UWRT 1104

Assignment One
Emerson Creech

Background information: Charlotte Hornets are in NBA franchise located in Charlotte, North
Carolina. The Hornets are owned by former all time great Michael Jordan. Charlotte plays their
home games inside Time Warner Cable Arena. There are 30 teams in the NBA, 15 in each
conference. The league is split up into an Eastern and Western Conference. Charlotte plays in the
Eastern Conference, in the southeast division. Other teams in the southeast division include,
Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards. The Hornets are coached
by Steve Clifford, who has been with the team for three seasons. NBA regulation games last 48
minutes total, with 12 minute quarters. Each team is allowed five players to start the game.
Coaches can choose how many players they would like to use over the course of the game.
Normally, coaches use about 7-10 players per game. Charlotte was previously known as the
Bobcats, before changing the name to Hornets in the summer of 2014. The original Charlotte
Hornets franchise played in Charlotte from 1988-2002, before moving to New Orleans. Two
years later, the Charlotte Bobcats were born. The Hornets uniforms are white (home), purple
(away), and teal (alternate).

Players: The players are what makes the game go on. They are the people who wear uniforms
and play the games.
Coaches: Coaches are in charge of making sure players know what their assignments are. The
coaches prepare the players for the game.

Kemba Walker: Is the best player on the Hornets, averaging a team high 20 points per
game. Kemba plays point guard, meaning he brings the ball up the floor and sets up the
offense. When Kemba brings the ball up, he already has a play in his mind ready for the
offense to run. Sometimes, he may pass the ball to a teammate. Other times, he can
dribble the ball to the basket and try to score. Walker stands 61, and is the shortest
player on the Hornets roster. However, Walker uses his size and quickness to dribble past
defenders. Kemba was drafted by Charlotte in 2011 as the 9th overall pick.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: Also known as MKG, the third year pro has missed a large
majority of this season due to a shoulder surgery in the preseason. MKG made his season
debut on Friday, January 29th, 2016. Sundays game would mark only the second game
he has played in all season. Kidd-Gilchrist is known around the league as being a great
defender. While his offensive game has room for improvement, Kidd-Gilchrist averaged
10 points per game last season. Kidd-Gilchrist has played started at small forward since
being drafted #2 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Marvin Williams: After playing his college basketball at UNC, Williams has played for
multiple teams in the NBA. The veteran signed with Charlotte last summer as a free
agent. Williams starts for Charlotte, playing power forward, and is averaging 13 points
per game this season. Williams was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, where he played from
2005-2012, before signing with the Utah Jazz in 2012. After playing two seasons with the
Jazz, Marvin signed with the Hornets in the summer of 2014.

Comment [1]: Overall a really great assignment man, i

can honestly say i learned a lot about basketball, the
NBA and the Hornets as a team. i didn't know they
were a pro team, i thought they were in the minor
leagues, so that is really cool. you may want to read
over it out loud and work on some sentence structure
and odds and end grammatical tweaks but really good,
thank you i enjoyed reading it.
Comment [2]: Over all great background information,
this may sound stupid and i know who MJ is but, you
could use some more detail here, this is a great
opportunity to maybe describe him as a player, and
what led him to buying the Hornets and when he
bought them.
Comment [3]: Wow i didn't know the teams in the
southeast division. This is a great observation for none
NBA fans.
Comment [4]: Great detail here, i will be honest i totally
did not know this information so, the way you described
it and broke down the key essentials of this sport helps
me as the reader be able to continue on reading with a
general knowledge of your paper.
Comment [5]: Great information on the History that was
given. I feel that was needed. I also feel that you could
have talk a little more about them being the Bobcats.
Comment [6]: Great idea giving a general image of who
the major "players" are on the court. Consider maybe
standardizing your descriptions of the players, in one
sentence you may say Kemba and the next call him
Walker, it might help your readers to call each player
by one name whether that's Kemba, MKG or Williams.
Good detail outlining the roles each player has, if we
are required to do more characters in later assignments
consider doing the hornets coach, might be good info
for your readers to read.

Artifacts:
Basketball: The basketball is the most important piece to the game. Without it, there will be no
game played. Players use the ball to dribble, pass, and shoot. A basketball can vary in sizes
depending on what league. NBA basketballs are the biggest size.

