At The Hive: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: SB Nation interviews Jerome Bettis

Hornets Fan Confidence Poll

Last tallied on 09/08.

06|1:|0|100&chxt=x,y&chco=5098c7&chd=t:70

More great SB Nation Blogs

SB Nation Local

Baseball

Football

Basketball

College

Hockey

Soccer

Combat Sports

Golf

General

Media Requests

Media_medium

Contact Us

Contact_medium

SB Nation Louisiana

Csc_medium
Ath_medium
Atvs_medium


From a site called "Hoopsnotes." Yeah. They link to the same Newsday story that seemingly nobody can read properly. But they also include: "A source close to the situation confirmed to Hoopsnotes.com the New-Orleans Hornets are going to sign Louis Amundson for one-year and the veteran minimum."

So, um, yeah. Hoopsnotes has said it.

about 12 hours ago Paul_tiny Rohan 8 comments

Another Look at Point Guards. Sigh.

In some ways, I almost feel bad writing this post. I have no idea what the front office is doing right now. Entirely no idea. A trade for Deron Williams to fill the backup PG role could be in the works. But for now, the timeline appears as stale as ever.

A quick recap:

July 20th: Hornets hire Dell Demps
August 11th: Hornets trade Collison, acquire Ariza
August 25th: Hornets sign M. Shakur to a non-guaranteed contract

Assuming Shakur's headed for that third string role, the Hornets have gone almost an entire month now without a backup point guard. On August 19th, we speculated in this thread as to the remaining FA options. After the jump, the (mostly) comprehensive list compiled on that date:

Continue reading this post »

18 comments |

From the FanShots. Article also says: "The New Orleans Hornets appear to be the front-runner [for Lou Amundson]"

We still need another backup C, PF and PG. I still expect the Hornets to sign Amundson. With Earl Barron (awesome name) as well our frontline wouldnt look too bad.

1 day ago Monty-williamsjpg-225ef0442086ba3e_medium_tiny berlinhornets 7 comments

This Isn't New, But It's News

A couple little bits of news via ESPN Insider (aka via the Times Picayune). 

Marcus Thornton had a terrific rookie season last year for the Hornets. He should be the starting shooting guard this upcoming season, but head coach Monty Williams may go with newcomer Marco Belinelli.

"To me, it's about fit," Williams tells The Times-Picayune. "What guy fits best with that starting unit. Do we need more shooting or more slashers and athleticism? The challenge for Marcus is not to rest on what he did last year but learn to become a consistent professional.

Trevor Ariza could start at shooting guard if Williams chooses to start Peja Stojakovic at small forward. Stojakovic has a bad back and it may be best to start him while his back is warmed up.

And re: the rest of the summer:

"My gut feeling is that we are not done yet," Williams told The Times-Picayune. "Dell and I share information on both sides. I talk to him about players and he talks to me about things we can do. Maybe that's one of the reasons why we work so well together.

Demps could trade Peja Stojakovic ($14.25 million) or Darius Songaila ($4.81 million), as they both have expiring contracts.

I'm still not convinced that viable trade partners are out there, or that we should put too much stock in this quote. Either way, it's nice to see the words "Hornets" in an ESPN story. Been a while.

17 comments |

Luther Head Again

A relatively sensational headline from Ziller at Fanhouse yesterday: Report: Hornets Lied About Luther Head's Ankle.  I slap the "sensational" tag on it due to the lack of any new information on the situation. The story that has been circulating on Twitter (and that MrWayneKeller FanShotted here) is just a reference to the original A-Woj story/destruction of the front office. 

A quick refresher on the timeline; in bold, the person in charge of front office decisions at the time (from my critique of the team's decision from July 15th).

Sat., July 10th: Hornets, Head agree deal [Jeff Bower]
Tue., July 13th: Jeff Bower leaves team [Hugh Weber]
Wed., July 14th: Hornets withdraw offer [Hugh Weber]
Wed., July 14th: Head's agent/Woj slam Hornets [Hugh Weber]
Tue., July 20th: Hornets hire Dell Demps [Dell Demps]

 

Let's start with this: we still don't know if Head did or did not fail a physical. We have the word of the Hornets against the word of Mark Bartelstein. Yes, A-Woj is a respected reporter that has broken a staggeringly large percentage of NBA stories in the past two years. But let's remember that A-Woj's original report was simply the result of a phone conversation he had with Bartelstein. Sure, other sources "have told" Woj that the failed physical affected Head's chances. But as far as the physical itself? It was Bartelstein's word, as held up by Woj for all to see. 

In Woj's latest Y! story, one can find an updated sourcing: "Several sources insisted that there was nothing wrong with the ankle." But again, I'm not convinced. Were these sources all present during the physical? Are these sources that are close to Head, but that weren't present at the physical and don't know specifically what the Hornets contended? Are these Hornet sources that leaked the information out? Keeping in mind the confidentiality associated with medicals, it's unlikely that very many people outside of Weber/Williams/medical staff were on hand for the physical. 

Second, the decision to withdraw the offer was Weber's. Woj explicitly calls out Weber in his scathing TweetackTM. As dubious as the situation still feels to me, the current front office- Demps, Williams, etc.- is almost entirely unattached. 

And finally, I don't buy the "failed physical doomed Head's future chances" argument nearly as much as I did two months ago. Let's say a team wants a bench shooter. They draw up a list of options. They see Head as the best fit. At that point, it seems absolutely ridiculous to dismiss him from consideration because of a heavily contested failed physical, administered by a so-called sleazy team. Likewise, if a team is going to bring him to camp but is afraid of guaranteeing a contract due to the Hornet physical.... why not give him a physical themselves? Do NBA physicals cost in the thousands? Do teams not want to pay for plane tickets? 

