The Hornets took steps Wednesday to bolster their depth at shooting guard and small forward, obtaining Xavier Henry from the Memphis Grizzlies for a 2013 second-round draft choice.

New Orleans was part of a three-team trade in which the 76ers sent forward Marreese Speights to the Grizzlies.

Henry, 20, was a lottery pick (12th overall) by Memphis in the 2010 draft, but his development has been hindered by injuries. He is recovering from a second-degree right ankle sprain, including some ligament tearing, which happened at the outset of the Grizzlies’ training camp.

“I think I’ll definitely be out there in the next two weeks,” said Henry, who played at Kansas and worked out for the Hornets at the Alario Center in a predraft audition. “I have a good estimation of about 10 days maybe, but I’d say in the next two weeks I’ll be out there playing.”

Hornets Coach Monty Williams, who has expressed concerns over his team’s shooting guard performances in the absence of starter Eric Gordon the past four games, says he can see Henry sliding between two positions. Gordon returned to the starting lineup in Wedneday night’s 101-93 loss to Philadelphia.

“Xavier is a guy who, when he’s healthy, is going to play for us because he can do a number of things on the floor,” Williams said. “I told him my biggest issue with guys is defending and competing, playing hard. Offensively, he has some things you can’t really teach. He has a good feel for the game. He can shoot the ball, not to range yet, but 18 or 19 feet.

“He might be more of a three (small forward) than he is a two (shooting guard). He has got a big body (6 feet 6, 220 pounds). He can do both. I’d probably call him a wing. A guy like Eric is just a two, but Xavier might be a wing, a guy who can play both. I don’t see him ever being a guy who handles the ball and initiates offense like Eric. I’d say he’s a solid wing.”

No matter the description, Henry, who missed 33 games because of injury last season, says he’s ready.

“This seems like a great team, a lot of defense, a lot of team work, and offensively, it just lets you play,” he said. “I think I’ll fit in pretty well with the guys. I always believed myself I could play either two or three. If I just come in and work hard, work hard on defense and do everything right, I’ll have an opportunity to play.”

The Hornets rank second to last in the NBA in 3-point shooting, at 17.9 percent. Williams said aside from the obvious, there are other issues that could be eliminated by Gordon’s return.

“I still think the guys that have been playing have to make shots,” Williams said. “If you look at our film, guys are getting open looks. What’s hurting us is turnovers in timely situations. In the last two minutes of the (Utah) game, we had two turnovers out of three possessions. You can’t get shots if you’re giving it to the other team. We are missing shots.

“But I don’t want to put all that pressure on Eric. He’s got to play his normal game. (Point guard Jarrett) Jack has got to continue to produce. We may be one of the only teams in the league that may count on our point guard to score double figures every night. But it’ll help our team.”

GORDON’S BACK: Saying his bruised right knee is still not at 100 percent, Gordon nonetheless returned to the starting lineup against the Sixers and scored a team-high 22 points, although he was just 1-of-6 from 3-point range.

“It’s good to come back and finally get back with the team,” he said. “We’re still playing hard and are capable of beating those teams we lost to.”

ALL-STAR MENTIONS: While it’s unlikely, given the lack of superstar faces on the roster, that the Hornets will garner any All-Star Game support as fans vote in the starters. Nonetheless, four players appear on this year’s ballot revealed Wednesday.

Gordon, centers Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman and power forward Carl Landry are all on the Western Conference portion of the ballot.

The game will be played on Feb. 26 in Orlando.

Kaman is the only member of that group to have been selected on an All-Star team. He was a member of the Western Conference squad in 2010 as a member of the Clippers.

Since the 2007-08 season, the Hornets have had at least one All-Star representative each year, either Chris Paul or David West, both of whom are playing for different teams now.

That’s all for today.

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry never had a problem with his team’s effort and figured it was only a matter of time before the Suns would snap out of their shooting slump and secure their first victory of the young season.

Hakim Warrick scored 18 points in a reserve role, Channing Frye added 10 points and 16 rebounds, and the Suns handed the New Orleans Hornets their first loss, 93-78 on Friday night.

“When you look at the schedule and you’re 0-2, you think there’s a chance you’ll go 0-66,” Gentry said. “You look at the schedule after you win and you say, ‘Oh, we can do this or we can do that.’ It’s all psychological … though. You’ve just got to go out and play. We’ve been doing a good job of competing, but our offense has been so stagnant. Tonight, we got out and ran.”

Jared Dudley added 16 points, while Steve Nash dished out 12 assists for the Suns, who had shot 40 percent through two losses to open the season, including one to New Orleans in their home opener Monday night.

“We made a few more shots, but more than that, we continually created offense,” Nash said. “To be consistent in creating good offensive opportunities was a step in the right direction because in the first game against New Orleans, I thought we missed some shots we usually make. But in our second game (against Philadelphia), we just looked really hesitant, out of synch and kind of like we were dumbfounded a little bit.”

Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon missed a second straight game with a bruised right knee, and this time New Orleans could not compensate for the prolific scorer’s absence.

Carl Landry led New Orleans with 17 points, while Emeka Okafor had 10 points and 16 rebounds, but the Hornets shot only 29 percent (26 of 90), the second worst shooting performance in team history.

“We’ve got scorers on this team. Everybody on this team can average double-digit points. Just the ball didn’t fall,” Landry said. “It’s unusual for a team to shoot (29) percent for the game. Unfortunately that was something we did tonight. It will turn around.”

