At The Hive: FanPosts

Would u be mad?

2009-11-04T08:16:04Z

Hey im a rockets fan here. And i was wondering.. if somehow cp3 were to demand a trade would you be mad at him for it? Im just wondering because all these frustrations seem to be just adding on and cp3 really seems to want a new team.

p.s i understand this is a highly doubtful senario.. if chris paul were that kind of player he would have voiced his concerned a long time ago

Solutions!?

2009-11-04T02:59:39Z

Clearly this team is in a state of confusion. They have no identity on any part of the game, and I believe that has a lot to do with the coaching of this team. I would like to present a few options that may get us a step closer to becoming a better team. While most of this is unlikely as George Shinn is a failure as an owner, I can still fantasize right?

First and foremost we must fire Byron Scott to give our guys enough time to learn a new system that hopeful replacement Rob Werdann or Robert Pack would place
I would try to find some potential trade partners for guys like Jim Posey (I call him Jim now because he's only a shell of the player he used to be, so it's not really fair to call him by a name he no longer truly plays to), Morris Peterson, and David West. Now the reason I threw West in there is because we have Ike Diogu who has proven when he has starters minutes, he can play huge on offense, defense, and in the rebounding department. Ike is still young and has a much upside as anyone in the NBA.
Now if i was to trade David West I'd look to get as much value for him as I could possibly get. I'd definitely try to get an atheltic 2 guard that can play or a true center (Sam Dalembert?) and Meka Tron could move to a better suited PF spot. Heck maybe try to get both! Don't get me wrong, I love DWest, but he doesn't play defense and if he's not hitting that midrange jumper then he will struggle for points all night.
Some guys I'd be looking at for trade would be Thaddeus Young, Samuel Dalembert, Andris Biedrins, Kelenna Azubuike, and A.I. (mainly as a stop-gap until Thornton is ready)
Next I would bench Bobby Brown and put Collison in. Collison is more a true point guard, Bobby Brown plays like a ball hogging shooting guard in the body of a PG, therefore he is no PG.
After I did that, I'd let Marcus Thornton fight for a starting job. A guy with this much potential shouldn't be rotting away on the bench, he needs to be getting live reps.
I would also get Darius Songaila much more involved. This guy is a chippy guy who can play the 3,4, or 5. I'm not sure exactly what Scott has been using him as in his offensive schemes, but it's not suiting him. Get Songaila on the block or let him post up, he plays down low, not it the grey area where Scott has placed him.
Next, I'd MAKE Julian Wright get involved. All too often he becomes completely invisible in games, and thats not what starters do. Now I'm willing to put much of this on Scott's misuse of Julian in his position on the court, but he needs to get more involved. I'd work diligently on working up plays to get him free in the lane, ready for the lob and slam. Not to mention, he has been nailing open shots unlike some people *cough*Bobby Brown, Jim Posey, Morris Peterson, David West*cough*. Woo, ahem, must've swallowed a fly right there.
And the last adjustment I'd make is to yell at Hilton whenever he's on the floor at all times, just to remind him to keep his head in the game. If he could somehow manage to put it together this guy could be sooooooo good. I'd also tell him to stop taking jumpshots, even if they are open, because that's really just not his thing.

So with all of that being said I would like to make a dream depth chart!

Point Guard!: The Great, Goodly, and Godly 6 Footer, out of Wake Forest, Number 3, CHRIS PAUL!, spelled by Darren Collison, replaced by only in an emergency Bobby Brown

Shooting Guard!: The New Orleans Native and "Young" Gunner THADDEUS YOUUUUUNG! (or Kelenna Azubuike!), backed up by the other Louisiana Native Marcus Thornton!, backed up by Devin Brown(!?)

Small Forward!: The Feisty Slam Jammin, Shot Shootin, Rotin Tootin Julian Wright!, followed by your 6th man of the year candidate, The Serbian Assassin, PEJA STOJACAVIC!

Power Forward!: Making a recent switch in position, at 6-10 out of Conneticutm the Nigerian Nuke Bomb, EMEKA OKAFOR!!!, followed by Ike Diogu!, followed by Darius Songaila!

Center!: The newest big man on the block in the BIG Easy, the Haitian Sensation SAMUEL DALEMBERT!, followed by Hilton Armstrong, and Sean Marks

And standing at 6-11, 240 pounds out of St. John's University, your new head coach, ROB WERDANN!

GEAUX HORNETS!!!

...oh how I would love to hear that at the beginning of every home game...

What the Hornets have to do to do better than an eighth seed

2009-11-03T22:21:53Z

Trade Posey and Julian wright for Stephen Jackson

This would make New orleans a contender for probably the fifth or sixth seed, and make sure they don't lose to NY

Jackson can shoot pass defend and is very versatile.