The conclusion is the same as it was two months ago. If the Hornets lied, that's messed up. If the Hornets didn't lie, then... yeah. For now, all we can definitively say is this isn't nearly as black and white as people are making it out to be. 

13 comments |

Sunday Discussion: FIBA World Championships

Journalists line up to give Kevin Durant sonnets they have composed in his honor before a recent game.

More photos » Andrew D. Bernstein - NBAE/Getty Images

Journalists line up to give Kevin Durant sonnets they have composed in his honor before a recent game.

There's been precious little basketball news recently and even less about the Hornets. But the FIBA World Championships are in full swing in Turkey. Kevin Durant is being widely toasted for his outstanding play, and deservedly so. Tommy Craggs, though, has a fantastic article on Slate that points out that the massive media love-fest for Durant is due to sports pundits comparing Durant favorably to LeBron James.

Since FIBA is the only real basketball actually going on, let's talk about it today. What players have stood out to you? Are you still weirded out by the trapezoidal key? And why does the US sports media love to rag on the American team?

16 comments |

The 2010 @tH Approval Ratings: Aaron Gray

Photo

More photos » Chris Graythen - Getty Images

Positives: An impressive 18.4 PER over 24 games IN HIS FIRST YEAR, high defensive, offensive, total rebounding rates, 121 offensive rating in 24 games (career - 105), effective defensively, 18 for 21 on free throws (career 59% from line) DURING HIS INAUGURAL SEASON

Negatives: Fouled a lot (6.1 pf/36 minutes) FOR A NEW NBA PLAYER, high turnover rate (19.5%), only averaged 10.9 minutes per game AS OPPOSED TO LAST YEAR IN COLLEGE

My Grade: 4

Poll
On a 1-5 scale, how well did THE ROOKIE Aaron Gray fit his role in 2009-2010?

  97 votes | Results

17 comments |

The 2010 @tH Approval Ratings: Darius Songaila

Positives: Took on more offensive responsibility than many assumed he would (19.5% usage rate, 12.5 FGA/36 minutes), versatile in defensive and offensive position play, posted a career high in steal rate (2.3 per 100 defensive possessions), showed good range in shooting the ball, usage rate of 25.9% behind only Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings among rookies, 

Negatives: Very inefficient offensively (99 ORtg led to a total 0.0 offensive win shares for the season), second worst rebound rate of career, worst PER of career, second lowest true shooting percentage of career

My Grade: 3

Poll
On a 1-5 scale, how well did Darius Songaila fit his role in 2009-2010?

  85 votes | Results

11 comments |

More Posts from At The Hive

Explore Full Archive Next Page


User Tools

All Hornets, All the time
Start posting about the Hornets »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

Connect_with_facebook

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Cp3__small
Keeping CP3
Images_small
trades to keep CP3 in New Orleans

Recent FanPosts

Monty-williamsjpg-225ef0442086ba3e_medium_small
Another little trade idea
Monty-williamsjpg-225ef0442086ba3e_medium_small
Our New Backup PG
Small
defending last weeks news
Game_004_small
Collison for Ariza...Good or bad?
Chrispaul2_small
Welcome Gerald Madkins!
Armory6_small
Hornets Unraveling in Off-Season?
Full_small
Pondering Melo to the Hive
Swarm_sting_avatar_small
Chris Paul and company on their way to potentially killing the NBA

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

FanShots

Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.

Recent FanShots

Today In Rehashed News From July
Lets get us some royalty
Hornets Lied About Luther Head's Ankle
Hornets make play for present in trading for Trevor Ariza
Why Trevor Ariza and Marco Belinelli are exactly what NOLA needs
Melo Wants Out
Andre Igoudala on the Trade Block?
Lou Amundson to Sign this Week
Hornets Sign Mustafa Shakur as backup PG
Jordan CP3 IV - First Look

+ New FanShot All FanShots >

Recent Stories in Interviews

Paul_small
Sunday Discussion: The Offseason is Boring
Paul_small
@tH Talks to Quincy Pondexter
Paul_small
@tH Talks to Craig Brackins

SBNation.com Recent Stories

LAS VEGAS - JULY 24:  Chauncey Billups #4 and Jeff Green #12 of the 2010 USA Basketball Men's National Team try to stop Kevin Durant #5 of the 2010 USA Basketball Men's National Team during a USA Basketball showcase at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 24 2010 in Las Vegas Nevada.  (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) +4 updates

FIBA World Championship 2010: Team USA Blows Out Angola, Advances To Quarterfinals

PHOENIX - SEPTEMBER 05:  Sue Bird #10 of the Seattle Storm puts up a shot against the Phoenix Mercury in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2010 WNBA Playoffs at US Airways Center on September 5 2010 in Phoenix Arizona.  NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and or using this photograph User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.  (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) +1 updates

Bird's Game-Winner Sends Seattle Storm Into WNBA Finals

Partizan Belgrade forward Strahinja Milosevic, left, looks to take a shot as Phoenix Suns forward Jared Dudley, right, defends in the third quarter of an NBA exhibition game Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, in Phoenix. The Suns won 111-80. (AP Photo/Paul Connors) link

Jared Dudley Talks About Expectations For Suns, His Role And Contract (And Bobbleheads)

More from SBNation.com >

30 Greatest Hornets

Click Head for Full Story

----Completed----

Dickau1_medium

 

 

 

#30 Dan Dickau

Gminski1_medium



#29 Mike Gminski

Tripucka1_medium



#28 Kelly Tripucka

----Upcoming----

Chapman1_medium




#27 Rex Chapman

  Phills1_medium



#26 Bobby Phills

Burrell1_medium



#25 Scott Burrell


Managers

Paul_small Rohan

West_head2_small Junsier

Editors

Hldomingue-nola_small hldomingue