Gentry thought his team’s intensity on the defensive end, more so in terms of contesting shots than rebounding, played a big role in the Hornets’ shooting struggles.

“We did a great job of challenging everything at the rim,” Gentry said. “It wasn’t our offense. It was our defense that won the game.”

Suns center Marcin Gortat scored 12 points and blocked four shots while playing with a splint on his injured right thumb. Shannon Brown added 11 points and Grant Hill 10 for Phoenix, which shot 42 percent (33 of 78). Warrick was 6 of 12 from the floor and 6 of 7 on free throws.

Jarrett Jack scored 12 points and Marco Belinelli grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which outrebounded Phoenix 57-47 and had 24 offensive boards, more than any team in the NBA in this first week of the season.

The Hornets had 23 second-chance points, but could have had a lot more if not for their shooting woes.

“We didn’t play hard, and that’s a sign I didn’t do what we needed to do … to have the team ready,” Hornets coach Monty Williams said. “We couldn’t throw it in the ocean. That happens on occasions, but our defense was not there tonight.”

The Hornets got away with poor shooting in the first half, but it finally caught up with them halfway through the third quarter, when they were still just below 30 percent again (17 of 59).

Nash pulled up for a 3-pointer to give the Suns a 61-51 lead. Dudley then scored inside after baiting Chris Kaman to leave his feet on a ball fake. Frye followed with a 3 from the corner that fell through after a high bounce off the rim. Then Gortat capped a 10-0 run with an inside basket that made it 68-51.

New Orleans was unable to get any closer than nine points after that.

New Orleans hit only four of its first 20 shots (20 percent), but trailed only 16-14 at that point. Halfway through the second quarter, the Hornets were 10 of 35, but still trailed by only four after Okafor’s free throws.

Soon after, the Suns raced to their first double-digit lead when Nash fueled a 6-0 spurt with fast-break feeds to Hill for a layup and Warrick for a dunk, making it 43-33.

New Orleans finally got over 30 percent — barely — when Belinelli hit his second 3 and Greivis Vasquez set up Okafor’s dunk to make it 52-45 at halftime.

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Hakim Warrick scored 18 points in a reserve role, and the Phoenix Suns won for the first time this young season while handing the New Orleans Hornets their first loss, 93-78 on Friday night.
Channing Frye added 10 points and 16 rebounds for the Suns, who had opened the season with two losses, one to New Orleans in their home opener Monday night. Jared Dudley added 16 points, while Steve Nash dished out 12 assists.
Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon missed a second straight game with a bruised right knee, and this time New Orleans could not compensate for the prolific scorer’s absence.
Carl Landry led New Orleans with 17 points, while Emeka Okafor had 10 points and 16 rebounds, but the Hornets shot only 29 percent (26 of 90).
Marcin Gortat scored 12 points while playing with a splint on his injured right thumb. Shannon Brown added 11 points and Grant Hill 10 for Phoenix, which shot 42 percent (33 of 78). Warrick was 6 of 12 from the floor and 6 of 7 on free throws.
Jarrett Jack scored 12 points and Marco Belinelli grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which outrebounded Phoenix 57-47 and had 24 offensive boards, more than any team in the NBA so far this season.
The Hornets had 23 second-chance points, but could have had a lot more if not for their shooting woes.
The Hornets got away with poor shooting through the first half, keeping the game close with defense and rebounding, but it finally caught up with them halfway through the third quarter, when they were still just below 30 percent again (17 of 59).
Nash pulled up for a 3-pointer to give the Suns a 61-51 lead. Dudley then scored inside after baiting Chris Kaman to leave his feet on a ball fake. Frye followed with a 3 from the corner that fell through after a high bounce off the rim. Then Gortat capped a 10-0 run with an inside basket that made it 68-51.
New Orleans responded with a brief 10-2 surge but was unable to make up enough ground to get any closer than nine points the rest of the way.
New Orleans hit only four of its first 20 shots (20 percent), but trailed only 16-14 at that point because of its typically tough defense and rebounding.
The Hornets were 10 of 35 halfway through the second quarter, but still trailed by only four at that point after Okafor’s free throws.
Soon after, the Suns raced to their first double-digit lead when Nash fueled a 6-0 spurt with fast-break feeds to Hill for a layup and Warrick for a dunk, making it 43-33.
New Orleans finally got over 30 percent — barely — in the final minute of the second quarter when Belinelli hit his second 3 and Greivis Vasquez set up Okafor’s dunk to make it 52-45 at halftime.
Notes: Brown got a technical foul in the second quarter for arguing with officials. … Suns coach Alvin Gentry also was called for a technical foul in the second quarter. … New Orleans entered the game having won four straight against Phoenix, including the last three meetings last season. … A near scuffle occurred early in the fourth quarter between the Suns’ Robin Lopez and New Orleans’ Trevor Ariza, who were each assessed technical fouls, but Brown and Jack quickly stepped between them before it escalated. … New Orleans’ offensive rebound total was higher than they had in any game last season.

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That’s all the news for today.

New Orleans Hornets

It is difficult for me to properly convey the joy in my heart as a New Orleans Hornets fan at the outset of the 2011-12 NBA season. The Hornets top players left, David Stern mismanaged the Chris Paul trade and the national media left us for dead. However, early on in the NBA season, the Hornets are undefeated which is more than many so-called superior teams can say. Take a closer look at five “random” NBA teams with worse records than the Hornets.

