Last game: Jan 20, New Orleans Hornets 113 – Memphis Grizzlies 111
Next game: @ Minnesota Timberwolves, Jan 22 8:00pm ET

The Hornets should remain a strong defensive team, but likely not as effiecent as last year’s squad now that Tyson Chandler is gone. The Hornets should be improved offensively from last season when they ranked 26th in scoring, Emeka Okafor provides a much better scoring option down low then Chandler. Point guard Chris Paul is one of the NBA’s best players, best distributor in the league, All-NBA defensive player, Paul may have the quickest hands in the league. Does rookie point guard Darren Collison have the capability to be a solid backup for Paul? The Hornets depth is questionable at best, Hilton Armstrong, Julian Wright must show progress, Morris Peterson and Peja Stojakovic must stay healthy.

Key Additions: Emeka Okafor, Darren Collison, Darius Songaila, Ike Diogu, Marcus Thornton

Key Subtractions: Tyson Chandler, Rasual Butler, Antonio Daniels

Projected Starting Lineup: Chris Paul/ Morris Peterson/ Julian Wright/ David West/ Emeka Okafor

Key Reserves: James Posey, Peja Stojakovic, Darren Collison, Darius Songaila, Devin Brown, Hilton Armstrong

-Bennice

What’s next for Tyson Chandler? He was already traded once, but had that deal recinded because he was not able to pass a psyhical, comes back to the Hornets and returns for the playoffs only to have his name again surface in trade rumors. As if it was hard enough to find good value for him before, one would have to think him failing an NBA psyhical hard to hurt his stock even more. The Hornets need a defensive anchor and unless they are getting Marcus Camby back in any deal, Chandler is probably the best there is that they can get their hands on. The New Orleans Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower has stated that the team is not shopping Chandler. Not shopping and not trading are two entirely different things. Just because they aren’t going out to find a trade doesn’t mean that they are rejecting those that come their way.

For a while now, the rumor has been that maybe the Suns and Hornets would swap Ben Wallace and Tyson Chandler. The deal is suppose to save the Hornets some money and try and help them stay under the luxury tax. As far as one the court goes, the Hornets would be receiving a blow offensively and defensively. Maybe the 2005 version of Ben Wallace would help make a huge difference, but not this one. The Hornets should be more focused on trying to surround Paul with talent, not save money.

David West has let it be known that the Hornets need to get fellow all-star teammate Chris Paul and himself some serious help this off-season. However, with the Hornets being so close to the luxury tax threshold, can the Hornets afford to spend to improve their roster? There have been reports of rumors floating around suggesting that the Hornets may consider moving a guy like West to avoid the luxury tax (although the Hornets have declined such rumors). Although winning 49 games is nothing to be ashamed of, it was a step back compared to their 2007-08 season and they had higher expectations than finishing with the 7th seed in the Western Conference.

Entering the draft, the Hornets will be with the 21st overall pick where one would assume they’ll look to go big. They already have attepted to ship out Tyson Chandler and it’s hard to believe that their opinion on him has changed. A young big man to develop over the next couple of seasons just might be what the doctor has ordered and even if Chandler does return to form of being the player he was a couple of seasons ago, the Hornets will now have another big body in the post, whom they can reply upon to add some offense and get guys like West and Chandler a bit of rest during games.

Today the Hornets held their first NBA draft workout session of the offseason, inviting a bevy of prospects from programs all over the country. Guards Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga), Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), Sonny Weems (Arkansas), and Antoine Agudio (Hofstra) showed off their skills to Hornets brass along with forwards Trent Plaisted (BYU) and Othello Hunter (Ohio State). Hornets blogger Jim Eichenhofer was in attendance at the workouts and provides player interviews here.

Invitees:
SG/SF Shan Foster 6-6 205
Foster is a more than exceptional shooter and…well, that’s it. I can see him being drafted, but nowhere near the first round. He’s a local product, however, and has great length.

PF/C Trent Plaisted 6-10 240
An intriguing prospect out of BYU with plenty of ability around the basket. He’s fighting for a first-round spot, but probably won’t get one. His defense is too suspect for what the Hornets need in my opinion. Hired an agent so he cannot go back to school.

PF Othello Hunter 6-8 220
I’ll admit I have a soft spot for undersized big men who do all the dirty work down low, and he makes me wish the Hornets still had a second round pick. He made a living at Ohio State on rebounding and shot blocking, and cleaned up on the offensive boards better than anyone else in the Big Ten.

SG Sonny Weems 6-5 190
I haven’t really been following his guy, but from scouting reports he looks like he’s valued more for his athleticism than anything else. He seems too raw for me.

PG Jeremy Pargo 6-2 220
The brother of Jannero Pargo, Jeremy is a big guard with superior athleticism and intriguing skills on both ends of the ball. He’s definitely not a polished player, so I’ll expect him to return to Gonzaga for his senior year.

G Antoine Agudio 6-3 190
I don’t know anything about this guy and had no idea he was invited to the workout. I do know that he put up 22.7 PPG this past season. Probably another Loren Stokes, who put up similar stats for them but just couldn’t cut it.

