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Charlotte Hornets: Vote for Nicolas Batum

By John Woodcock

Dec 26, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford talks with guard Nicolas Batum (5) and guard Kemba Walker (15) during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Hornets defeated the Grizzlies 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford talks with guard Nicolas Batum (5) and guard Kemba Walker (15) during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Hornets defeated the Grizzlies 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Charlotte Hornets will need some help to get any of their players on the All Star Team.

The Charlotte Hornets and the All-Star Game have a rather interesting dynamic going on. While it does not seem that any Charlotte Hornet is going to make the All-Star team this year, it is worth noting which Hornet is closest and which Hornets qualify as the biggest snubs right now.

The only guy with a chance of being voted onto the team is Jeremy Lin, the backup point guard. Linsanity has his own fanbase with devoted followers that have gotten him than 150,000 votes so far. That is good enough for eighth in the guards voting, which puts him six places behind actually getting a starting spot on the All-Star Team. Duke’s Kyrie Irving, the man that Lin would need to catch, currently sits at 400,000 votes in the Eastern Conference.

Of course there are two other players who also qualify as guards from the Hornets than I would rather see on the squad than Lin. That would be Kemba Walker (19 PPG) and all around player Nicolas Batum. I thought that the NBA might have categorized Batum as a frontcourt player, but they did not. So you have plenty of time to make your opinion felt before January 19.

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Walker has been a consistent element to a team that has seen too many injuries already. If he is good for twenty a game, it’s hard to deny that would deserve a spot on the team. The Hornets aren’t even atrocious so it is not like Walker has been feeding on what few opportunities there have been. His scoring has come within the scope of the gameplan.

As for Batum, this might be his only season in Charlotte if the salary demands play out a certain way. Therefore we should recognize his efforts for this season and how he helped to reshape the team. More so than Walker, Batum deserves a bid. He does too many things.

Voting ends January 19. You can also throw some votes toward Irving, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Tim Duncan, and Harrison Barnes if you want a more Tobacco Road inspired team.

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