New York Knicks: 1-1

The first indication that Chris Paul wanted to leave the Hornets was when he indicated that he’d like to play for the Knicks. New York played horribly in the 2011 NBA Playoffs and things aren’t much better in this NBA season. The only thing keeping the Knicks from being winless is an early season NBA matchup versus the old Boston Celtics.

Boston Celtics: 0-3

I’m sure most Celtics fans will blame their 0-3 start on the loss of Paul Pierce. However, the Hornets are still undefeated in this NBA season despite Jarrett Jack and Eric Gordon each missing a game. The Hornets won their home opener over the Celtics by 19 points. It may be awhile before the Celtics are contenders in the NBA again.

Dallas Mavericks: 0-2

Of all the NBA teams with worse records than the Hornets, the Mavericks have been the least impressive. The 2011 NBA champions look like a totally different team this year. I thought Lamar Odom would help compensate for the loss of Tyson Chandler, but I was mistaken. The Hornets should finish ahead of the Mavs in the Southwest Division.

Los Angeles Lakers: 1-2

I was mortified at the prevalence of Lakers fans in the New Orleans Arena during the Hornets NBA Playoff series versus L.A. I wonder what all of those fans are thinking now. David Stern laid waste to the Lakers in the failed trade with the Hornets. Once one of the best teams in the NBA, the Lakers may no longer be the best NBA team in L.A.

Los Angeles Clippers: 1-1

I still can’t figure out why Chris Paul preferred playing for the Clippers to the Hornets. The Clippers never make the NBA Playoffs and the Hornets usually do. Early on, it looks like the Clippers need more than Paul and Blake Griffin to become an elite NBA team. I can’t wait for the Hornets to play the Clippers in New Orleans on March 22.

Other “random” NBA teams with worse records than the Hornets

Chicago Bulls: 1-1, Orlando Magic: 1-1, Utah Jazz: 0-2, Memphis Grizzlies: 0-2

Patrick Michael was born in New Orleans and currently resides in the Big Easy. A loyal New Orleans NBA fan, Patrick was a diehard New Orleans Jazz fan and now cheers for the Hornets. Patrick was in the New Orleans Arena the night the Hornets were one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Sources

“2011-12 NBA Season Summary,” basketball-reference.com

More from this contributor

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Prediction for the 2012 Eastern Conference Playoff teams

Prediction for the 2012 Western Conference Playoff teams

CP3 or C-3PO?

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A new beginning? You can call it that, if you look back on the six-season era of CP3. What you had Wednesday night was a welcome-back-home to the man that spanned both eras.

I say this remembering it was at an early stage of last season, with the New Orleans Hornets on their way to coming out of the starting bocks a surprising 8-0, that I posed the question to Chris Paul.

“What do you think about your rookie head coach?’’

There was no hesitation.

“He knows how to relate,’’ came the reply from the All-Pro point guard. “All coaches are busy sending messages. In some cases, not all messages are received. Coach (Monty) Williams makes contact, and that has plenty to do with the man and his personality. You get the message because you respect the messenger.’’

The messenger at the time was 39, the youngest head coach in the NBA, and once he started talking you realized you were dealing in mutual admiration.

“Right now,’’ said Williams, “Chris could be a head coach in this league. I’m more impressed than I was before I got to know him. He knows so much more than I did at his age. His attention to detail is amazing, and when it comes to individual defense, team defense, everyone has bought into what coach is selling.’’

Dell Demps, the General Manager who hired Williams from a list of candidates, says, “whenever Monty’s involved, it’s a soft sell. Monty has a special calmness about him. He doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve. But, inside, you’ll find a competitive fire and a smart man.’’

There was the Hornets coach Wednesday, preparing to bury the Boston Celtics 97-78, preparing for the first home game in an abbreviated season of 66 games, wondering how long it would take him to assess what he had. .

Only four games into his rookie season, Williams figured it was going to take at least 25 games of an 82-game season to find out “how good, how bad, we were.’’

All he knew then was he had the best point guard, the best pick-and-roll player, in the game, and he had to do his best to keep Chris Paul as fresh as possible.

Now he’s dealing with virtually a new roster, still getting acquainted with one another, in some cases still getting acquainted with the English language.

In a way, Williams has been dealing with nothing but change from Day One on the job.

“It continues to be a learning process for most of us,’’ he said, ‘’and that’s what makes it so interesting. It’s not an excuse.’’

Williams had no excuses last season when his 12-3 Hornets lost their first home game to the San Antonio Spurs, in the hands of Gregg Popovich, the man who helped shape Williams’ coaching career.

“I was outcoached by a lot,’’ said Monty who watched a 17-point halftime turn into a 14-point loss. After shooting 62 percent in the first half, the Hornets went 5-for-15 in the third quarter and turned the ball over five times to bring the Spurs back in the game.

“Coach Pop made move after move after move, and I had no answer,’’ said Williams.

The way he handled that defeat told me the Hornets had someone who could rock with the punches that would come and never look back.

On Thursday, you had Williams’ ball club, with a roster of nine new faces, without his top scorer, Eric Gordon, the hero of an opening game victory, send a serious message as to what you can accomplish with a take-it-to-you defense for a full 48 minutes.

Quite simply, the Hornets held a team known for its aggressive defense with one that not only limited the men in green to 78 points, but also limited them to 37 percent shooting, by forcing nine turnovers, by forcing seven steals, by blocking a dozen shots.

Meanwhile, Williams watched five of his players hit in double figures, led by Jarrett Jack’s 21 and Carl Landry’s 20.

He also watched 7-footer Chris Kaman come off the bench and contribute 27 minutes that included 12 points, some from the outside, nine rebounds and three blocks.