Eric Robertson

Looks like the Bees are getting ready to plot their future:

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Hornets’ NBA draft preparations get into full swing this week as they’ll hold four sets of workouts with prospects beginning Tuesday. It’s the latest step, after the predraft camp in Orlando, Fla., late last month, in getting ready for the June 26 NBA draft. 1.

I’m also beaming at this statement:

Scott said the Hornets will be looking to improve their depth at center, point guard, and with an athletic player that can play shooting guard and small forward.

Scott knows what this team needs, and I expect that Bower will get him exactly that. I’ll assume that these are in priority-order, and I think we’ll be in a good spot at 27 to draft depth at any one of these positions. Maybe my Joey Dorsey wish will come true? We’ll see, but I think the list of players that are invited to workouts will tell much of the tale. Stay tuned!

Noballer08’s early-stage draft board for the Hornets

1. Joey Dorsey, PF/C 6-9
Watching the Spurs series, it became kind of obvious that the Hornets desperately need some depth and a physical body in the post to defend the Tim Duncans of the West. He’s also number one on my board because of another simple thing- shotblocking. The Hornets ranked among the last teams in the NBA in shotblocking this season, and it is imperative that we look to improve on that. Chandler blocks and alters shots in his own right, and David West has broken out in that area this year, but beyond that there’s very little.

2. Richard Hendrix, PF 6-8 250
Undersized, buff power forwards are becoming popular in the league with the successes of Paul Millsap and Jason Maxiell. Hendrix has a solid body, not exactly sculpted, and he is a great rebounder and banger down low. In addition, his wingspan is more than respectable for his size, measuring out two inches shorter than Joey Dorsey at 7′3″. If the opportunity presented itself, and Dorsey (for some reason) were not available at 27, I’d be more than happy with Bower and the rest selecting Hendrix with their pick. The general consensus is that he’s a high second round pick, but he’s been doing well so far in workouts and at the Pre-Draft Camp so I expect his stock to rise.

3. Courtney Lee, SG 6-5 210
I know I have stressed the need for a defensive-minded PF/C for the Bees, but sometimes things don’t pan out the way they are intended. You see, if Pargo decides to opt out again (which is looking very likely), and ask for more money than the team is willing to spend on an inconsistent backup point guard, then I think it may be time for the team to look towards a replacement in either the draft or free agency. Love him or hate him, Pargo was a big part of the resurgance to his team. He’s shot us in (and out, damn it) of games, and I’d hate to see him walk and not have a suitable replacement off the bench as far as putting up points is concerned. Courtney Lee, in my opinion, is one of the purest scorers in the draft, and will be a huge steal to any team that picks him up. He’s projected as a high to mid second round pick, but I think he’s better than that. His mix of skills penetrating and shooting the ball would bring a lot to this team, and would be more than satisfying if Pargo packs up and leaves.

4. Jason Thompson, PF 6-10 250 The 6-10 big man out of Rider has been somewhat of an obscurity, but I was left impressed after looking at a few videos on Youtube. He’s got a bit of everything in him; perimeter saavy in the form of a sweet jumper that extends to the collegiate three, post moves, shotblocking, and rebounding. Physically, he has long arms and can jump pretty well for his size and position. He might not be the defender that Dorsey or Hendrix is, but if the team sees enough in him and he improves through the draft process I wouldn’t mind the pick.

Eric Robertson

The Times-Picayune reports:

Hornets owner George Shinn called Paul’s extension the organization’s top priority this offseason.

Bower has indicated the Hornets plan to offer Paul a contract for the league maximum, a five-year deal worth upward of $80 million that could keep the third-year guard in New Orleans through the 2013-14 season.

“We’ll work it all out together through Chris and his representatives,” Bower said. “The great thing with Chris is he understands his priorities and his responsibilities. He’ll keep everything in the proper perspective moving through the summer.”

Do whatever it takes, Jeff Bower. Give him whatever he wants. He’s well-worth every penny.
.

Posted By: Dustin Chapman

By NOBaller08
Yes, the Hornets ended the season in a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs, but what they had done for the seven months prior negated the pain felt by many Hornets fans as the game clock struck 0:00 around 12 PM CST last night. Its been a wild and record-setting season for the Bees, a team that was on nobody’s list of contenders in late October. I, myself had serious doubts that this team could make the playoffs in the extremely competitive West. I felt that its youth and return to a city that had one of the smallest basketball fan bases in the NBA would render them helpless as far as making the playoffs, and I was sure that we would continue to have significant injuries. I, like many other watchers and speculators of the National Basketball Association, seriously and gravely underestimated the talents and abilities of one Chris Paul. We watched as Paul led this uncertain team to the top of the West, breaking Hornets records along the way and wowing the league with his playground-style moves and tempo. We all watched not only him ascend to stardom, but also the likes David West, who, just a few seasons ago, was fighting to make the roster in hopes of not being deemed a first round bust. The league finally saw the silky-smooth jumper that he had been spending years perfecting, and his offensive prowess and talent became an example for undersized big men trying to make it in the NBA. What we’ve all witnessed is just the beginning of many more seasons and tales to come from these young Hornets.
Before I harp on our future, I would like to give thanks to the Hornets and the front office that has worked so well together to produce such a surprise team. Byron Scott, Kenny Gattison, and the host of assistant coaches and trainers did an excellent job this season. In addition, their cooperation with GM Jeff Bower has been crucial, and I expect continued success out of this tandem in the future. Gattison was the first to say that Bower is one of the few general managers in this league that actually builds a squad of players around what the coaches want in a team on both sides of the ball, and I agree wholeheartedly. Here’s to more of this season’s success in the future, and I hope we continue to progress until we can’t anymore.

