Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧
Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧
📲 Follow Locked On Hornets on Twitter
Locked On Hornets
Walker Mehl
Doug Branson
📺 Follow Locked On NBA:
Get Doug’s gamenotes, special articles and a podcast on Hornets history at the Every Hornets Boxscore substack: everyhornetsboxscore.com
📢 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! | Offers from our sponsors: lockedonpodcasts.com/offers
Built Bar
Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.
PrizePicks
First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON
LinkedIn
LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA
FanDuel
Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
#Hornets #LaMelo #LaMeloBall #CharlotteHornets #NBA #MichaelJordan
We talked about wimby now it's time to Move on and discuss scoot Henderson plus The player Recaps Dennis Smith Jr up Today all on the lockdown Hornets Podcast We're locked on hornets part of the Locked on podcast Network your team Every day in America we live [Music] It's locked on hornets part of the Locked on podcast Network there it is It's a good is this a silly dancer is This a very serious none of my dances Are silly they're completely serious Um yeah They're not silly moves this is silly Season but these moves are serious let's Just have a complete breakdown in the Normal confines of what unusual intro Break dance break down Branson Doug Branson go to a sub stack every Hornetsboxcore.com all sorts of great Little nuggets there and you can listen To me sportsradio 927 WFNZ every weekday From 12 to 3. make sure you make us your First listen we're free and available Anywhere you get your pods and that it Does include YouTube or if you watch Then you can see Doug's very serious Stance for yourself Dsj is up on the docket today very Excited about dsj one of the better Stories in all of the NBA he was very Fun for like the national headline guys
That would write okay this is an Underrated story you're not paying Attention to Dennis Smith Jr former Lottery pick someone that was very Celebrated coming out of NC State as This guy that was this combo guard Really athletic a lot of fun and then Got traded in the porzingis trade to in The Knicks and then I sense tried to Find his way once again all while being Still very young the guy's 25 years old So still a young basketball player but Yet comes here very late in the off Season Doug doesn't come over to the Charlotte Hornets organization until September where he wowed Steve Clifford Steve Clifford dsj developed a very good Relationship and honestly I think he Rectified his career he's going to get a Contract somewhere it might be with the Charlotte Hornets if Mark Williams is Positive storyline number one dsj is Positive storyline this year number two Right Yeah absolutely and he not only came in September it was late September only Teo Maladone uh beat him you know in that Category but Teo was signed like middle Of October right before the season so The Hornets really they were playing the Whole backup point guard position pretty Risky right down right down to the end And and betting on a couple of guys that Could have gone it could have gone
Either way I mean Dennis Smith Jr has Spent a vast majority of his career uh Injured and and there weren't a lot of Teams willing to bet on him the Hornets Were one he had the local connection of Course he uh grew up in Fayetteville and Went to NC State so you've got all of That going on uh but he comes in he Works hard and he was an absolute force On the defensive end one he offers I Think two things that the Hornets Desperately need even with him they Still need to add players like this that Have these two qualities one they can Lock down their guy on the defensive end And they can you know not just steal the Basketball not just hop into passing Lanes which Dennis Smith Jr can do but It can also keep you from getting to the Basket he can frustrate you he can get Into your head the other thing is you Know I look back on those games that he Played against Dallas late in the season And you know he was saying after those Games that hey we put their bleep in the Dirt and he played like a two and when He drove to the rim you felt the emotion That he was playing with you felt that Just sense of urgency like hey I almost Lost my entire career and these people Cast me off and now I'm going to show Them what's what he plays with a passion And an energy and an intensity and a Ferocity that I would say is a little