All things considered, two games into a new start, there’s more sunshine than clouds.

Welcome home, Monty Williams.

What are your opinions.

New Orleans Hornets

I don’t think any NBA team had a more tumultuous start to their season than the New Orleans Hornets. Not only did they lose Chris Paul and David West, but the delayed trade pushed everything back in the Hornets training camp. However, the Hornets acquired a superstar in Eric Gordon and New Orleans went undefeated in the preseason. The Hornets got off to a winning start with an incredible 85-84 win over the Phoenix Suns.

New Orleans Hornets vs. Phoenix Suns

I thought New Orleans had a golden opportunity to get off to a good start against the Suns. Although they still have Steve Nash and Grant Hill, the Suns are clearly an aging team in decline. However, the Suns still have a decent reputation around the NBA, so a Hornets win would give a young New Orleans team an early dose of confidence.

Of course, I was curious to see how the new Hornets looked against the Suns. I knew Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman would come out ready to play to prove they should have been shown more respect by their former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. Gordon scored 20 points and Kaman added 10 off the bench.

I was also impressed with the play of Greivis Vasquez. The former guard of the Memphis Grizzlies showed good ball-handling skills and a nice outside shot. Overall, the guard play of the Hornets was outstanding, considering they were without Jarrett Jack. New Orleans made up for poor 3-point shooting by holding the Suns to 39.5% shooting.

Many of the Hornets fans are what I’d call casual NBA fans. If they are not already familiar with Eric Gordon, they are in for a pleasant surprise. Trailing by one point late in the game, Gordon hit an outside jumper to give the Hornets an 85-84 win over the Suns. I think the Hornets are out to prove they will be playoff contenders in 2012.

Looking ahead

After a day off on Tuesday, New Orleans will begin their home schedule on Wednesday against the Boston Celtics. If the Hornets can outrun and outgun another aging NBA team, the rest of the league may start to take notice. Monty Williams has already proven he’s capable of getting the Hornets off to a fast start in the NBA.

Patrick Michael was born in New Orleans and currently resides in the Big Easy. A loyal New Orleans NBA fan, Patrick was a diehard New Orleans Jazz fan and now cheers for the Hornets. Patrick was in the New Orleans Arena the night the Hornets were one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Sources

CST broadcast of the New Orleans Hornets vs. Phoenix Suns

“New Orleans at Phoenix,” yahoo.com

More from this contributor

The top 5 NBA centers for 2012

The top 5 NBA shooting guards for 2012

Prediction for the 2012 Western Conference Playoff teams

CP3 or C-3PO?

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Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

PHOENIX — A glimpse into the New Orleans Hornets’ future Monday night at US Airways Center indicates the fortunes might not be as blurry as many have predicted. Newly acquired shooting guard Eric Gordon calmly made a 20-foot jump shot with 4.2 seconds remaining over the outstretched arms of Jared Dudley as New Orleans stunned the Phoenix Suns 85-84 in the regular-season opener for both teams.

Gordon, who led all scorers with 20 points, took the inbounds pass from forward Trevor Ariza, who had rebounded a Dudley miss on the other end with 15.3 seconds to go. Gordon dribbled the ball to the top of the key with seven seconds to go before launching the winner.

“That was a shot that we needed,” Gordon said. “We were battling back and forth the whole game. All the stuff we’ve been through, the changes in the offseason, I just wanted this game really bad. The play was set up to where I got the ball on the top of the key and then just go one-on-one. I just wanted to finish the play, and I did. Good thing is we won the game, and move on.”

Ariza could have put the Hornets ahead with two free throws with 35.4 seconds to go, trailing 84-83. But he missed both.

After a pair of timeouts, Dudley’s 10-footer with just more than 16 seconds to go rimmed out and Ariza cleared the glass.

“It would have been easier just to make the free throws,” Ariza said, smiling. “But I didn’t. The game works like that some times. You can’t worry about the last play, just move on to the next.”

The Hornets played well defensively all night, limiting Phoenix to 39.5 percent shooting and forcing 15 turnovers, which New Orleans converted into 15 points.

New Orleans managed to come away with the victory despite hitting 13 of 21 free throws and going 2-of-16 from beyond the 3-point line.

Thanks, that is, to Gordon’s stroke.

“He’s going to average 20 on any team you put him on in the NBA,” Suns Coach Alvin Gentry said. “I just think he’s that kind of player. Adding that to the mix, it makes them pretty doggone good.”

Gentry foretold the pace of Monday night’s game before it even started.

“They’re going to play at a slower tempo,” Gentry said. “They played that way even when they had Chris (Paul) last year. They’re a team that wants to drag the possessions out. They utilize the possessions. I think they led the league last year in fewest offensive rebounds given up, fewest total rebounds.

“They’re a team that goes to the board and gets it. They allow one shot, so you’ve got to make sure it’s a good shot. It’s one of those deals where you’ve got to make sure that you’re grinding it out with them. You’ve got to find a way to get easy baskets, which is not easy because their transition is good. They don’t give up very many easy baskets.”

Since Monty Williams arrived as head coach last season, the Hornets have emphasized defense. And never was that more evident than Monday night, especially in the first half.

The Suns committed nine first-half turnovers and the Hornets converted them to 12 points.

New Orleans was using a nice backcourt rotation that featured Gordon and Marco Belinelli swapping out at the two-guard spot, and Belinelli, newly acquired Greivis Vasquez and New Orleans native Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson on the point, all due to the one-game suspension being served by starter Jarrett Jack.

