although no team so far has found an answer to beating the Warriors this year, trying to slow down Curry can do nothing but help the Hornet’s efforts in knocking down last years champions. The job of guarding Curry will fall upon PG Kemba Walker, who will be greatly tested on Wednesday night. Unfortunately for their opponents, the Warriors have proven that they don’t need to rely on Curry to win as he has not played in the 4th quarter in four games this season. Golden state has found great production from the rest of its team. Last week, big man Draymond Green dropped back to back triple doubles, the first Warrior since Wilt Chamberlain to do such. The Warriors have also found double digit scoring from Klay Thompson (16.1), Harrison Barnes (13.4) and Draymond Green (12.8)
What the Hornets do have in their favor is their honeycomb court. At home, Charlotte has a clear edge and have gone 8-2 so far this year. The key for the Hornets in beating the Warriors is not found in one simple answer, but for their best chance to give Golden State its first loss, the Hornets must limit their turnovers, control the tempo, and force the Warriors to beat them from inside and not out. The Hornets will have to do without it’s big man, Al Jefferson. The low post star underwent a MRI on Monday and was diagnosed with a sprained left calf. Charlotte will miss the centers scoring (13.7) and rebounding (6.4), but it is expected he will make a return in two to three weeks.
With an injured Big Al, and a blazing hot Warriors team, the Hornets won’t have their work cut out for them. Hopefully Cam Newton, who was courtside at a recent game, left behind some of his winning ways for the Hornets. Tune into the game Wednesday night to see two young and energetic teams face off at 7:00 PM ET in Charlotte. The game is available for viewing on Fox Sports Southeast – Charlotte and CSN Bay Area. You can catch it on the radio on stations KNBR 680 AM and WFNZ 610 AM. Also follow @BringBackTheBuz on twitter for updates on the Hornets and the Charlotte sports scene.

POLL: What Should The Hornets & Greensboro Name Their D-League Team?

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greensboro

Pete Guelli, the Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for the Hornets, broke the news on twitter early Sunday morning that the Hornets had finally decided on what city they would place their D-league team. They had chosen the Greensboro out of 7 potential locations located in North and South Carolina.

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Greensboro is a proven town when it comes to minor league teams, they have their own coliseum and is the 3rd largest city in the state. Being close to college communities will hopefully help the attendance and interest in the team. Honestly, it was the location that we thought was the best fit for a team besides Charleston.

The question is now WHAT DO WE CALL THIS TEAM?

PLEASE VOTE OR INCLUDE A NAME IDEA!

*** OBVIOUSLY ONLY VOTE ONCE***

 

Charlotte vs Everybody Showcase!

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CHARLOTTEVSEVERYBODYSHOWCASE

EVENT LINK
Come experience a little bit of Charlotte art. We will be hosting a wide variety of painters, photographers and artists of all types who specialize in depicting what makes this city so great!
A lot of the art will be available for purchase and this is a great way to see another bee-autiful side of the Queen City!
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
– Art Gallery
– Contests & Giveaways!!!
– Live Painting
– Charlotte Themed Apparel
– Fantastic food & Drinks will be available via Fitzgerald’s
– Cornhole (The game & also custom art pieces)
– Live Show of “Hive Talk Live“
HORNETS vs SPURS
@ 8:30
ARTISTS IN ATTENDANCE
(list is growing every day)
– Andy Rocco
– Diebolt Designs
– OB Cornholes
*** PARKING: If you park in the Wake Forest Parking Deck Fitzgerald’s will validate your pass***
—We are constantly looking for high caliber artists to add to our event and the experience. If you wish to be a part feel free to email us at BringBackTheBuzz@gmail.com expressing your interest and a sample of your work

Lin’s Arrival In Charlotte: Business or Player?

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The Charlotte Hornets received a spike in attendance of over 10% last season. This increase was one of the largest in the NBA, trailing only Cleveland (Lebron), and Atlanta (The Bandwagon Effect). The rise in attendance can largely be attributed to the return of the historic moniker to its origins in a region that revered and coveted the Hornets name. This comes as no surprise as the original team was one of the first things, beyond banking, to put Charlotte on the national stage. It brought in the very sponsors that had avoided the Bobcats brand like a marketing plague. The old/new name also had apparel flying off the shelves with the first-night sales dwarfing all records the team-store had set on it’s best night with the Bobcats. The name brought fans. On many game nights the crowds went flocking to nearby uptown restaurants and bars. Venues like Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub were regularly packed because of their proximity to the Hive. The economic impact was obvious, and the Hornets made their money back on the cost of the re-brand almost immediately.