Lacking you know just across the board On this team they don't have a lot of Guys like that and it's a special Quality not everyone has it everyone has That dog in them as they say but Dennis Smith Jr definitely does and he showed It no he did now if you want to do the Whole cleaning the glass thing the page Is very blue on offense and it's very Orange on defense when you look at the On off numbers for those that don't know The blue is bad and the Orange is good The Bluer it is Just we can pretty much we can Understand being blue there with stats And the more orange it is the higher Percentile you have achieved Um with some of the positive stats there So Doug I mean offensively 19 percentile When he's on the floor points per Possession for the Hornets 25th Effective field goal percentage when you Go to the defensive side the Hornets Were 10 were allowing 10 almost 11 Excuse me they were almost allowing 11 Points fewer per 100 possessions with Him on the floor too that's crazy Offense it's a big 99th percentile Effective field goal percentage was down For the opposing offense when he was on The floor 6.3 percent hundred best Mark Best Mark that you could get 100 Percentile it's crazy the defensive Impact was great the question is right
You and I both agree we would both like To see dsj back in a hornet's uniform Prices always the caveat when discussing Do you want to bring back a free agent Don't think he's going to make that much Money though so if it's something like Vet Min type of deal maybe a little more I don't know what the deal is like the The range on him is interesting but can You stomach the offense that is bad with The team not playing well with him being That guard that combo point guard Whatever can you stomach that because he Does bring such fantastic defense on the Other side I I think you absolutely have to I've Said this a couple of times but if you Missed those episodes I think if they Don't make a really concerted effort to Bring Dennis Smith Jr back on some Contract that we can all agree is Reasonable some other team can come in And say no actually we saw what he did We believe he can stay healthy and we're Going to give him a big old honking deal Then you know okay I get that I get if The Hornets don't want to you know Overpay okay But they have to make a reasonable Effort to bring this guy back and if They don't then they're not serious About winning Dennis Smith Jr plays in a Position that the Hornets need I mean You know backup point guard is is not an
Area where they've been strong not just This season but in in Seasons past that They have not had you know a super solid Backup for lamello to depend upon and so I I think they absolutely need to do Everything they can to bring Dennis Smith Jr back you know they also it's It's about money but it's also about Roster spots at this point too right I Mean they've got a lot of draft picks That they're invested in right now They've got a couple of draft picks that They may make out of five that they've Got available in this next draft if they Land in the two spot we're talking scoot They're going scooting maybe maybe or Maybe they go Brandon Miller I don't Know but if they go scooting that's just Another guard that you've got to really Work in and work in pretty immediately And so you know may all of those factors Are going to play into this but I really Feel like Dennis Smith Jr offers a lot Of things that the Hornets really really Need and if they if they want to stick With Steve Clifford as the coach then I Think it's a perfect fit and they ought To go out and and make him an offer Steve is certainly going to want him all Right you brought him up you brought up Scooting let's do that coming up next on The locked on Hornets podcast We continue our series with Doug Branson Speaking with Rafael Barlow host of the
NBA Big Board podcast on the locked on Podcast Network they spoke about scoot Henderson and this clip that is still to Come so don't you go anywhere this Episode is brought to you by eBay motors For a championship team it's all about Making sure every player is a perfect Fit it's the same when it comes to your Vehicle every part needs to fit just Right so the next time you need parts And accessories head to Ebay motors with EBay guaranteed fit you can be sure Every part you need fits just right the First time around all you have to do is Add your ride to the my garage Tab and Look for the green check to know the Port will fit or you get your money back Because just like in sports confidence Is the name of the game when you shop on Ebay motors and with over 122 Million Parts to choose from you'll be back in The game in no time after all it's easy To bring home a win when the right parts Are guaranteed get the right part get The right fit and the right prices on Ebaymotors.com let's ride eligible items Only exclusions apply here's some Conversation between Doug and Rafael Barlow about scootenders Welcome back to the locked on Hornets Podcast I've got my draft cap back on And you know what that means we've got Rafael Barlow from the locked on NBA Big Board podcast here to talk more about