When he is motivated he can produce like an all star, and playing with CP3 would definitely motivate him.

This team has so few passers on the roster and CP3 is arguably the best but the Hornets need another playmaker and Stack can dish 3-6 assists that would help this team a lot

He can also score he is a fantastic three pointshooter and he is average player when it comes to driving to the rim

Jackson can take pressure off CP3 teams will have a hard time defending those two

CP3's passing will only make im better

Also this will drasticsally improve their scoring without having to give up on defense

You have a great scorer and passer in Cp3 and then you have a great passer and above average three point shooter in Jack, and a great 3 pt scorer in Peja, you have a talented inside scorer in David West, and you have a guy who can put up 13-14 a night in Emeka.

Then there is the defense

You have 3 above average defenders in CP3 Jackson, and Okafor i do't know much about west's defense

The keys to success

CP3 produces like a superstar

Jackson keeps his mood swings to a minimum and dishes at least 4 scores at least 15 and steals 1 a game and grabs at leat 4 boards

All Peja has two do is make threes and play at least 50-60 games if possible

West needs to keep scoring, play defense, and improve rebounding

Emeka needs to play a Ben Wallace role doing all the dirty work(rebounding, blocking shots etc) while scoring efficiently and consistently at least 13 at a high of 16

give Diogu a chance Chris Paul can help him, giving him minutes raises his confidence and lets him show he can score rebound and defend he is pretty good if you let him play.

The bench has to produce they don't have to be good, just not bad

CHRIS PAUL IS OVERRATED!!!!! HE IS NOT THAT GOOD!!!!!!

2009-11-03T07:35:23Z

I hate when people compare Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson to Chris Paul as if they are equally skilled. I think Chris Paul is overrated and is actually not that great of a player. Many of the greatest players in NBA history have been players that have carried their team to a championship. Chris Paul has shown us for four years straight that he is not capable of taking his team to the finals. He needs to work on his three point shooting and shots under pressure. He has proven himself to not be a clutch player and relies on other teammates to make game winning shots. Also, they are not systematic players such as Chris Paul. You could have put Jordan on any team and I guarentee he would've taken them to the championship within four years. Can Chris Paul play for any team, except the Hornets, and still produce similar stats?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!

Chris Paul is the type of player that fits into a certain style of basketball. The style of basketball that the Hornets play is similar to street ball because they set one screen and hope that someone is open. If not they are often seen playing one on one basketball. Chris Paul is a perfect fit for this type of basketball because he is a young player who loves to shoot and make flashy plays. His assist per game can be extremely misleading to someone who does not watch him play regularly. Chris Paul is a ballhogg and since he loves to dribble he often gets double teamed, it is then that he contemplates whether to shoot or pass. I have witnessed many situations where Chris Paul has shot the ball with two opponents defending him. The only reason he averages 11 apg is because Tyson Chandler is a great finisher. Many players in the NBA are not capable of jumping over there opponents head to slam dunk all over them. If Chris Paul played for a championship team like the Spurs, Cavs or Lakers would he still be considered a great point guard?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!

First off he would have to share the ball which may be his biggest problem. Second, most championship teams are not known for their fast break points but instead for there half court offensive skills. This style of play is not familiar to Chris Paul and would result in a decline of his stats. I have noticed Chris Paul has a hard time scoring once the defense has set up, because it becomes harder for him to penetrate to the goal or throw an alley oop to Chandler.

These are just some things to consider before you compare CHRIS PAUL TO THE GREATS!!!!

CP vs. Rondo

2009-11-02T04:01:53Z

With respect to the recent "spat" between the two players, we have to understand where Rondo is coming from and where CP is coming from.

With respect to Rondo, you have to understand that whenever people talk about the Celtics, they always talk about the "Big 3". As if Rondo is some bit player in their show. Fact is that without Rondo, they wouldn't have won a championship 2 years ago, or made it as far as they did last year when Rondo was a constant triple double threat every playoff game. People easily forget that when the Big 3 came together in Boston, point guard was considered the weak link of the Celtics and there was a ton of pressure for Rondo to just be at least adequate. Fact is that Rondo blew by all the expectations that were put on him. He's much better than people expected and has been a key piece of Celtics' championship squad. Rondo feels understsndably frustrated that people still refer to the Celtics as the story of the "Big 3". This comes it when he plays a top point guard like CP. That's the background of why Rondo might have acted like that.

With respect to CP, he feels, perhaps rightfully, that he is a player of destiny but he is not yet convinced whether the players around him are of a caliber where he can go to the Championship. This is frustrating CP and this season will really test CP's patience--especially if the Hornets can't play as consistently well as he would like. It's not the first time that CP has commented about the supporting players surrounding on of his competitors at point guard. Remember in the Denver series last year, CP said in frustration that Denver has better players "at every position". This was during a time that Denver played much better than the Hornet while he was having his head to head matchup against Billups. This memory is still raw in his mind and last night it came out during the game against the Celtics when he was matched up against Rondo.

