New Orleans Hornets To Sign Center Brian Butch

by Rohan on Dec 3, 2011 6:16 PM CST in News

Edge Sports International, a sports management group, is reporting via Twitter that its client, ex-Wisconsin Badger, Brian Butch is joining the Hornets. Butch is 6'11", 240 pounds, and will be 27 years old at the start of the 2011-2012 NBA season. It's unclear at this time whether this is simply a training camp invite or something more.

Butch had an outstanding year in the NBA D-League in 2009-2010, putting up a defensive rebound rate of 41% and total rebound rate of 20%. In the NBA, centers average 20% and 15% respectively for those two statistics. He was named the 2009-2010 Impact Player of the Year, finished All-2nd team NBDL that year, and after that one season, ranks as the all time D-League career leader in defensive rebound rate.

Butch is originally from Wisconsin, where attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Following his standout year in the D-League, Butch joined the Denver Nuggets' summer league roster where he experienced a dislocated patella in his third game*, causing him to miss the next season.

*I was at this game and was seated approximately five feet from Butch when the injury happened. It's far and away the most gruesome thing I've ever seen at a live sporting event, an injury that took me quite a while to forget, and one I won't describe in too much detail here. But the fact that he gets a second chance with the Hornets is especially gratifying for me on a personal level.

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I googled him

And up popped a picture of him in a bra :-/

Reppin' the Lafayette Hornets fans.

by RyanCaz on Dec 3, 2011 7:07 PM CST reply actions

lol

I had to look just to see if it was true and it, unfortunately, is.

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Dec 3, 2011 7:42 PM CST up reply actions

Does This Mean

That’s it for Aaron Gray? After all, how many big goofy white centers can you have on the bench?

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Dec 3, 2011 8:00 PM CST reply actions

I wonder if this is just a training camp invite for Butch

I mean, I’d still much rather have Gray because he’s proven himself an NBA capable talent over a course of many years.

I have a message out to Butch’s agent, so I’ll pass along here if I hear anything back

by Rohan on Dec 3, 2011 8:01 PM CST up reply actions

Oh Of Course

I’d much rather prefer Gray. I wonder, after his postseason, what kind of deal he’s looking for this season.

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Dec 3, 2011 9:48 PM CST up reply actions

By the way the tweet reads

I agree. It’s merely training camp and his agents feel he’s most likely to catch on with us.

by RedHopeful on Dec 4, 2011 1:06 AM CST up reply actions

Side Note

I think it’s time to re-activate the Gary Chouest purchase alert system. Even if it’s a minimal warning.

Reppin' the Lafayette Hornets fans.

by RyanCaz on Dec 4, 2011 4:00 AM CST reply actions

Good call sir

by Rohan on Dec 4, 2011 3:22 PM CST up reply actions

will miss gray with ya all...

still hope he can play, but 2 solid centers on a bench seems not so good.
Gray has always promised to be a great center off the bench…not a starter.
I mean, maybe IF he lost another 5-10 pounds and learned more moves or developed a little better shot just outside, but then again I get tired of hoping.

Don’t BIG guys take until around 26, 27 years of age to develop into the NBA game?
How old is Chandle? I know he sucked his early years with Chicago. And you traded him away.

Where can I learn about this new kid and how his style is????
Please advise

Oh…and I don’t care who we have along with Okafor…if there is no hot shooting guard gotten, its all same-o same-o stuff up the middle again this year.,

by ppellico on Dec 4, 2011 8:29 AM CST reply actions