These opportunities for the Hornets uh In this upcoming draft we're going to Move on to number two overall and I'm Gonna zero in here on scoot Henderson I Don't know if he's going to be the Consensus number two pick by the time This is all said and done but for a While there it seemed like he was locked In I heard a lot of people saying you Know in any other draft that didn't Feature Victor webignyama scoot Henderson would be a number one overall Pick what say you Raphael what do you Think about scoot Henderson at number Two Yeah I like Scoot a lot I think that he Had a tremendous Buzz last year and That's when you started to hear the Rumors that he could possibly challenge Victor and then they they met heads up In Las Vegas and they both had monster Games the first first night And then school got injured and he Didn't get a chance to play the second Game and then I think what kind of made His name kind of fall off is that he Just didn't not Have a very good second half of the Season started off on fire but I think He had like 25 points or more on like Five of his first six games but he Finished the second half of the Season Kind of sputtering 39 from the floor 27 From three
While Brandon Miller was having big Games before the NCAA tournament but He's having big games on TV against SEC Competition even though a lot of people May figure The G League competition is is better Which it is but in college basketball You're playing for something whether It's the SEC tournament NCAA tournament And so on while in the G League you're Not playing in the biggest crowds you're Not necessarily playing to win a lot of Guys were playing to get called up and Then in the second half of the Season Guys are starting to realize that it's Unlikely that they'll get called up so With all that being said what schools You know not strong second half of the Season I think that opened the door for There to be some fluidity about who Could be the second paper Overall I mean he's a tremendous Talent Probably the best point guard prospect That we've had in years I mean he's Drawn comparisons to Derrick Rose I can Make a case and say he's a better Shooter than Rose at the same stage just Doesn't have that Extra gear like D Rose had but again who Has Westbrook so I think Scooter's a Phenomenal Prospect okay but I'm looking At this list of players on tankathon's NBA mock draft and I'm seeing a lot of Six four a lot of six five six six uh
But and then you look at scoots and He's Listed at six two now why should I not Be scared by the fact that you're Drafting a guy who's six two second Overall Flavor of the moth to go bigger but I Think you'd be making a mistake if you Let Scoop have fall past maybe number Three again we're talking about a guy That was 17 years old playing in the G League Some people Fill out the G league is the second best League in the world if you even if you Have your third behind the Euro league He was 17 years old he was playing Averaging about 14 points per game great Athlete can pass the ball good pull-up Shooter and I think he is a guy that can Be your franchise point guard but for Charlotte you don't necessarily need a Franchise point guard right now because You already have one in lamelo ball I know he said uh in some interviews That he likes the idea of playing in a Two guard lineup very similar to what Portland had with CJ McCollum Um and Damian Lillard and that would be A similar situation I suppose if he were To be drafted by the Hornets and started Immediately because he would be starting Alongside lamello ball uh you and I Talked about the uh awkward situation Where you would have Victor and Mark
Williams playing and and if that would Work so I'll ask you the same sort of Flavor of question here what a scoot Henderson lamello ball back court work In your mind Excuse me I would not be a fan of it Simply because I think both guys are Both really really good with the ball in Their hands and I think if you take the Ball out of school's hands or you take It out of melo's hands then you're not Maximizing their gifts I think it can Work I would have some concerns about The outside shooting scoot did not shoot The ball efficiently from Deep this year Even though he showed strides at the Beginning of the season but the numbers Kind of dipped like I said in the second Half of the season I mean I would try it to see if it works But long term I don't know if it is the If it is the best fit All right that's Rafael Barlow make sure You're subscribed to the locked on NBA Big Board podcast as we get closer to The NBA draft we're going to have Rafael Back to talk about some of the other Prospects that the Hornets could take One through eight we don't know where They're going to land maybe maybe they Go one maybe they go eight we'll find Out about all of these players coming up Thank you Rafael Thanks to Raphael once again we'll have