So each player's actions and reactions are quite understandable considering their histories and current positions.

GUYS PLEASE HELP

2009-09-28T08:25:48Z

guys sorry for this message, but i know people from New Orleans can understand us.You may have heard of the typhoon that ravaged the northern part of the Philippines. I am a Filipino and the first floor of my home was flooded. Everything is all right now in our home, my family is safe. But people in areas who were much more afflicted by Typhoon "Ondoy" are still in relief camps right now because they have no place to go. All i am asking from the people of new orleans is pray for us. Thats all thank you for your support

Lure talent via trade or free agency?

2009-09-04T21:36:31Z

Just wanted to get some opinions from die hard Hornet fans. From 2009 to 2011 the Hornets have very little financial freedom. After which Hornets will have some money to sign free agents and still have the CP3/Okafor combo. However Hornets do have some expiring contracts this season (2009). In addition Posey could possibly be moved to attain expirings if no one wants him:

http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/6/12/907267/dear-ainge-fix-the-mistake

Question is would you move Posey and the expiring contracts for a chance at a marquee star now or simply wait till 2011 and beyond and get someone via free agency. I know it is unlikely that the Hornets move Posey and all it's expiring contracts but it's fun to GM! Myself being a Piston fan I honestly wouldn't mind a Posey/Daniels for RIP trade. Think it is a decent trade for both teams.

Here is the Hornets salary information (I assume it to be accurate):

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9191

Who Will Win the Starting Shooting Guard Spot?

2009-08-27T18:15:17Z

After the Rasual Butler trade, a hole needed to be filled, a hole in the name of 31.9 minutes per game. The Hornets have options and have made it a contest for the starting shooting guard spot in the rotation. Nothing makes players bring their “A” game more than good old competition, especially when the winner gets a prominent role on the team and the loser gets a supporting role. So who are these guys? Which ones really have a chance to start and who has the best chance of taking the spot next to Chris Paul?

Poll

Who will start at Shooting Guard?

Devin Brown

1 votes

Morris Peterson

30 votes

James Posey

9 votes

Marcus Thornton

8 votes

48 votes | Poll has closed

Paul and Okafor can be the next Stockton and Malone

2009-08-07T05:48:10Z

Jeff Bower is most likely correct in his assessment that Okafor's stats will increase when playing with CP3. These two guys both have an incredible work ethic and the Hornets have a supporting cast in Peja and West to really let Okafor and Paul shine. I've written an assessment about the possibility of Paul and Okafor becoming the new age Stockton and Malone (except hopefully with more championship rings than those poor guys).

Final pieces to make us a contender.

2009-08-04T16:53:41Z

Fransisco Garcia and Desagana Diop.

First trade Rasual and Devin Brown for Garcia. Fransisco is a quick, athletic wing who can both shoot the 3 ball and drive to the hole. He has excellent ball handling skills, defensive presence, and a fiery attitude. He even played some backup point guard last year. The guy is really well rounded, and I am a big fan of his. Why then, do I think he is avaliable? Because the Kings have at least 4 years and 24 million dollars committed to a bench player. He backs up Kevin Martin, one of the best scorers in the game, and Andres Nocioni. Also, both Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih, two of Sacramento's point guards, are more combo guards then reall pg's anyway, so they ought to eat up most of the backup minutes at the 2 spot. At small forward, Sacto has to young prospects, Dontae Greene, and Omri Casspi, that they will want to give some minutes to this year since it will be a rebuilding year and they want to see what they have with those players.

Also, if they move Garcia they would have less then 30 million in committed salary next year making them major players in either free agency or trade scenarios. Butler had a great year last year, but Garcia is younger, quicker, a better ball handler, and more versatile. If his shot isn't falling he can drive to the basket. He would be a crucial third option/ shot creator on the court. With him starting we'd have four above average scorers (Paul, West, Garcia Okafor), and 4 above average defenders (Paul, Wright, Okafor, and Garcia). That kind of balance would make it really difficult to stop us on any given night because we could rely on the best matchups that night and save CP's energy for those 3rd quarter/ 4th quarter heroics that he prefers.

A Diop for MoPete and a 1st is alot for a backup. I realize that, but he would give us the last piece. Emeka is an excellent defender and one of the best all around centers in the game (top ten). His problem is he is a little undersized. This wouldn't matter in the vast majority of games we play in, but there would be a few games where this woud be a problem (Orlando, Cleveland, L.A., Portland). Getting Diop would do three things 1) it would allow Okafor to play agressively without worrying as much about fouls 2) It would give us a big banger to combat the low post scorers left in the game, and 3) we wouldn't have to double the opposing team's low post threat so we wouldnt give up open looks on kickouts.