The ball movement was nice offensively, but the quartet was even better defensively.

Vasquez checked into the game for the first time with just less than seven minutes to go in the first quarter, having endured a crash course in the Hornets’ offensive and defensive systems at one practice Sunday night and a shootaround Monday morning.

Williams said he didn’t want to immediately toss Vasquez in as a starter opposite two-time league MVP Steve Nash.

“We don’t mind throwing guys into the fire,” Williams said, smiling. “We just don’t want to do it with gasoline on them. Obviously we want to score points, but we want to get stops. And that was my big deal with Greivis. He has got to understand what we’re doing on defense.

“So we spent a ton of time talking to him about our philosophies and concepts. When you’re playing against a Hall of Famer like Nash, you don’t want to set a guy up for failure. You want him thinking about Nash. I don’t want him thinking about principles, and what he should do in a situation. I think it’s important he’s well prepared. I didn’t want to throw him out there and have him fail.”

The Suns were limited to 33 percent shooting in the first half, hitting 14 of 42 from the field, a figure attributable as much to New Orleans’ defensive intensity as the 149-day lockout that shortened training camp to three weeks.

But Williams managed to get his point across to this new group rather quickly.

“I thought we just stuck with our stuff as far as defending,” Williams said. “Holding a team like that in the 80s, for us, is huge. Different guys stepped up. Eric hit some big shots down the stretch. You just put the ball in his hands and you tell him to go to work.”

Jimmy Smith can be reached at jsmith@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3814.

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Dec. 26, 2011 07:00 PM
The Arizona Republic | azcentral.com

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The descriptions regarding expectations for the New Orleans Hornets this season have run the gamut, all in the negative. Last in the West. Third-worst in the NBA. Train-wreck. Headed for the bottom.

Ghastly.

“That’s just fuel for the fire,” said power forward Carl Landry, ready to embark on his first full season in New Orleans — and first as the starter at that position — tonight when the team opens the season at Phoenix. “That makes us want to go out there and work that much harder to win ball games and prove everybody wrong.

“Most of the guys on this team have been the underdog most of their lives. It’s nothing new to any of us. All (Coach) Monty Williams and the front office expect of us is to go out and play hard, and that’s what we did in the first two preseason games (both against the Memphis Grizzlies) and what we’re going to continue to do for the rest of the season.”

A year ago, even with two veteran All-Stars (Chris Paul and David West) providing 40 percent of the team’s starting lineup, no one expected the Hornets to run off eight consecutive wins to open the season with a rookie head coach calling the shots, extending that to an 11-1 mark that helped create an excitement that carried through to a first-round playoff appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers.

But this edition of the Hornets’ roster is void of superstar faces with the exit of Paul.

And when Paul went to the Los Angeles Clippers, any positive vibes regarding a possible postseason return for the Hornets went with him.

At least by way of the national media’s way of thinking.

Williams has seen the dismal assessments. He said he really can’t disagree with the projections.

“To be honest with you I think they’re right on point,” Williams said. “They’re right to not expect anything from us. We’re inexperienced. We don’t have a group that’s been together for a while. We have a relatively young team.

“What people expect out of us, I try not to get caught up with that. Maybe you can use it as motivation, but I know that everybody is thinking this is going to be a down year for us. It never crossed our minds. We don’t talk about it, and we certainly won’t give in to it.”

The Hornets will be short-handed in the backcourt tonight against the Suns because starter Jarrett Jack will be serving a one-game, league-imposed suspension for a driving under the influence incident during last year’s All-Star break.

Who starts at point guard against Phoenix has yet to be determined.

Landry will be taking over the power forward spot occupied by the departed West — he signed as a free-agent with the Indiana Pacers — since 2003.

It’s possible that newly acquired Eric Gordon could man the point, and Marco Belinelli — last season’s starter at the two-guard spot — will be back in that role for the one game before returning to the bench for Wednesday night’s home opener against the Boston Celtics when Jack returns and Gordon assumes the off-guard starting spot. Or the Hornets could go with newly acquired Greivis Vasquez at point guard.

The trade of Paul also bolstered New Orleans’ bench, bringing former All-Star center Chris Kaman and promising small forward Al-Farouq Aminu.

Additionally, Hornets reserve forward/center Jason Smith has another season of experience, which, Williams said, greatly improves his team’s depth. Gordon’s foot speed, and Landry’s quickness also provide upgrades.

After a lockout-truncated training camp and just two preseason games, tonight’s regular-season opener should provide a better understanding of whether the Hornets will live down to the grim prognostications.

“We have so many guys who are in a different role,” Williams said. “Jarrett is the starting point guard. Marco was a starter last year. Now he’s coming off the bench. We have a new starting power forward. Jason wants a bigger role this year. Kaman, he wants to play.

“We’re a bit faster than we were last year. Eric is explosive, probably more explosive than anybody we’ve had since I’ve been here. Trevor (Ariza) is explosive. Jack pushes the ball. Carl is a bit more athletic than David was, but David is so skilled, so it’s hard to say. I do know our backup five is a ton better than most people in the league’s backup five. Chris Kaman could start on a number of teams and may end up starting this year. You just never know.”

That’s all the news for today.

After trading four-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers and losing two-time All-Star forward David West in free agency to the Indiana Pacers, the New Orleans Hornets are ushering in a new era of building for the future around younger players. When the Hornets open the regular season Monday night against the Phoenix Suns, it will be the first time in seven seasons their roster won’t be built around a franchise player.