A few of those draft segments sprinkled In through some of these segments that We're doing this week we'll give you our Thoughts on scoot Henderson and more dsj Talk coming up in just a moment this Episode is brought to you by Ibotta you Can earn cash back on every shopping Trip Ibotta gives you cash back on Hundreds of grocery items from produce To personal care to Pantry Goods so Really any trip you take Ibotta has you Covered either link your loyalty account Or upload your receipt after you shop And you can get your cash back it's that Easy the average Ibotta user actually Earns 120 a year in real cash backs That's nice right now Ibotta is offering Our listeners five dollars Just For Trying Ibotta by using the code locked When you register just go to the app Store or Google Play Store and download The free Ibotta app and use code locked That's Ibotta Ib-o-t-t-a Ibotta in the Google Play or App Store and use code locked L-o-c-k-e-d scoot Henderson dsj coming Up next in the last segment Doug good stuff there once again now We've talked wimby the number one Overall Prospect scoot Henderson now Today really still most likely the Number two overall Prospect even though Some may care to differ but still mostly That I love them I know you are a big
Fan of scoot Henderson and I know you Asked Rafael about the size he did not Think the size was a concern he did Think maybe playing with lamello might Be a concern for him what did you make Of some of the things that Raphael Barlow had to say I mean I get where he's coming from uh You know to have two guards that do need The ball a lot to make things happen Um can be difficult but I think they are Enough different in how they use the Basketball that I think it could work Because right now you've got two guys in In lamelo and Terry uh that both need The ball a ton to be effective like Terry's not you know somebody that uh Can can be away from the basketball game And and come away happy or effective so You know I I think they can coexist and I honestly I think that putting a ball Dominant score who can go and get his Own shot at least at The Rim uh would be A compliment to lamelo ball I mean we've Been asking lamelo to drive more and to Get fouled more and we're asking him to Do that because one we think it would Make him an all-nba level player but Also there just aren't a ton of guys on This roster that can do that and so to Have him do that uh would would be Pretty exceptional but if you had scooch Then you ask him to do that a little Less on honestly and that may you know
Every time you drive it's an opportunity To hurt that ankle so it may extend the Mellow Ball's career if you put them Alongside scoot so I think there Actually would be a lot of advantages to Pairing those two together and and for As I mentioned in the interview for Scoots part he seems open to this sort Of Dame Lillard CJ McCollum setup where You've got two uh you know two star Guards uh leading the way yeah love ball Handlers on the court love it I love the Fact pairing skewed Henderson with Lamello not only do I not think that is A weakness for lamelo or vice versa I Think it's an absolute advantage in fact The only way I think it might be a Weakness I wonder if it affects scoot's Game just a little bit because if you're Worried about the shot then the idea is That lamello drives into the paint kicks Out scoots open for three maybe that Doesn't capitalize on his game as much But the exact opposite is true for Lamello like I think lamelo is a star in The league that can play in a lot of Different roles in the backcourt right Where okay defensively that needs to Improve for sure he does need to Um improve his Rim pressure I'm not Saying he's great at everything but I Think he can fit and acquiesce anything That is needed of him because if scoot Is driving in the paint and then kicks
Out yeah man we'll have lamelo shoot That three all day long we know how bona Fide of a shooter that he is and those Guys working where scoot Henderson Brings you some strengths where that Might be a weakness for lamello at least At this point in time I love those guys On the same team I think it's an Advantage uh for sure I mean any amount Of Rim pressure that other guys can put On an opposing defense will just open Lamello up to so many more three-point Opportunities where he's proven that he Can just be devastating and he you know He's been creating a lot of his own Space just by virtue of him stepping out And going a little deeper and defender's Not really willing to go out and guard Him there but there's going to be so Much much more space if you've got a guy Who can be as effective at The Rim as as Scoot can scoot's got to improve his Shooting but he's going to be more wide Open if you've got lamelo drawing Attention away and distributing out to Him that's going to be that's going to Be helpful to scoot who is 6-2 and I Don't think you can discount that Because scoot is not going to really be Able to create a ton of space against Really good Defenders by himself because Of that height discrepancy he's gonna He's gonna open up or he's going to like Get a reality check when he jumps into