The excitement leading up to that first season was palpable The anticipation and expectations for the team had arguably never been that high during the entire tenure of the current franchise. The arrival of Lance Stephenson was controversial, but his presence resulted in many fans predicting the Hornets would make the playoffs somewhere between the 3rd and 4th spot. Stephenson was an exciting risk, and a personality that we had never gone for in the history of the organization. This move allowed us to believe that we were actually trying to win and even the the perennially cynical fans found themselves feeling the buzz as they were soon swept up in the hype. The opening night was so magical it almost felt scripted, but then the season happened. The injuries began to pile up and the hopes started to fade with the buzz, but surprisingly, fans kept buying apparel. The attendance dropped a little as the season progressed, but it was still better than what the Bobcats had come to expect. The name return had given the fans a sense of ownership and that pride has given the franchise a grace period to get it together. Even without last year’s disappointing record, attendance was going to drop this season. No matter how hopeful you want to be, the fact remains that was a lot of new season tickets to re-up.

Then the Hornets got Lin. My initial thought was not about the skill set that Lin had as a player on the court but of how much of a genius PR move this was. My brother and I were in awe. Not only is he a good player but you just saved yourself the

embarrassment of a noticeable drop in attendance. The man has 1.48 million followers on twitter and a fanatic following that out shined us in our own house in the heat of Linsanity (granted we were the worst team in the NBA at the time). I remember the one game specifically because Baron Davis got a standing ovation from the home crowd. He’s the personality we wanted from Lance but without all the blowing in the ear BS. This is how you let the rest of the world know that we are not the “Bobcats” anymore and that we are back to the cool teal and purple.

Bringing Lin to Charlotte is also an economic opportunity. The Hornets announced on Aug. 31st 2015 that they had landed a the first ever franchise tire sponsorship from MAXXIS Tire USA. Do you know why that is? MAXXIS Tire has followed Lin and partnered with every team he has played for from New York to Houston to LA and now to Charlotte. This is more than a team name or a popular player, this is the development of an exciting opportunity to grow franchise revenue and shine some light on Charlotte at the international level. This is a chance to showcase the fastest growing city in the Unites States and maybe bring more business here.

The team is also graced with the unexpected coincidence that they will be playing in Shenzhen and Shanghai on Oct. 11th and 14th to play in an exhibition match against the Los Angeles Clippers for the Global Games in a region where Lin has an ever growing following. Erik Spanberg even wrote that

“team executives plan on meeting with potential sponsors while helping a local recruiter make general business contacts for the region, too.”- Erik Spanberg

Lin’s popularity and level of comfort in front of a camera (as shown by his youtube channel) could really help the Hornets on their first appearance as a brand on the global stage.
The arrival of Jeremy Lin in Charlotte has been surprisingly ignored by the national media considering their almost Tebow-level fixation on his first couple seasons in the NBA. Then again, this team is flying under the radar of its own fans who largely fail to recognize that thru deft moves, Rich Cho is slowly trading a red paper clip into a red Porsche. This acquisition of Lin is not only a great fit on the court, but a great fit for the organization’s plans for growth… Business AND Player

BUZZ WEEKLY: Training Camp Edition

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Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

 

(Written by David Walters)

There was a considerable buzz leading up to last season in Charlotte; the team was fresh off a playoff appearance and they were entering their first season as the rebranded Hornets. It appeared that the team was poised for an even stronger campaign in the 2014-2015 season but things were not as they seemed. The team was plagued with injuries throughout the preseason and, despite a fantastic home opener where Kemba Walker knocked down the game winner, things never really seemed to come together for Charlotte as they limped their way to a 33-49 record.

The Charlotte Hornets are now set to start training camp in their second season of a franchise renaissance. There are quite a few question marks going into this season after an extensive overhaul of the roster. With seven new players on the team, the Hornets have retooled the roster for this upcoming season by acquiring players that can help space the floor, opening up more space inside so that the existing core can play to their strengths.

Al Jefferson’s game is less effective when defenses can simply pack it in on defense because of a lack of floor spacing. Both Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist excel when they are able to get to the basket, an aspect of their game that was hampered when teams clogged up the lane on defense because of the lack of any reliable threat from long-range. I liken it to the philosophy that Orlando used a few seasons ago with Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard, where the Magic stretched the floor with four players whose range had to be accounted for, keeping defenses honest while giving Howard the room to operate.

