Hornets on the Internets

I can't even remember the last time I did a 'Hornets on the Internets', but it's time to bring back that treasure from our past, that pointlessly hyped excuse for a mundane link dump, that evergreen gem from @tH's storied history.

A  RealGM article compares Chris Paul with Tony Parker, with good breakdowns in various categories. Now we all know who's better, but I've long called Parker the most underrated guard in the league (and you could make a case for most underrated player overall). An excerpt:

It’s easy to see that Chris Paul is a better individual talent than Tony Parker, but it’s a very close race. They have similar styles and both play the game aggressively. They both use their speed to enable them to wreak havoc on opposing defenses, and also to make the other facets of their games stronger.

Jannero Pargo's bro, Jeremy, might potentially come out of Gonzaga this year. This ESPN article delves into the issue:

...Pargo has a brother in the NBA (New Orleans guard Jannero Pargo) who is telling him he doesn't want Jeremy to go through the same arduous undrafted path to the league.

"He wants me to be smart about things," Pargo said at the Milk House on the campus of Disney's Wide World of Sports. "He doesn't want me to go through the same thing he went through."

Looking back at Tyson's draft profile aaall the way back in 2001. Check the link for both Tyson's baby face and more of the following analysis (other than the shooting part, they nailed it):

7 footers with his athleticism come around every 10-20 years. Has good desire, and intelligence. Good shot blocker. Has good passing ability. Can shoot the ball well, and runs the floor like a deer. Has a chance to be a special special player in a few years.

Let's continue looking at the rear view mirror, this time at last year's draft. Remember when most everyone thought Julian Wright would be a top 10 pick? And then he fell to us? A look back at some of the concerns which led to him falling to the Hornets

One team who has been watching tape heavily of him in their war room came away less than impressed: "the more we watch him, the more flaws we see in him. I think we might have all gotten too excited after the Florida game." Another team that worked him out recently said that he "shot the ball poor from 17 feet and out, and really didn't do anything to ease our concerns about his NBA position."

Well, guess what? The signs of a potentially excellent shot are there, and he's proved he has the ball handling skills to easily handle the 3. In retrospect, we definitely did get a top 10 quality selection at 13.

Sure, everyone and their copy of Stephen Hawking's The Universe in a Nutshell has heard that Byron Scott got extended. Personally, I hadn't yet looked into the specifics until now. The Times-Pic had this interesting comparison of Scott with other coaches making the big bucks:

Scott's contract is estimated at nearly $6 million annually... Los Angeles Lakers' coach Phil Jackson is the highest at $10.3 million, followed by Golden State's Don Nelson and recently hired New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, who both will earn $6 million annually.

This last one's not about the Hornets, per se, but it is about New Orleans basketball. Apparently, a film about a New Orleans high school basketball team, set for release in November, is being filmed over the summer. Ed Staton of Bayou Buzz has more details:

"Patriots" is based on a true story of how John Ehret High of Marrero won the Class 5-A state basketball over Woodlawn 62-57 in 2006. It is an inspirational sports film set in the aftermath of Katrina, where Al Collins, the Ehret coach, assembles a team of players who had previously attended five different schools and leads them on the path to the state championship.

Forest Whitaker, an Oscar winning actor, plays Collins… "It's got all the elements," said Mike Fisher, who is basketball coordinator for the film. "Unfortunately for New Orleans, it's got disaster, and it's got a bunch of kids that overcome a lot of obstacles, and it's got the aspect of the underdog."

Hmm. A bunch of guys that "overcome a lot of obstacles" that are "the underdog" and that play basketball in New Orleans. You sure this can't be upgraded from high school to the pros? I mean Forest Whitaker probably plays a terrific David West. Just sayin'...