Hugo the Hornet: Hugo is the Charlotte Hornets mascot. The job of a mascot is to get the fans
involved in the game, and represent the teams name. Hugo is a teal colored Hornet that wears a
white pair of Air Jordans. Mascots can be involved in many different activities during a game.
Often times, mascots will participate in games during timeouts, and other activities to get the
fans involved with the game.

Basketball goal: Besides the actual basketball, the basketball goal is the second most important
piece to a basketball game. Players use the ball to shoot it into the goal. A shot that is within the
outside arc is worth two points, while shots from beyond the arc are worth three points.


Observation One
Sunday, January 31st, 2016
Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Lakers


4:00mins: Charlotte opened the game by taking a 7-0 lead over the Lakers. The game began by
the Hornets making their first two three point attempts. Kemba Walker scored the first basket for
the Hornets. Los Angeles appears to be unfocused. A capacity crowd is inside Staples Center.
The crowd does not appear to be a factor in this game thus far. The only time there was a
significant roar from the crowd was when Kobe Bryant was introduced.

7:00mins: The Lakers has regained their focus, and have jumped out to a 10-9 lead. Los Angeles
missed their first three shots before making four straight. Charlotte called a timeout after losing
the lead. Charlotte appears to be frustrated with their defensive play. Fatigue may come into play
later in this game. The Hornets are currently playing in their final game of a four game road trip.
The three previous games were in Sacramento (last Monday), Utah (last Wednesday), and
Portland (last Friday). The Lakers last played on Friday, in Staples Center against the Los
Angeles Clippers.

12:mins: Coming out of the timeout, Charlotte scored ten consecutive points to take a 19-10 lead.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has scored an early six points. He has been aggressive with the ball,
driving to the basket to get close shot opportunities. Kemba Walker has shared the ball well
early, dishing out three assists so far. The Hornets came into this game with injuries on the
roster. Cody Zeller (shoulder), Jeremy Lamb (toe), Nic Batum (toe) and Al Jefferson (knee) are
all out for Sundays matchup. With the absence of Al Jefferson (original starting center), and
Cody Zeller (backup center), Spencer Hawes stepped in as the starting center tonight. Nic
Batum is the usual starting shooting guard. However, with his absence, Jeremy Lin played
starting shooting guard on Sunday.

Comment [7]: Great observations on this one, i can

really tell you know about the game, it reads like a
commentator is right there on the court. it would have
been nice to know who won the game, even though i
know 30 minutes was the cut off. Is having injured
players something that is normal for Basketball? it
seems that both teams must be barely limping with all
the broke people, it might be good to add some general
knowledge about how teams handle injuries.

16:00mins: Kobe Bryant has been defended very well by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist thus far. Kobe
is leading the Lakers in scoring, with 17 points per game. However, Bryant is yet to score a
basket. Marvin Williams has been rebounding the ball effectively, with five boards so far. The
Hornets have been able to get second chance points off of their own misses, by collecting
offensive rebounds. The second chance points seem to be deflating the motive of the Lakers on
defense.

21:00mins: At the conclusion of the first quarter, the Hornets have a 21-17 lead. The Lakers got
a late surge from Kobe Bryant, after he scored six late first quarter points, cutting the Charlotte
lead to four. Marvin Williams has extended his scoring total to four following the first quarter.
Both teams appeared to be tired as the quarter wound down. Each team will need this timeout to
rest. The crowd has begun to become a factor in this game. After Bryant knocked down two
three-pointers, the crowd began to bring an uproar in the building.

27:00mins: After bench players for each team entered the game, Charlotte remains in the lead,
27-18. Kobe has played more minutes than I originally suspected he would be coming into this
game. He has been nursing multiple injuries all year long. Los Angeles called timeout following
multiple defensive lapses. Lakers head coach Byron Scott appears to be frustrated with his
teams hustle.

30:00mins: Charlotte holds a 41-31 lead going into a television timeout. Marvin Williams and
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist have done their share of scoring so far. Williams has totaled 11 points to
along with eight rebounds. Kidd-Gilchrist has recorded 12 points and collected six rebounds.
Charlotte appears to be on the brink of controlling this game. The pace of the game is playing in
the Hornets favor. The offense seems to be running smoothly, as the Hornets have knocked down
eight three-pointers in the first half.

