There were rumors that the Charlotte Hornets’ brass passed up on a big draft night package due to their fondness of last season’s National College Basketball Player of the Year Award winner Frank Kaminsky. Although it’s only been two games into an NBA Summer League, Kaminsky is proving he belongs amongst the competitors.
The No. 9 overall pick had 19 points and 12 rebounds in the team’s first game of the Orlando Summer League against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and posted 14 points and eight rebounds in their second contest opposite the Memphis Grizzlies. It may not be enough to drive up sales for Hornets tickets, but it seems like Kaminsky is on the right path towards having an effective role off the bench behind Marvin Williams, Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller, Jeff Taylor, Spencer Hawes and Bismack Biyombo, which is the list of Charlotte’s big men.
The Hornets play next on July 7 at 3:00 p.m. against the Brooklyn Nets at the Amway Center, the home of the Orlando Magic. They also play the following day against the Magic’s Blue team (Orland also has a White team). The 10-team league started on July 4 and runs through July 10, and includes the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons, aside from the other aforementioned teams.
Basketball season has already started and fans of the Hornets can get an early look at the team through Hipmunk.com. Flights to Orlando can be booked with a few clicks, including Orlando hotels starting from $55 for fans looking to create a basketball destination vacation.
The rest of the Summer League roster is filled out but 2015 undrafted free agents Alan Williams from UC Santa Barbara, Ralston Turner from North Carolina State and Aaron Harrison of Kentucky. Other notable names include Aaron Craft, LaQuinton Ross, Troy Daniels, P.J. Hairston and Justin Cobbs.
Thus far this offseason, the Hornets have acquired Nicolas Batum from Portland and dealt the mercurial Lance Stephenson to the Clippers. Batum will most likely slot into the starting lineup, which figures to still have Jefferson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kemba Walker. The Hornets last made the playoffs two years ago, when they were still known as the Bobcats.
This is a sponsored post from TiqIQ
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