The Hornets thought they had a steal last offseason after signing mercurial guard Lance Stephenson to pair with Kemba in the backcourt. It appears that the Pacers knew something we didn’t though, as Lance had chemistry issues and struggled to fit in. He was hampered by an early hamstring injury, and despite one memorable game winner, his time in Charlotte was painfully forgettable. The team flipped him to the Clippers in exchange for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes, who was immediately bought out. Hawes is a rangy big man, who had signed with the Clippers but never seemed to fit in…sound familiar? Nonetheless, he adds depth and range to the Hornets, keeping with the team’s offseason goals.

Gone is the team’s longest tenured player in Gerald Henderson; he was moved in exchange for Frenchman Nicolas Batum, a lanky wingman that will bring a versatile set of skills to Charlotte, albeit on a one-year deal. He will likely step in as the Hornets starting shooting guard, and the team will be able to use him as a playmaker at the position with his well rounded skill set. Batum offers size, court vision, and shooting range, albeit on a one year deal. Also moved in that deal was little used 2014 draft pick Noah Vonleh, who was injured in the preseason and rarely found his way off the bench in Clifford’s rotation.

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

In the draft, the Hornets continued their love affair with Big Ten frontcourt prospects by taking Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky, college basketball’s 2014 Naismith Player of the Year. In doing so, they added a player that fills a positional need for them; what Frank lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with versatility and basketball I.Q. He can get buckets down low and he can stretch the floor with his shooting. He showed glimpses of what he can do in the summer league but there were also stretches where he would seemingly disappear for minutes at a time. However, when he was involved on offense, you could see how he could help an offense flow and, in a best-case scenario, he could be a great compliment to Big Al in the frontcourt. It will be interesting to see how the battle for the teams starting power forward position will play out between Frank, Marvin Williams and third year forward Cody Zeller.

Last seasons back up point guard Mo Williams is gone, having left to reunite with LeBron in Cleveland. In his place, is Jeremy Lin. I like this signing, I’ve always felt that Lin was a victim of his own success, and its overshadowed what has since been a very solid career. Lin will fit in perfectly in Charlotte and I think this was a great under the radar signing for the Hornets. Clifford has said he will experiment with lineups that have Walker and Lin on the floor at the same time, which could work well, allowing Kemba to play off the ball more as a scorer.

There is also plenty of competition for minutes as the first wing off the bench. Lin may get some minutes at the position but P.J. Hairston, Troy Daniels and newly acquired Jeremy Lamb will all be fighting for time on the court this season. Hairston is down 13 pounds from last year, having spent part of his summer training with John Lucas; a former player and coach that is known for being able to reach troubled players. Troy Daniels offers three point shooting, but says he has worked on the other aspects of his game this offseason in an effort to improve his value on the court. And , a former teammate of Kemba’s from their UCONN days, is here after spending most of the last three seasons languishing on the bench in OKC. All three can shoot well, and all three are hoping to find their way into a significant part of Clifford’s rotation this season. Ultimately, it’ll come down to who wants it the most, and competition usually does nothing but push players to get better, which should work out either way for the Hornets.

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

Photo credit (NBAE/Getty Images)

And of course, we still have our remaining core of players between Kemba, MKG and Big Al. Kemba was on fire last season, going on a tear of games with 30+ points before going down with an injury. He never quite regained that form after returning but this season he will have more help around him and he won’t be so pressed to take the scoring load all on himself. MKG, fresh off signing a new contract extension, is the lynchpin of the Hornets defense. When he missed games last season, the team suffered. He brings much needed energy to the Hornets and often draws the opposing teams top defensive assignment. Big Al has also cut weight this offseason, his reason being that he is trying to save his knees in an effort to extend his career. Clifford has said that he won’t be the main focal point of the offense this season, but you can bet he will continue to be a major part of what the Hornets do on offense, particularly now that the team has improved their floor spacing.

It’s an exciting time of year, training camp has started and preseason games will get going this weekend. Despite the question marks entering this season, there is an heir of cautious optimism after last season’s disappointment. Stay tuned as the Hornets get cranked up for the year, it will surely be interesting to see how things play out this season as Clifford has as dynamic and versatile a roster as he’s ever had. Speaking of Clifford, this could be a make or break season for the teams head coach. He coaxed this team to a playoff berth just two seasons ago and it will be paramount that he gets this team off to a good start out of the gates for the Hornets to jump into the mix as one of the easts top teams.

 

It’s getting to be that time of year again folks, soon enough we’ll be watching our Hornets take the court to sting the competition! Until next time, KEEP BUZZING!!!

 

you can follow David W. Walters @Original_DWade.