In the trade for Paul, New Orleans acquired shooting guard Eric Gordon, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and center Chris Kaman and Minnesota’s 2012 unprotected first-round pick from the Clippers.

“I think we’re excited to see what’s going to unfold over the next few seasons,’’ Hornets President Hugh Weber said. “As we’ve always said, we are taking a long view of this, and it’s not going to be built overnight. We said a year ago we were going to do it right and not cut corners. I think there is a kind of galvanized confidence among us that we’re definitely on the right path.’’

The Hornets are one of the youngest teams in the NBA, with no player on their roster older than 29. And Gordon, a potential star, is 22, despite entering his fourth season in the league.

“We’re not starting over. I think we have our core guys, and we’re going to build off that,’’ Hornets General Manager Dell Demps said. “Of course, Chris is not here anymore, and we wish him well, but we want to build a long-term program and also do some things on the fly.

“As a player and my background, I was in the minor leagues. In the minor leagues a lot of times, you have to rebuild your team every year, and so we’re not afraid to add the right pieces. But we want to have our core guys and add to it each year and build off it.’’

Hornets Coach Monty Williams said losing a player of Paul’s caliber is tough, especially now as they are trying to get several new players acclimated quickly before playing a tough, compressed 66-game schedule.

“Last year there were so many things I could put in play, and Chris understood exactly what we were trying to do, and there was always this synergy between him and I,’’ Williams said. “If we had a messed up play, D-West and Chris could always go back to pick-and-roll and make something happen. So it will be a different approach.’’

Williams is pushing for the Hornets to develop into a tough defensive team similar to last season, when they held opponents to 94 points per game, fifth in the league, and advanced to the playoffs before losing in six games to the Lakers.

Despite finishing 46-36 last season, the Hornets struggled against bigger teams such as the Lakers. But the Hornets appear to have improved depth in their frontcourt with the return of Emeka Okafor, Carl Landry and Jason Smith and the addition of Kaman and Gustavo Ayon, who was signed to a contract Thursday. Although Kaman missed 50 games last season with an ankle injury, he was an All-Star selection in 2009-10 for the Clippers after averaging 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds. In his debut game with the Hornets in Wednesday’s preseason finale against Memphis, Kaman scored a team-high 18 points.

“We have a number of guys who can contribute, are harder to guard and make us more effective,’’ point guard Jarrett Jack said. “It’s harder coming into a game knowing you’ve got to defend seven people than maybe having two or keying in on just one guy.’’

Yet, questions persist how effectively Kaman and Okafor can complement each other if they are on the court together and how quickly Ayon, who has no NBA experience, will develop.

“I think we’re a team that’s going to play hard and defend,’’ Demps said. “I don’t want to put any expectations on Gustavo right now. He’s coming in and must learn our system. He has got to get over the language barrier. Hopefully, this is a long-term thing. He’s done well at every level, and now he’s taking that next jump. I want to see how the story ends.’’

In the backcourt, Jack takes over the starting point guard job, but the Hornets have yet to sign an established veteran backup point guard with the opener looming. At shooting guard, Gordon said he’s still trying to learn Williams’ offensive system and his defensive principles.

“I’ve got to keep on adjusting quickly,’’ Gordon said. ”I think we’re a team that cannot make too many mistakes, and we’re going have to play really good defense to be a playoff team.’’

TNT studio analyst Kenny Smith said the team’s new era without Paul and West may take a few seasons before the Hornets return to the postseason.

“It’s a rebuilding process, and as good as Eric Gordon could be, he isn’t,’’ Smith said. “As good as Chris Kaman can be, he isn’t because he was hurt last season and didn’t play much. There are a bunch of could be’s, and that’s a difficult situation to be in.’’

John Reid can be reached at jreid@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3407.

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LOS ANGELES – The city of New Orleans takes as one of its monikers, The Big Easy. It is the home of a rich tradition of jazz and blues, home to some of the finest cuisine this country has to offer, a haven for Saints football mania and, despite the ravages inflicted by Hurricane Katrina, an easy-going lifestyle that natives find as enticing as a plate of soft shell crabs.

So, it should not be surprising to New Orleans Hornets fans that embraced point guard Chris Paul and viewed him as the face of their NBA franchise that there was nothing easy about his big decision to welcome a trade Dec. 14 that jettisoned him from the city that adored him to the Los Angeles Clippers.

“It was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do,” Paul said last week. “It was tough leaving Wake Forest after two years to go to the NBA. But it was a lot tougher to leave New Orleans after the six years that I spent there. Everything that I had was embedded there, my after-school program, so many friends that were like my family, my teammates, the organization.”

Acknowledged league-wide as one of the NBA’s premier point guards, Paul was the Hornets’ most popular player. He was actively involved in community projects. He was the player that New Orleanians of all ages adored not only for his extraordinary play, but for his regular-guy demeanor.

“I spent six unbelievable years in New Orleans,” Paul said. “It’s funny how life takes you different places. I would have never thought in a million years that I’d be living in L.A.”

The acquisition of Paul has injected a never-before-felt sense of championship hope in a long moribund franchise while making the rivalry at last relevant with the Clippers’ enormously more successful city mates, the Los Angeles Lakers. Ironically, Paul ended up in the city where it appeared as though he was headed mere days before, only it was going to be as a Laker and not a Clipper.

However, the trade that would have sent him from the NBA-owned Hornets to the Lakers was vetoed by Commissioner David Stern. When it was apparent that Paul was not going to be Laker-bound, Clippers vice president of basketball operations Neil Olshey revved the Clippers’ pursuit of Paul into high gear.