Observation #2
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte Hornets
February 3rd,2016

3:00mins: Charlotte is playing in their first game since returning home from their four game road
trip. The Hornets appear to be ready to play, having two days of rest to prepare for this game.
Starting point guard Kemba Walker will not play in this game due to knee soreness. Jeremy Lin
steps in as the starting point guard. Lin seems focused in the early minutes, and ready to take on
the role.

8:00mins: Cleveland jumped out to an earl 11-5 lead, after point guard Kyrie Irving makes two
kquick baskets. Lin is undersized compared to Irving, so this could present a mismatch playing
into Clevelands favor.

11:00mins: Playing power forward, Marvin Williams has entered the scoring column quickly.
Williams has six points through the first four minutes. It appears that the Hornets want to slow
the pace down on Cleveland. Meaning, instead of running up and down the floor at full speed,
trying to get fast break opportunities, Charlotte wants to slow the pace down and set up an
offense.


13:00mins: Clevelands LeBron James is regarded by some as the best player in the world. He is
being guarded by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Kidd-Gilchrist is the best defender on the Hornets
roster. He will have the tough task of guarding James tonight. Kidd Gilchrist is doing a fine job
so far, as James is yet to score.

15:00mins: With their offense tonight, Charlotte has been able to get fairly open looks from the
field. Cleveland does not appear to be on the same page on defense. Cleveland calls timeout to
discuss defensive issues, following two quick Hornets baskets.

17:00mins: The two teams seem to be getting a little frustrated with each other. While going for
a rebound, Charlottes Spencer Hawes was flailing his elbows at Clevelands J.R. Smith. Hawes
was trying to get Smith off of him, and Smith did not appear to like Hawes actions.

19:00mins: While backing down LeBron James, Spencer Hawes knocked James to the ground,
trying to score the basketball. J.R. Smith too exception to the fact that Hawes knocked over over
James, and pushed Hawes in the back. At this point there needs to be players stepping inbetween Smith and Hawes, before this scene gets ugly. While Smith and Hawes bowed up to
each other, the two players were separated.

21:00mins: There is certainly a new mood inside Time Warner Cable Arena, following the
skirmish between Spencer Hawes and J.R. Smith. The intensity between the two teams was
escalated, following the event. The physicality on the low block between Clevelands Tristan
Thompson and Charlottes Tyler Hansbrough is something to be noted.

23:00mins: In the midst of all this jawing between both teams, Jeremy Lin is having a fantastic
game. Lin has scored 15 points so far, collected four rebounds, and dished out five assists. The
offense seems to be running smoothly. Point guard Brian Roberts has just checked into the game
for Jeremy Lin. Roberts does not usually get much playing time, but has been asked to play in
the absence of Kemba Walker.

25:00mins: Through his first few minutes of action during this game, Roberts does not appear to
be frazzled by the moment. The fourth year pro has stepped into the game and knocked down
two consecutive baskets. Roberts, standing 61 is undersized on the court. However, much like
Walker, Roberts is able to use his quickness to his advantage to get open jump shots. He is able
to convert on these jump shots thanks to his improved shooting this season.

27:00mins: Rookie power forward Frank Kaminsky has stepped in and had a great game for the
Hornets so far. Kaminsky has 15 points in the first half, and was able to knock down two three
pointers. Standing 70, Kaminsky is able to stretch the floor out with his shooting ability, and
make big power forwards guard where they are not usually comfortable. While Frank is a great
shooter, he can also drive to the basket, and post up on defenders.

30:00mins: The first half of this game between Cleveland and Charlotte has been a roller coaster
ride thus far. Emotions has been shown on the sleeves of the players on the court. Both teams
want to win this game very badly. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has done an excellent job rebounding

the ball so far. Kidd-Gilchrist was able to rack up eight rebounds in the first half. Even though he
is slightly undersized, due to his thin frame, Kidd-Gilchrist uses his timing and leaping ability to
beat Clevelands players out for rebounds. Kidd-Gilchrist has also been able to scoop up two key
offensive rebounds, which allowed the Hornets to start each possession over again with a new
shot clock. After both possessions were regained, the Hornets were able to convert on both, with
jump shots.