The NBA and he's going up against Defenders who are six five to six eight Every single night draping all over him So it would benefit him I think a Tremendous amount to play with somebody Like lamelo ball that can give him just A little bit more space to operate Offensively now defensively You know I think there's going to be Just as many questions with scoot Henderson there because of the height That there is with Terry Rozier because Of the you know perceived lack of effort There defensively so you know they've Got to figure that out and who do they Pair in terms of the forwards and you've Got Mark Williams that's a start but in Terms of those four words you know what Do you pair there to to make up for the Fact that your your backcourt is still Going to be uh pretty harmful Defensively but scoot is a linebacker Though that'll help it's true The effort's there I'm not like scoot is I mean he's he's a bulldog when it comes To the defensive end of the floor like He's all over the place it's that's not A question but you're going to be able To shoot over scoot That's the problem I think the driving It's going to be hard because if scoot Is going to beat you to the spot he's Going to have leverage you're not going To move him as an offensive player I
Have total total faith that he's going To be strong enough to not get moved off Of his spot it's all about can you shoot Well over him and even still right like It's not like Dennis Smith Jr by the way Is a tall person you know he's not a Giant you know so when we're talking About scoot who yes is shorter we are Still talking about somebody that is Good defensively or has that capability Right I think that can really help and I Just I love the compliments from both Players lamello and I see it completely Differently with all respect anybody That's worried about that um the lamello And skewed pairing I view it completely Differently to dive into some Hornet's History as the Hornets historian here For every Hornets box score the reason Mugsy worked On the defensive end of the floor was Because those teams I didn't rely on Defense to win basketball games they Were very much a a pace team and a Little bit of a space team in an era Where that wasn't extremely a popular Way to play offensively uh so they won Games on offense and it may be part of The reason why they didn't have as much Success in the playoffs but the other Reason that Mugsy worked in those Lineups is because behind him he had a Couple of monsters in LJ and Alonso Morning and so I mean there were other
Guys too on the wing Um that you know in those starting Lineups that that provide a lot of beef And defensive intensity and Power That's my question you know if you're Going to feature those kind of lineups In the backcourt with those kind of Measurables you know are are you going To pair that with some some intensity at The forward position and you know some Physicality from the center position can Mark Williams increase that because that Would help uh you know sewage some of Those fears that you would have playing A guy like scoot next to lamelo well and Real quickly just some house cleaning Here dsj is only listed at six two on Basketball reference so you know you can See if you have the athleticism you have The dog in you as you said if the x-rays Do indeed show pit bulls then scoot Henderson can maybe even bring that Defensive prowess there last thing just With Dennis Smith Jr I'll ask you this Because I was interested he comes over He is this Reclamation project it's a Bright it's a bright story nice surprise Steve Clifford loves them this reminds Me Doug of one the ability for Steve Clifford to get the most out of a lot of Guards out there right whether it be Kimbo whether it be dsj and it also Reminds me of how about Jeremy Lin when He came back after he had a down career
Leaves the linsanity era goes to Houston Doesn't perform well comes to Charlotte That gets him a big old contract during The the salary Spike and then Jeremy Lin you know can look back fondly On his days here in Charlotte I very you Know minor certainly on to a lesser Degree but I do think he's the latest Example of somebody that comes into a Steve Clifford system Revives his career and now to me and Maybe you could also include Kelly ubray Here depending on how much you value him But this is someone that I think most Fans covet as far as a free agent on the Roster that you would want to bring back Right so many times those free agents Might leave to go to a different team And they're not re-signed at least here Recently because they were focusing on Rebuilding they've been so young for so Long I feel like dsj is one of those Guys that the team kind of wants back And might come back is one of the more Coveted free agents on the roster you Know Devonte Devonte Graham was traded As a free agent Malik monk left and he Wouldn't even coveted right I don't even Know how Devonte was either I don't know Just interesting I don't know your Thoughts on anything I said when I throw A loose question at you Well I think it's two guys meeting each Other at the right moment it's