We make those moves and I put us up against any other team in the league.

Chandler on the Move?

2009-07-27T21:49:28Z

ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting that Chandler could be on the move to Charlotte for Emeka Okafor. It also states that other players/teams could be included. Considering how dire the Hornets cap is looking, there has to be more involved.

Haven't really followed Emeka all that much but I do know he's a little undersized to play C. In the past, he tried to bulk up a little too much and he missed significant time to injury. That said, he seems to be a little more durable and has the potential to expand his offensive game (although he really hasn't done it yet after quite a few years in the league). What do you guys think?

Centers of Attention

2009-07-07T03:14:17Z

If Tyson Chandler must be traded, and it must be during the offseason, the rumored deal with the Detroit Pistons (Jason Maxiell and Kwame Brown for Chandler) is probably the most palatable arrangement available, as noted by jdpourciau (this FanPost, my first, began life as a comment on jdpourciau's work - thanks for the inspiration).

However, while this trade would shore up the PF position for the next few years, we would have two expiring contracts as our only options at the 5, and both are probably back-up caliber at best. The solution?

As I've been putting forward to anyone who will listen, I think the Hornets should acquire Drew Gooden. A free-agent who can play PF or C (and actually had comparable-to-better numbers at the 5 last year, though there could be some extenuating circumstances behind that), Gooden would be a good short-term or long-term addition to the team's frontcourt. While he's only 6'10" and offensively-oriented, he can rebound, hit free throws and generally contribute at a consistent rate. His health can be an issue, but that's also true of Chandler, as well as just about every other big man in the league, to one degree or another. Depending on the deal, we could probably get Gooden for a reasonable sum of money while avoiding hamstringing ourselves for the future, particularly as it pertains to 2010.

In a post after the draft addressing our potential free-agent targets vis-a-vis the back-up frontcourt, our esteemed webmaster listed Gooden as someone we should give a look.

Ever since he left the company of the [Cavaliers], Gooden's been looking on the up and up. Rebounding last year? Try 10.4/22.6/16.6. 52.6% true shooting. 11.7% turnovers. 4.0 FTA/36 minutes.

Additionally, this assessment defined our chances at getting the former Finals starter as "actually reasonable" and went on to call Gooden a "very good option." High praise indeed.

If the front office signs no other free agent this offseason (and again, if they must trade TC before the season begins), I think Gooden should be put before names like Pargo, Bass and some of the other potential additions our team has been linked to. If Bower hasn't yet given his agent a call, perhaps this will bring the Kansas product to his attention.

Potential Depth Chart:
PG: Paul/Collison
SG: Butler/Peterson/Thornton
SF: Stojakovic/Posey/Wright
PF: West/Maxiell(/Marks?)
C: Gooden/Armstrong/Brown

Detroit deal is the best we will get

2009-07-06T21:29:18Z

I don't know if the Detroit deal of Maxiell and Kwame for Chandler is a real option but it is far superior then trading for Ben Wallace for multiple reasons. First of all we'd be getting real players in the deal versus paying someone not to play. Maxiell is one of the better backup bigs in the league and his athleticism allows him to play some 5 as well as 4. He is tenancious and tough and he makes underrated momentum plays (crazy blocks out of nowhere and rim rattling dunks that steal the thunder from other teams and force timeouts). Kwame is a good backup big with good size and athleticism. If people could get over his being a draft bust, they'd realize he is a more then adequate backup who plays good d. We would go from having the worst frontcourt benches in the game to having one of the best.

Secondly, I think the Hornets could easily get Will Bynum in this deal in exchange for Devin Brown. Alot of people dont know this, but Bynum was a very good undersized combo guard coming off of Detroit's bench last year. He is a score first point in the mold of Pargo, but he was alot better at it last year then Pargo was in 08. He is expendable because Gordon will eat up any minutes that he might have gotten this year. That move also saves us another couple hundred thousand dollars.

Thirdly, we could trade Kwame to the Heat for a second rounder or nothing at all. The Heat have an exception as was mentioned here before, but they are stacked at the 2 and 3. What they are lacking is a backup 5 with size and a willingness to bang. Enter Kwame. I think Miami does this move in a second, and maybe would even have it as part of the initial deal. Also his contract expires this year so he doesnt get in the way of Miami's 2010 plans.

Those two moves save us 7 million dollars. That leaves us with a need to get a starting big. That sucks, but it is a better position than we would be in with Phoenix because it would leave us still having to get a backup 4 not to mention having to fill up the minimum amount of players at 13.