“This changes the entire culture of the organization,” Olshey said. “There is an expectation of success.”

Olshey said team depth was a key component that enabled the Dallas Mavericks to plow through the playoffs last season and eventually defeat the favored Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Olshey said he thinks his Clippers have a well-stocked roster going into this season and that his goal of giving the team a legitimate opportunity to win every night has been reached.

Olshey had tracked Paul for years, beginning when Olshey was doing player development work for the Clippers.

“I fell in love with the guy as a player when Wake Forest beat Manhattan in the second round of the NCAA Tournament when (Paul) was a freshman,” Olshey said. “I remember sitting and watching that game in my hotel room in Memphis, when we were getting ready to play the Grizzlies. I thought then that he was the best point guard that I had seen in 10 years. And I never changed my opinion. The one most important thing about Chris is that he makes everybody around him better.”

And now in his third year as the Clippers’ vice president of basketball operations, Olshey has made the biggest acquisition in Clipper franchise history.

“Forget about his ability to play basketball,” Olshey said. “It’s all the intangibles that he brings. He’s got command presence on the floor and in the locker room. He’s an incredible person. Character is a big thing that we’re trying to instill here. Chris just elevates that because he’s as good a person as he is a player.”

All of which will make it difficult for New Orleans to accept its loss of Paul.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Paul said, minutes after his new team had completed a two-game sweep of the Lakers. “I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to play with some other great players. It’s working out right now.”

About those other great players, Paul counts as his teammates now one of the league’s newest stars, forward Blake Griffin, who was the unanimous choice as the NBA’s Rookie of the Year last season, and an All-Star pick. Also on the team is another recent acquisition, veteran point guard Chauncey Billups, a five-time All-Star, who won a NBA championship as a member of the Detroit Pistons, guard Mo Williams, who was an All-Star guard with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and emerging center DeAndre Jordan, whose upside eased the loss of veteran center Chris Kaman, whom the Hornets acquired in the deal for Paul.

Already in the two exhibition game victories over the Lakers, Paul collaborated with Griffin and Jordan on spectacular lob dunks that it has prompted a new Clippers nickname, Lob City. With Caron Butler firing in 3-pointers, and with Paul penetrating and passing, the Clippers have a bevy of offensive options.

“It’s unreal,” Paul said. “When I get into the lane, it’s like Baskin-Robbins. You just pick whatever you want. It’s exciting for me because I love seeing other people score.”

With the 35-year-old Billups and the 29-year old Williams on the roster, the spryness should last longer in Paul’s 26-year-old legs because he will not have to direct the offense the entire game.

“Chris is one of the great point guards in this game,” Billups said. “Myself, I’ve been pretty successful in my career. There are still some things that I want to accomplish, like winning another championship.”

Asked to describe the qualities that Paul brings to the Clippers, Billups said, “I never ever envisioned playing with Chris, except on perhaps a USA team. That’s because both of us have been pretty dominant in our position for a long length of time. But one thing I love about Chris is that he’s so smart, he’s so tough and he never wants to leave the floor not winning a game.”

Not much else going on in the NBA world today.

Desiring a backup point guard with NBA experience, the New Orleans Hornets traded second-year small forward Quincy Pondexter to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday for guard Greivis Vasquez. Vasquez, 6 feet 6, 211 pounds, can play both guard positions and averaged 3.6 points and 2.2 assists last season as a rookie with the Grizzlies.

Vasquez was a first-round pick by the Grizzlies in 2010, becoming the first Venezuelan-born player to be drafted and only the third Venezuelan to play in the league.

The Hornets have no player on their roster who was drafted by the franchise. Pondexter, 6-6, 225, was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 26th overall pick in the 2010 draft then traded to the Hornets on draft night.

Pondexter played in 66 games last season with six starts. He averaged 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds.

Veteran center Emeka Okafor is the only remaining player on the Hornets’ roster not acquired by General Manager Dell Demps, who was hired by the Hornets in July 2010.

“We feel this is a trade that benefits both teams,’’ Demps said in a statement. “We will miss Quincy, and we thank him for his efforts, professionalism and work ethic. We are excited to add Greivis Vasquez to our team, organization and community. Greivis is an exciting big guard that plays with a passion that we hope will thrill our fans at the Hive.”

Demps had been in discussions with the Grizzlies the past few days and said he was trying to acquire a proven backup guard. Jarrett Jack moved into a starting role after Chris Paul was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Staff writer Jimmy Smith contributed to this report. 

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New Orleans Hornets starting power forward Carl Landry gazed into a bank of television cameras and a larger-than-normal post-practice contingent of reporters Friday, some of whom wanted to ask Landry about his newest teammate. “I know he’s very popular,” Landry said, chuckling. “We haven’t had this much media in a while, since the playoffs against the Lakers. I know he plays a forward/center position, and I think he’s the third Mexican player to ever play in the NBA so, hey, I’m sure I’ll get a chance to meet him. From what I know right now, he’s a special player.”

Gustavo Ayon, 6 feet 9, 245 pounds, was introduced at a press conference at the Alario Center, where six months earlier he had participated in a free-agent camp hosted by the Hornets in June, after New Orleans assistant general manager Tim Connolly, then general manager Dell Demps, had traveled to Madrid, Spain, to assess Ayon’s ability.

Speaking with the translation aid of his manager, Emilio Duran, Ayon said Friday he knew almost at once New Orleans was the his preferred NBA destination.