Observation #3
Washington Wizards vs. Charlotte Hornets
February 7th, 2016

3:00mins: Charlotte is playing in its second game in two nights, after losing to the Miami Heat,
98-95. Washington comes into this game following a win against the Sixers. Both Charlotte and
Washington currently sit under the .500 mark. The Hornets are 24-26, while Washington is 2226. This game is important for both teams, as they each want to fight back into the playoff
picture.

6:00mins: The game began quickly for Hornets shooting guard Nic Batum. Batum scored six
points in the first four minutes. He appears to be ready for a bounce back game, after only scoing
12 against Miami on Friday. Cody Zeller has been getting back to his old role, as the starting
center, replacing Al Jefferson. Zeller returned Friday against Miami from a shoulder injury that
kept him out two weeks.

9:00mins: Kemba Walker has done a nice job facilitating his teammates thus far. Walkers has
three assist to start the game. Walker is also doing a nice job rebounding, with three rebounds
already. Charlotte does not appear to be tired, considering they played a game the night before,
Fatigue could come into play as the game progresses.

13:00mins: The pace of play is fairly moderate. Both point guards are doing a nice job making
sure their offenses are ready to play. Washington point guard, John Wall, is a North Carolina
native. Wall is one of the best point guards in the league, and will make an appearance in the
2016 All Star Game.

15:00mins: There is a very nice crowd inside Time Warner Cable Arena tonight. The crowd
noise is making it difficult for the Wizards to communicate with each other. A loud home court
is a great advantage for any team to have. Jeremy Lin has made an impact off of the bench, early
in this game. Lin has recorded five points so far, to go along with three assists.

17:00mins: Batum and Walker have provided a spark in the backcourt for Charlotte so far.
Batum has 13 points in the first half, while Walker has recorded seven points and five assists.
Spencer Hawes has come off of the bench and provided eight points, including two three
pointers. The bench has played a big role in the game so far. Jeremy Lamb has come off of the
bench and provided six points.

20:00mins: After a back and forth paced first quarter, Charlotte and Washington are tied at 2525. The game has been even thus far. Neither team could establish its dominance in the first
quarter. As the second quarter begins, the bench players for each team will be on the floor for a
little bit of time. Frank Kaminsky has seen his playing time increase as of late. The rookie has
been able to score eight points per game thus far for the Hornets. Kaminsky has established
himself as one of the core members of the second unit.

22:00mins: Rebounding has been an issue for Charlotte so far in this game. Washington is
currently outrebounding the Hornets, 25-18. These rebound that Washington has collected are
allowing them to get second chance points (in the case of an offensive rebound), or end a
Hornets possession (in the case of a defensive rebound). The big bodies down low for
Washington are Marcin Gortat, and Nene. Gortat has six rebounds, to go along with five points.
Nene has recorded five rebounds and two blocked shots.

25:00mins: Washington has been using its advantage on the glass, and has been able to gain a
nice lead. The Wizards appear to be more focused than the Hornets. Nic Batum is keeping the
Hornets in the game, as he has knocked down three consecutive jump shots. John Wall is
providing the scoring for Washington so far. Wall has 15 points, and has converted on three of
his last four shots.

28:00mins: The Wizards continue to use their dominance on the glass to retain their lead. If the
Hornets want to regain the lead, they will have to be more aggressive rebounding the ball.
Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been quiet thus far. After scoring 17 points
against Miami on Friday, Kidd-Gilchrist has only put up five first half points.

30:00mins: Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford continues to look for the right lineup to put on
the floor. In tonights game especially, coach Clifford has shuffled players in and out more than
he usually does. Coach Clifford is a big believer in defense and rebounding, two elements that
the Hornets have struggled with so far.


Analysis

Basketball is a game consisting of 12 minute quarters, with 48 minutes being played in a
total game. If the game were to go to overtime, each overtime session would last five minutes.
The minutes that each player plays per game can vary. Usually, starters average between 30 and
40 minutes. Players who come off of the bench usually play 15-25 minutes per game. A
rotation is a lineup that the head coach puts together, consisting of starting five, and usually 35 players coming off of the bench. There is an 82 game schedule for all 30 teams in the NBA.
The league is split up into an Eastern and Western Conference. Each team will play teams from
the opposing conference twice in a season (once at home and once on the road). Games played
between teams from the same conference can vary. Teams in the same conference usually play
each other 3-4 times each (this includes games played between teams in the same division).
Ironically, players in the NBA are given six fouls before they foul out, while players in
college are given only five. This is due to the fact that NBA games are eight minutes longer than