As for our starting center issue, I think we should do one of two moves (or both, the best option I think). Trade Peja and maybe a first for Dalembert, and trade Hilton, Daniels, and Mo for Diop and Nazr Mohammed. Both of these moves net us an additional 4.5-6 million in cap space (it depends on what the cap is. Peja's contract is alot larger then Dalembert's but the Sixers may still be under the cap. If not we would have to pick up Jason Smith). I don't know if the first is necessary or not because they really want to get rid of Dalembert and could use another shooter.

Charlotte does the deal because it gives them over 9 million in expiring deals and they have been trying to get rid of Mohammed for a while.

This move gives us 2 great defensive 5's who excell at different parts of the game. Dalembert is super athletic and quick for his size. He is also a much better rebounder then Diop who himself is a good rebounder. Sam would be great for running the break and he is a very good team defender because of his length and quckness.

Diop is simply one of the best post defenders in the game because of his size and quickness (not running but getting to his spot on the floor during the pick and roll). He is not the rebounder or shot blocker that Dalembert is but he has more bulk and he isnt a head case.

Guys that gives us a VERY solid bench and puts us well below the cap, enough so that we could sign another player (Rashad McCants would be my preference). Let's do the Detroit deal.

Do we have any chance at all?

2009-06-26T19:14:02Z

My question is do we we have any chance at all at signing 1 of the big free agents in 2010. From a "Having Fun While Winning" standpoint, there's no other player in the league that i would rather play alongside than Chris Paul. So I definitely think he's a huge attraction, but my question is geared more towards the financial aspects of the idea? I really would like some feed back on this, and the only reason why I am even saying this is because it's telling me that I need to have 75 words.

Hornets Draft Situation

2009-06-19T22:33:04Z

[Great FanPost, I agree with the assessment of pretty much every player on here. Thanks to Wolfenstein -ed]

Finally, a fresh start for the Hornets can truly begin next week with the NBA Draft. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that the team will be any better off after the Draft, heck, we sold our draft pick last year. But with the playoff beatdown finally sinking into the background the purging is almost complete and our work is cut out for us. I will try to analyze what actions the Hornets need to take in order to improve the team.

I am no salary cap expert but from what I have gathered so far from atthehive is that we are screwed. Just on the fringe of the luxury tax the Hornets cannot sign any big names and if they use their midlevel for a small name they will actually end up paying as if he were a big name (if that makes sense). Yeah, Ben Gordon would be nice but unless we sign-and-trade him for Tyson, we have no chance. So basically, our only hope for improvement is the Draft (no pressure Mr. Bower).

Apparently we only have the 21st overall pick in the draft and thats it. We can't afford (pun intended) to screw up this pick. To start with, the most glaring problem that faces the Hornets is their frontcourt depth, or lack thereof. We have to assume that Tyson will either be gone before the season starts or that he will never be as explosive as he once was. But he is still only 26 and if he does successfully recover, more power to us but even when he was at full health, two quick fouls on him and a game became infinitely harder to win. So what should have been addressed last year can finally be remedied now.

I divided up the section into players we should draft either as a replacement to Tyson or as backup to David West.

CENTER

Replacing the Tyson:

B.J. Mullens

Should B.J. somehow fall into the Hornets' laps it would be an easy decision. He's seven feet, can finish around the rim and probably has an offensive game that surpasses Tyson's. He will need to work on his defense but who doesn't. If the Hornets somehow nab him, trading Tyson becomes that much easier.

Jeff Pendergraph

Great size and athleticism and even looks like Tyson (trust me, check out some of his highlights). At 21st overall, it would be a definite stretch but you gotta do what you gotta do. The Hornets would get defense, rebounding and a new ceiling fan (you know our current one is SO old).

Taj Gibson

I'm a fan of the Taj Majal. He is a bit undersized but he can essentially do all the things Tyson does. Tenacious defense and rebounding and even a nice jumpshot. Needs to bulk up but if he hasn't done it by now... Again, a stretch but WHO ELSE IS THERE

POWER FORWARD

Depth for David West:

If the Hornets keep Tyson the Draft becomes more flexible because they can also have the freedom to draft depth for West.

Tyler Hansbrough

Strong, 'tough' player with a nice mid-range jumper. The second unit needs some scoring help and Hansbrough would give a nice post presence. Not going to replace a starter anytime soon.

DeJuan Blair

A great rebounder and passer. He is undersized for the power forward position and is a bit overweight. Would be a nice bench role-player.

And, there appears to be no one else worth drafting at 21st overall so there must be a contingency plan:

No point guards are needed, that can be next season when Antonio Daniels expires. Unless Jrue Holliday falls into our laps we can get depth through the D-League (ala Bobby Brown)

Shooting guard is another thing altogether. Yes, the Hornets have Rasual, Peja and Morris available but Wayne Ellington or Terence Williams would be nice to have either off the bench or eventually replace Peja and his mammoth contract.