So, what can Bower and the rest of the front office do to continue to improve this squad?

Get Tyson Chandler defensive help down low
A major concern all season has been depth in the post. Chandler is undoubtedly our best defender in the post, but behind him there’s nothing. Hilton Armstrong hasn’t been able to get into the rotation, and Melvin Ely has been less than satisfactory throughout the year (I hope he opts out). Ryan Bowen, who has made some big hustle plays, is terrible on the offensive end and has even been a liability defensively. We need a consistent veteran, someone that can spell Chandler without losing a lot of the offensive rebounding and defense. Maybe Chris Andersen will come around? I hope so, and I’m sure they’ll re-sign him.

Re-Sign Jannero Pargo
Pargo is currently under contract, but since he has an upcoming player option I can see him opting out once again for the big money. As much as I believe he’s hurt us at times, I think it would certainly be best to keep him on our roster. The key is how much they’ll pay him.

(Wisely) Re-Sign Bonzi Wells
Bonzi will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. While he’s performed pretty well at times this season, I don’t think it will be wise to give him a big payday. He made roughly $2.3M this year; anything significantly more might bite the team in the ass in the future. I’m concerned about his consistency and how well he fits in this offense, but hopefully he can become a more solid player on the bench for them.

Search for Trading Options for Rasual
Butler hasn’t seen any action since March 3rd, playing seven garbage minutes in a blowout against the Knicks and managing to go 0-4 from the field. It’s too clear that he’s a shell of his former self. His confidence ran out nearly halfway through the season, and with it went his jumpshot. Byron Scott has publicly stated that he told Butler that he could be the Sixth Man of the Year if he applied himself more, but it definitely hasn’t happened. He’s due over $10M over the next three seasons with no player option in sight, certainly too much for someone who has completely fallen out of the rotation with no health or related issues. It will be hard, but hopefully the team will find some sort of deal (even if we have to package Hilton Armstrong or Mike James).

Draft A Two-Guard
I think the best thing the Hornets can do in the upcoming draft is take a shooting guard. They have the 27th pick, and with the medium amount of depth in this draft I believe the team can find a decent one. I think we need a shooter more than anything at the position, as Chris Paul is excellent at finding open guys in their comfort spots on the floor. If not, I wouldn’t mind a defensive-minded, athletic big man such as Joey Dorsey from Memphis or Jason Thompson from Rider. Also look out for Courtney Lee, the talented Sun Belt two guard. The Hornets have no second round selection this year (Bonzi Wells trade).

Capping things off, I just want to say final cheers to the Hornets team for their spectacular season, and I want to wish them further success in the future.

John Reid of The Times-Picayune has some good news and some semi-discouraging news to report today. The good news is that Hornets center Tyson Chandler claims that he should be alright for Game 6.

Tyson Chandler bruised his left foot in the fourth quarter of Game 5 against the Spurs on Tuesday night after landing awkwardly, but he said he will be available to play Thursday night in Game 6 in San Antonio.

“I landed funny, and I kind of lost feeling in it,” Chandler said. “But I’ll be fine.”

After the Hornets’ 101-79 victory over the Spurs at the New Orleans Arena, Chandler had both feet soaking in a large bucket of ice water. He played 31 minutes and had four points and eight rebounds.

The not-so-great news is that the New Orleans Hornets organization has been hit with a fine for the fire incident that occurred during halftime of Game 1 at New Orleans Arena.

In the Hornets’ opening game of their second-round series at the Arena, residue on the court caused by fire extinguishers forced a 20-minute delay before the start of the second quarter. The delay was caused after the Hornets’ mascot, Super Hugo, jumped through a ring of fire before dunking to entertain the crowd. However, when Arena officials put out the flames from the ring with the extinguishers, a sand-like residue scattered across the court that took 20 minutes to remove.

The Hornets were fined an unspecified amount by the NBA for delaying the game, and Hornets spokesman Harold Kaufman said after the incident that they would research and evaluate all incidents with the intent of making sure the necessary steps are taken to prevent any mishaps from happening again.

“We try to entertain the fans night in and night out,” said Hornets Vice President of Marketing Matt Biggers in response to the team’s decision to continue its elaborate introductions Tuesday night.

Stern said introductions involving high-tech flame torches is something the league should seriously consider reviewing whether it’s really necessary.

Posted By: Dustin Chapman