Serendipitous uh and I think those Situations happen all the time in the NBA when when a coach and a player get Together and they just see eye to eye And they need each other in a way and Clifford needed uh both what he offered Defensively but also I mean we haven't Mentioned the fact that uh he was I Think ranked 15th in the NBA and assist A turnover ratio and 14th and steal the Term yeah yeah and so like he he was Able to offer that too he didn't make a Lot of mistakes offensively other than When he was shooting Corner threes and Missing them like that was the only Mistake was that he couldn't shoot and But he didn't shoot a ton either like we Didn't see any unless he absolutely had To he was in some lineups where he was Like look You know dsj's not shooting who is right Um so there were a couple of those games But for the most part when he was Surrounded by a full deck he understood Hey I don't need to be as aggressive Offensively there are other guys Available to do that I'm going to play Within the system here and that's really What Clifford values And DSA wanted to be valued what Clifford values is playing to your Strengths and so I'm sure these two guys Got together and said hey look you know I've watched your game and I I've seen
That you have a lot left to give to an NBA team and I feel like that's what he Needed to hear Dennis Smith Jr wants to Be believed in he wants a team to really Buy into him just like Kelly oubre you Just mentioned Kelly ubrae Kelly ubray Same thing he wants a team to believe in Him that's what these guys that you know Everybody NBA players value different Things some value money some value Status some value whatever I think there Are a subset of guys in the NBA that Value teams that say hey you're really Good at basketball and you're good at These things and we'd like you to do These things for us long term I think That's what dsj's looking for and I hope The that's why I hope the Hornets commit To him yeah Steve Clifford you know Glows when he talks about dsj too about How lead of a Defender he is how much he Likes him so you know dsj certainly gets The approval of the head coach I think Most fans given day understand his role I think most fans give him the approval As well so we'll see what happens this Off season we'll have you covered as Each of these updates come about coming Up next the next episode It's su's feed time we will give you That player recap but also we have we Have some more draft talk just in case You don't want to listen to Three Segments of Steve Makai Luke talk
Understandable we'll give you some more Draft conversation with Rafael Barlow of The NBA Big Board pod we appreciate you Making us your first listen now make Your second listen game to game NBA Every moment every top performance every Result locked on game to game covers Every game from across the league with Local analysis that only lockdown can Deliver follow game to game unlocked on NBA available on the Odyssey app YouTube And wherever you get your pods su's feed Tomorrow we really appreciate your time [Music] Ha
Living in Charlotte North Carolina
Event, Life & Sports
Charlotte is a thriving city that has a vibrant culture. Its history is deep and its people are a diverse mix of newcomers who weave into the fabric of this southern gem.
Whether you’re in the mood for a day at the spa or a multi-day music festival, Charlotte is a city that has something for everyone. Throughout the year, concerts and shows fill the city’s parks, courts and fields.
Sporting Events
The Charlotte region is a hub for major sporting events, with a packed stadiums and professional teams of all sizes. There’s a long tradition of baseball, football and basketball here. There’s also lacrosse, a relatively new sport that has grown to become a popular and well-supported option.
Golf
Several golf courses are located in the Charlotte area. Some of these are part of country clubs and some are public.
Weather, News & More
The climate in Charlotte is fairly warm and sunny most of the year with moderate to heavy rain in March and October. The average daily precipitation in Charlotte is 0.41 inches (10.3 mm).
Real Estate, Neighborhoods & Lifestyle
With a variety of neighborhoods, ranging from family-friendly to ultra-dog-friendly, you’re sure to find a place in Charlotte that’s right for you. Choosing to live in the city is a big decision, and it’s important to be aware of all the options available.