Small forward is the same deal, JuJu and Posey have the position paid for the forseeable future whether we like it or not. But Sam Young or Omri Casspi would be interesting though.

Of course we can try to replace Tyson through free agency or get some depth with a back-up veteran. The following possibilities would do nicely: Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, Drew Gooden, former Hornet Chris Wilcox. I don't know how this is possible but Chris Andersen might be out of our price range. Problems with free agency include our salary cap situation, players not wanting to play for us and the fact that none of the current free agents are very good. We have to be open to this possibility though should Bower select a non-frontcourt player.

Also, our future does not look as bleak as atthehive's latest post might have lead you to believe. Believe it or not, after next season we will only have five guaranteed contracts (atthehive please check me on this). So, we will have loads of cap space and maybe CP3 will convince one of his USA teammates to join him for a dip in the bayou (no preferences, yes even you Michael Redd should you unwisely choose to opt out). [There are only 7 guaranteed contracts for 2010-2011 (Peja, Paul, Chandler, West, Posey, Hilton, and Peterson). Hilton's contract is the league qualifying offer, and the Hornets will probably extend it. Julian Wright is a team option, but I'd be stunned if he's not picked up. All in all, that results in $66,653,467 guaranteed for 2010-2011, with four more players still to be added. Assuming the Hornets fill out three of those with the league minimum, that would put them around 69-70 million, before getting a big name. The salary cap was 59 million last year and likely to be in the 62 million range this year. The luxury tax was 71 million last year, and likely to drop into the 69 million range this year. Unless Peja or Tyson is moved, there still isn't a lot of flexibility.] Of course the roster spaces still need to be filled but we can spend on a big fish and sign some chumps from the D-League. Unbelievably, Bower has been setting us up for 2010 and I think this fact was lost because we were contenders. Maybe the man is a genius after all.

You Will Eat This Up

2009-06-09T19:23:33Z

Okay so I was listening to national radio station this weekend that comes on during the weekends here in Houston TX. On came one of the host and he satarted talking about possible trade's swirling around the NBA right now. The guy is a Celtics fan and he mentions that a very crediable NBA website is reporting that the Hornets and Celtics are talking a Trade, Chris Paul for Rondo and Allen. He says that this trade would make since because Paul is getting tired of the Hornets losing ways(WTF!!!????) and could want out. He also mentioned that it would make sense because the Hornets I quote, "Are not within a whisper of contending in the Western Conference." I about crashed my car because I was so pissed. the only reason Paul has to be pissed is because of this last season and the way it ended. Lets face it the " walking wounded" didn't back their boy up and man up to the Nuggets after all the beating CP3 was taking. He must have forgotten the year the Hornets had the year before last. TELL ME THIS MAN IS CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What went wrong?

2009-06-03T12:55:17Z

A question that many fans might be, or rather have been asking is, what went wrong from last season to this? Now, I'm not a stats guy who over analyses ever facet of the game. What I am interested in is as a whole what did the team do wrong? I have the belief it had a lot to do with the last offseason and preseason, more after the jump.

These two did little this year after big expectations last year.

To establish where the Hornets went "wrong" I think you have to look at the expectations presented to us after last years playoff run. Everyone, I mean everyone, thought we were going to be contenders this year. And I think that rubbed off on the team. Even they thought they were contending, Byron made it clear that James Posey was to be our sixth man and no more, that all other parts of our team were constructive towards a contending team. I guess that's where it really began mentally for the team was the handling of expectations, unwarranted I might add. People saying that we would make it into the conference finals and might even get to the finals didn't look at our depth, our lack of rebounding, what they did look at was what occurred in the past to make their judgments of today.

Morris Peterson Injury

When Mo Pete got injured early in the season I think it was the key to the break down in this team. Let me explain. Prior to the season our starting team was exactly the same. Exactly. We also could count on Mo to score for us a little bit, not just from three but off screens and iso's some what. When he went down there was a huge gap to be filled, which was somewhat by Rasual Butler. The Phoenix came in and rose from the dead to resurrect a dead basketball career to show us that he still had that three point stroke we all knew he had. He also showed us that he could play a little D, but again, the team chemistry was affected in my view because he brought a different role to the team. Okay, your thinking that Mo pretty much did the same, stood on the wing and waited for the ball on the three point line. But I beg to differ. I watched Mo for a couple of games last season and I saw him cutting for the O board, for that backdoor cut moving around to give CP another option, not just standing there like another Peja Stojakovic. Not only was Mo's injury bad for the fact that he left the starting lineup, BUT he also was stuck DEEP in Byron's rotation. Meaning; little playing time unless proved otherwise. That is what got to me during the year. We didn't replace the gap that Butler left on the bench, that other scoring threat. I am all fine with Mo being on the bench, but getting little to no time, that makes your bench a lot weaker.