“I am very excited and very happy to be here,” Ayon said. “It has been a dream for me to be in the NBA. … It all began this summer in the minicamp. It felt right. They were very nice, very inviting, and it felt like the Hornets are the right place.”

Ayon chose New Orleans despite overtures in recent days from the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets, and past interest from the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs. Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak also had traveled to Europe to scout Ayon.

Ayon’s career has prospered in the Spanish ACB League playing for Madrid’s Fuenlabrada. He averaged 15.9 points and 8.2 rebounds this season, and he shot 65 percent.

NBA Director of Scouting Ryan Blake said Ayon, 26, has a skill set that should blend well into the league.

“The one thing I like is that he knows how to play in terms of intangibles,” Blake said. “(He’s) a 10-point guy, seven rebounds. He can pass the ball, set picks, anticipates well. He blocks shots. He’s very good around the basket. I think his mind-set is playing his role to make others better.

“One of the keys that we look at when you get a big is not just rebounding, blocking out, but really setting the screens, being able to pass, anticipating. This is what this guy can do.”

Realistically, Ayon knows he’s in for a difficult transition initially with the Hornets, trying to assimilate not only an NBA system, but the American lifestyle.

“I’ll work very hard and try to find a spot with the team,” Ayon said through Duran. “The league (will determine) how much I’ll play with this team. It’s going to take time. It will be a big change. There will be a period of adaptation to the league, to the culture, everything. Once I am settled, I will try to improve every day and do the best for the team.”

Fortunately for Ayon, the Hornets aren’t in desperate need for frontcourt assistance, giving both parties the luxury of a leisurely learning period.

“He’s a versatile four man who can pass a little bit, but we haven’t seen him live against our guys, so we really don’t know,” New Orleans Coach Monty Williams said. “I think (it will take) a while. Being real about it, any time you don’t speak English, well you’re certainly going to have a problem with basketball jargon.

“If I said three or four things about our team in our language, Trevor (Ariza) and (Jarrett) Jack know exactly what I’m talking about. He may look at me like, ‘OK, Coach.’ So I think it will take a while to start to pick up basketball, NBA language.”

Demps admitted Ayon’s future likely will be more important to the Hornets than his present, though Ayon’s abilities have graded out well at this level.

“He’s a smart basketball player,” Demps said. “The thing that really stood out to me is that he impacts the game in so many ways. He can pass, he has decent athleticism, rebounds. It’ll be interesting to see how his game translates. I love the story. Here’s a guy who started off playing in the Mexican leagues, worked his way up to playing Division III Spain then Division II Spain, then playing the top level in Spain, which is probably the best basketball league in Europe — and playing well.

“He’s not a potential guy. He’s a guy who’s played well everywhere he’s played. Now this is probably going to be his biggest challenge. It will be interesting to see how he reacts.”

Blake said Ayon’s versatility and unselfishness helped him this year start for Fuenlabrada ahead of 2011 lottery pick Bismark Biyombo, who was drafted seventh overall by the Charlotte Bobcats.

“He’s been on the radar,” Connolly said. “We weren’t the only team in pursuit. Short-term, we’ve got to get him acclimated. … but he really knows how to play.”

ROSTER MOVE: The Hornets released free-agent center Brian Butch, reducing the roster to 16.

All teams must reach the mandatory limit of 15 by 5 p.m. today.

Butch injured his right knee toward the end of practice last week and was unable to participate in the Hornets’ two exhibition games. Butch had played in the summer league for several NBA teams, as well as in the NBA Development League.

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The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed forward/center Gustavo Ayón. Contract details will be posted here later today.

“We are extremely excited about this signing,” said Hornets GM Dell Demps. “Gustavo is someone who we have had on our radar for a while and we believe he is going to be a great addition to our roster. He is a highly coveted international player and we look forward to working with him as he transitions into being an NBA player.”

Ayón (6-10, 250), averaged 15.9 points on 66 percent shooting while grabbing 8.2 rebounds per game this season over 10 games for Fuenlabrada of Spain. In the ACB league, which is considered the best domestic league outside of the NBA, he ranks 4th in points, 2nd in rebounds, 4th in defensive rebounds, 1st in offensive rebounds, 1st in two-point field goals and leads the league in index rating. Last season for Fuenlabrada, he averaged 10.8 points on 67 percent shooting and 6.3 rebounds over 22.6 minutes in 33 games. He was named the league’s “Best Newcomer” for his performance in 2010-11. During the 2010-11 season, Ayón started ahead of Bismack Biyombo, the 7th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.

“Although I had a lot of opportunities with other teams, I chose the Hornets because of my relationship with Dell, Monty and the staff of the team,” Ayón said. “When I visited New Orleans, I felt comfortable with the surroundings and really like the positive direction of the organization.”

Ayón, a Mexico native, grew up playing basketball in his home country and contemplated attending San Jose State at the age of 20 but declined the opportunity to play basketball in Mexico. After leading his team, Halcones, to back-to-back Mexican titles in 2007-08 and 2008-09, at the age of 24, he signed with Fuenlabrada in Spain. In the summer of 2009, while playing for the Mexican National Team in the Americas Championship, he gained notoriety for collecting 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a head-to-head battle with Luis Scola of the Houston Rockets.

Ayón, born April 1, 1985 in Tepic, Mexico, is just the third Mexican-born NBA player in history. He joins Horacio Llamas, who played two seasons with the Phoenix Suns, and current Charlotte Bobcat Eduardo Nájera.

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