college games. Once a player receives his sixth foul, he is disqualified from further action during
that particular game.
Looking for specifically at the Hornets, Kemba Walker is the teams leading scorer.
Walker is averaging 20 points per game, and has only missed one game this year. The second
highest scorer on Charlotte is Nic Batum, averaging 14 points per game. Judging by that gap
alone, it is apparent that Walker does a large amount of the Hornets scoring. Scoring is the name
of the game. As a team, Charlotte averages 101 points per game (15th in the league). While
offense is very important in basketball, so is defense. Charlotte is 14th in the league in total
defense, giving up 101 points per game.


Chart

Search Terms:
1.) Rules of basketball.
2.) Individual player statistics.
3.) Injury status of players for each game.
4.) Conference standings updates.

Sources:
1.) Basketball Basics. Chris Martin. Breakthrough Basketball. October 17th 2013.
2.) NBA Wesbiste. James McKay. Charlotte Hornets season statistics. February 7th 2016.
3.) RottoWorld. Taylor Wright. Charlotte Hornets injury report. February 7th 2016
4.) ESPN NBA Standings Reference. Mark Stein. Eastern Conference Standings. February 8th
2016.

Interview

For my interview, I interviewed current Charlotte Hornets intern, and family friend, James
McNeil. James is 22 and is currently a senior at UNC Charlotte. He is graduating this May with a
degree in marketing. As part of a paid internship, James is working with the Charlotte Hornets
as a member of the marketing department.

1.) What is your favorite part about working for the Charlotte Hornets?
The game day experience unbelievable. The crowds are always electric inside Time Warner
Cable Arena. Seeing the players give it their all every night is really something special. The
Hornets fan base is spreading quickly. The community atmosphere amongst the fans is
special.
2.) Who is your favorite player on the current Hornets roster?
Kemba Walker is definitely my favorite player. His attitude every game is the same. He just
wants to win! He goes all out every game and will do anything for the Hornets to win. He is a
great leader for this young team. His scoring ability is one the best in the league. He is really a
special talent to watch.
3.) What has been your favorite memory since working with the Hornets?

Comment [8]: I like how you compare the differents

between NBA and College basketball.

I started working with the team this past July. So far, my favorite memory has to be the game
where Kemba Walker scored 52 points against the Jazz. It was an unbelievable game. He was
knocking down every shot he took. He had the entire team on his back, carrying them to
victory. The crowd was very loud during that game. We were so happy for Kemba.
4.) Why did you decide to accept the internship with the Charlotte Hornets?
I love the NBA and have been a passionate Hornets fan for a while now. It was really a no-
brainer. I applied for the internship last January, and when I got the call saying I had the
position, I was so ecstatic. Inside the marketing team, we have a family like atmosphere.
Everyone is committed to the team, and doing our best to create new marketing strategies.
5.) Do you think the Hornets will make the playoffs this year?
I do. I really do. We have been getting it together as of late. We are finally healthy again. We
definitely have a good shot. Right now we are on the outside looking in, but hopefully a late
push will propel us into the playoff picture.

Propose:
The Charlotte Hornets franchise may be young compared to other teams in the NBA, but they are
growing quickly. The state of North Carolina is known for the presence of basketball within the
state. College basketball teams like North Carolina, Duke and NC State have had success on a
national level. Since the Hornets were founded in 1988, the franchise has not won a
championship. While the search for their first title continues, the fan support continues to grow.
Fans in the Charlotte area and state of North Carolina have become more and more involved with
the team as the years pass. It is important to have a good fan support in professional sports. Fans
provide revenue for the team from ticket sales, merchandise sales, and concession sales. Fans are
what make sports so special, and the Hornets fan base is moving in the right direction.

Comment [9]: With the propose, it has some great

information, however i think the purpose of it is to kind
of give your reader an idea of what you are planning on
researching for the remainder of the semester.
Consider adding some things you would like to
research, maybe "what the Hornets have to do to get
in/ win a championship" or "how injured players may
affect the endurance of the team as a whole" then
outline what your hoping to learn in future assignments.