The Absence of a Jannero Pargo

In other words, the absence of Jannero Pargo. Now I have heard it a million times here atthehive and over at hornets247 that Daniels is just as an effective player as Pargo in terms of shooting the ball etc. But, Pargo was good for two reasons. One he could get the ball through the hoop in a flurry. JP could score, it was as simple as that. In fact he was one of the reasons our bench was so good last year. Yeh, he jacked up the ball a tonne, but he could in fact get it to go. The second reason is his ability to push the ball up the court. He was a relatively quick guy, that is why he complimented CP so well, a similar (not the same duh) game to that of #3. He could pass it reasonably well despite his assist statistics in comparison the AD. Jannero brought those intangibles, he was established from prior seasons. I think the rush to replace him midseason was a mistake because our bench could not find its groove.

A coach Phil Jackson "X-Factor"

Still Rookies

We'll I think it is safe to say that Hilton Armstrong and Julian Wright are still somewhat rookies. I mean rookies in the mind of Byron Scott. Byron gave these guys every opportunity to excel, but they just didn't simple as that. I'll say it now, I am afraid of the word inconsistency, the connotations of the word means that nothing is assured. One night something can be everything you thought it could be and more, others that thing can be the most horrific sight ever seen. That was the story with these two guys, JuJu showed that he can play, see 20 points against OKC and also a terrific night against Dallas on TNT (for my memory). Hilton never really showed up, he put in some nice performances here and there showing he can be an okay center, but a center who can't rebound isn't really a center. If and when these guys can perform is a big Q. I think everyone still loves the promise of JuJu, but everyone has pretty much given up on Hilton "Longneck" Armstrong. We will see, time is not on our side.

Coaching

I don't think this really was as much of a weak point as everyone was eluding to during the playoffs. I just think that we were beat down, and showed little heart or desire. Last year we were ready to go, full of words like "ZING" and "ZANG" and "ZWIP" which no one really knows about yet still are energetic just saying them! I think everything with Byron starts with motivation, if the team is willing to listen they do, but if they don't, well they just simple tune out. I got that sense in the timeouts over the TV. I could sense sometimes that the guys had their heads up were keying at his every word, where as other times they were heads down, tired just enjoying the break wondering why a bald guy was talking to them. I think that Byron is very similar to Mike Brown of the Cavs. I can very easily see the Cavs falling into a little bit of a hole if they do what we did and just sign ONE guy (which I doubt). I think a coach is only as good as his team. Sure coaches can put their touch on the game here and there but overall I think a lot of the coaching is done prior to the game and during halftime for adjustments.

The Future

What does the future hold? We'll an off-season that could well be a surprising one. If your looking for what I think will happen, I think TC will get traded despite what Hornets management is elluding too. I think that the rest of the team will stay relatively the same, maybe add one guy here or there but I wouldn't bet on it. Our chances next year? We'll we MUST, MUST, get a third scorer. Not necessarily a CP or David West type guy, just someone we can run an iso too here or there who can create his own shot. The guy could very easily be on our roster, Mo Pete. We'll he did it in our run to the playoffs in 07-08, why not 09-10? Health is the key for our guys, we are old and young at the same time (confusing I know). If we are to contend we have to have a group of guys playing for at least 70 games next season.

Funny Chris Paul videos!

2009-05-27T18:44:01Z

Hilarious videos of Chris Paul on youtube! Check them out by clicking on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/user/smellngood

If you like the videos and want to spread the love for CP3, please share the videos with your friends and post to your facebook page or blog!

My personal favorites are Sexy Pits and Heavenly Pits. I love watching Chris Paul on the court, and now I'm happy to see that he's willing to have some fun with doing stuff like these videos. Seems like a great guy!

2009 NBA Mock Draft - Version 1.0

2009-05-22T19:36:52Z

With the lottery completed and the order decided, it’s time to try my hand at an early mock for this year’s draft. There have already been some risers and fallers early on and I’m sure there will be more in the coming days. Some teams are looking to shop their picks, mostly in the late first round, but for now, I’ll just assume that there won’t be any trades. Of course, that means the Celtics won’t be drafting in the first round, but my rules are meant to be broken on draft day, so I’m sure Ainge will do just that. Let’s see how the first round of the draft could shake out.

1. Los Angeles Clippers – Blake Griffin, F, Oklahoma

This is a no-brainer pick. He has been the #1 pick in this draft since last November and has won every Player of the Year award you can think of. I’ve already posted my thoughts on this pick for the Clippers, so I won’t go over it again. He’s got the potential to be a top power forward in the league in a few years, but also if he doesn’t develop much of an offensive game, could have already plateud. I don’t expect that to happen, so he will develop into a very good, borderline great, power forward in the league.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Ricky Rubio, G, Spain

Rubio’s agent has already said they will do what they can to avoid him going to either Memphis or Oklahoma City, but the same agent tried to do this with Yi last year and failed. Ultimately, I think Rubio decides to play for whoever takes him and Memphis, with the #2 pick, should take the 2nd best talent on the board. People widely consider Rubio and Thabeet to round out the top-3 with Griffin, but I could see Memphis consider Jordan Hill at this pick if they do not want to stunt the growth of Mike Conley, Jr. In the end, Rubio is the pick and should embrace the chance to play with OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut

The Thunder have many holes and are not in a position to draft by, well, position. Other than Westbrook, Durant and Jeff Green have solidified their spots on this team. Nenad Krstic was a nice pickup last year, but he’s not a center you would want to build around. Thabeet would give them an instant upgrade in the defense department and if his offense ever comes around, he could become a really nice player. He must bulk up, but who in the draft doesn’t? Also considered James Harden and DeMar DeRozan at this spot.

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Change is inevitable - thread for trades

2009-05-11T17:41:42Z

[Great FanPost from nikkoewan. I haven't had the time to post much recently, so this is a great starting point. -atthehive]

First and fore most, check out my first fan post about the off season - 2009 10 off season

In this fan post, I will help other people come up with trade possibilites( don't we as fans just love speculating?).

As many of us here in the hornets community(hornets247 and atthehive) have suggested or implied, only one player is untouchable - Paul. ( But it breaks my heart not to include West and Chandler, they have a strong bond and that is important. Juju can become a touchable lol)

i will enumerate our trade chips and give them a letter grade to indicate how valuable they are:(numbers are 09 10 contract)

West - $ 9 075 000

- very cheap contract, front contract -> goes down every year, 28 years old, contract covers whole of prime(until 31)

grade: B+

Chandler - $ 12 300 000

too big a contract for what has been an injured player( also extends up to 2010 11 season). trade rescindment hurt his value, his toe hurt his value so much. however i do believe(hope) that this off season, the hornets will make all possible ways to ensure chandler is healthy( to increase trade value (possibly announcing things like chandler to consult specialist on ankle and toe, chandler doing well with rehab from two surgery, chandler running and gunning with paul in practice etc). However, Chandler is a 26 year old 7'0 center and good centers are rare in the NBA.

grade: B

Julian Wright - $ 2 000 040

has great upside, showed that he can become the next matrix( can do everything well). only 21 years old and has a long way before being called a bust( for a lottery) and has the professionalism and work ethic to be something else in the NBA. However, Basketball IQ is questionable, it may benefit him to play somewhere else where he can get many minutes to experience NBA basketball.

grade: C+

Rasual Butler - $ 3 945 000

has had a renaissance of a season and only upped his value with clutch performances from down town. great on ball defender( against SG who are strong but not quick), great help defender( especially on weak side blocks almost averaged a block per game). has an expiring contract, although not to big( decreases value). overall, a great trade chip for the hornets.

grade: B

Hilton Armstrong - $ 2 801 198

what more is there to say? bad footwork, bad hands, not a rebounder, not a great defender, not (insert basketball term).however, there are still a few NBA scouts who think he can turn into a serviceable( or above serviceable) center in the future. only 24 years old. expiring contract.

grade: C

Peja Stojakovic - $ 13 392 000

contract extends until 2010 11 season. not a great physical defender, but more than average team an IQ defender. has many injuries( including pride) is 31 years old, slow feet. however, he may have a good year next year, following an offseason of work outs and surgery and stuff. but thats all speculation. overall, only trade value is that he can get hot anytime from beyond the arc.

grade:D ( or F??)

Antonio Daniels - $ 6 600 000

hefty expiring contract( thats a big plus), more than adequate defender, great distributor, great veteran, great team mate. but he is old, 34, has no shooting touch. just an expiring contract.

grade: C+

James Posey - $ 6 031 800

great team guy, locker guy. tough, rugged defender, more than adequate 3 point shooter. although tough and rugged, a very slow footed one. Has a tendency to overfoul, also has a tendency to take bad shots in the post. contract runs through 2011 - 2012 and by then he would be 35.

grade: D( for non contending teams), C( for contending teams)

Morris Peterson - $ 5 800 000

great team guy, great professional, more than adequate 3 point shooter( excellent from the corner). average defender, uses size to cancel out slow footedness. contract runs through 2011 2012. has not had a great statistical time in NOLA(average last year, abysmal this year).

grade: D

C is a passing for tradeability, D is not so good.

we have 6 trade assets( West, Chandler, Wright, Butler, Hilton, Daniels). 7 if we include Posey to a contending team( our bad contract for your bad contract thing).

now, start typing and put your suggestions here, i'll post mine( via comments) here so that we can get an idea of what we( as a whole) want..