By now, you’ve had a chance to digest the numbers the NBA released last week on the total games missed by individual clubs because of injuries to players. The New Orleans Hornets were second in the league this season with 218 games missed by 11 different players.

And Sunday’s gruesome knee injury sustained by former Hornets guard Baron Davis, the second major knee injury to a New York Knicks players (Iman Shumpert tore his ACL last week in Game 1 vs. the Miami Heat), is just an indication that the NBA’s shortened 66-game schedule might be contributing to players breaking down.

Defending league MVP Derrick Rose tore his ACL in Game 1 of the Chicago Bulls’ playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers and could be out for 10 months. The Hornets, meanwhile, say they’ll be closely monitoring the progress made by center Emeka Okafor from his still-to-be-fully-disclosed knee injury.

The league said 3,353 games were missed this season by 304 players.

Do you think this season’s condensed schedule is a major factor in the number, and severity, of the injuries we’re seeing?

 

New Orleans Hornets

Given the injuries and turnover on the roster, the New Orleans Hornets had a number of players this season that even diehard NBA fans had never heard of. Some of these players filled a brief hole and then went right back to the D-League. However, I was particularly impressed with the late season addition of point guard Jerome Dyson.

Will Jerome Dyson realize his dream and become a permanent NBA fixture with the New Orleans Hornets in 2012-13?

Jerome Dyson

Jerome Dyson shouldn’t be intimidated by the bright lights of the NBA since he played for one of the nation’s best college basketball programs. For four years, Dyson played for the UConn Huskies and averaged double figures each year. Jerome Dyson’s best season was his senior year when he averaged 17.2 points and 4.2 assists per game.

D-League

Despite his fine college career, Jerome Dyson went undrafted. So it was on to the D-League. Dyson became an instant sensation with the Tulsa 66ers. Over two years, he averaged 16.6 points per game. Finally, as the 2011-12 season drew to a close, Jerome Dyson got the call he had been waiting for from the New Orleans Hornets.

Defense

Over the Hornets’ final nine games of the season, the thing that impressed me the most about Jerome Dyson was his defense. I loved watching the looks on the faces of NBA veterans going through the motions in April as this 24-year old NBA rookie was covering them like a glove. I know New Orleans coach Monty Williams had to also be impressed.

Fearless

The other aspect of Jerome Dyson’s game that I loved was that he had no fears about driving the lane and taking big shots. I think playing big time basketball in the Big East has really helped this young man. But the question that remains is whether or not Jerome Dyson has done enough to earn a roster spot in New Orleans next year.

2012-13

Regardless of what happens in the NBA Draft, I believe the Hornets will have a new starting point guard next season. However, I think Greivis Vasquez has done enough at point guard and shooting guard to stay in New Orleans. The Hornets must start holding on to their young talent instead of trading it away like they’ve done in past seasons.

I believe Jerome Dyson will find his way on the New Orleans Hornets’ 2012-13 roster because he is the classic substitute. For 10-15 minutes per game, Dyson can infuse energy into the Hornets’ lineup and keep the offense moving. Jerome Dyson can also be a defensive stopper for the Hornets in the second half.

If he can play a bit more under control, Jerome Dyson should be in the NBA for many years to come.

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. Follow Patrick Michael on Twitter patmichael84.

Sources

“Jerome Dyson,” sports-reference.com/cbb

“Jerome Dyson,” nba.com/dleague

“Jerome Dyson,” basketball-reference.com

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Former New Orleans Hornets

Needless to say, I won’t be seeing the New Orleans Hornets in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. However, there are a few familiar faces still playing NBA basketball in May of 2012. Many former Hornets players have led their new teams into the NBA Playoffs. Take a closer look at the top five former New Orleans Hornets in the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

5. Darren Collison: Indiana Pacers

When Chris Paul was injured in the 2009-10 season, rookie Darren Collison stepped up and was outstanding. However, the Hornets were engaged in a futile policy of appeasement to Paul and traded Collison to the Pacers. In 2012, he averaged 10.4 points per game and led Indiana to the third seed in the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs.

4. Baron Davis: New York Knicks

In 2012, Baron Davis has become a journeyman point guard. But 10 years ago, Davis was one of the best point guards in the NBA. In fact, he was an All-Star with the New Orleans Hornets in 2004. This year, Baron Davis played a crucial role in getting the Knicks into the 2012 NBA Playoffs after the sensational Jeremy Lin suffered an injury.

3. David West: Indiana Pacers

Like Collison, David West was not a lottery pick but he nevertheless went on to have a great NBA career. West was always one of my favorite Hornets players in New Orleans for his propensity for hitting game-winning shots and his tough attitude on the court. His scoring is down in 2012, but West can still be a force in the NBA Playoffs.

2. Tyson Chandler: New York Knicks

The New Orleans Hornets sure were wrong about Tyson Chandler. A vital part of the great 2007-08 Hornets team, New Orleans traded Chandler when they thought he had been debilitated by injuries. However, he has since won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks and during the 2012 playoffs, was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

1. Chris Paul: Los Angeles Clippers

What can I say about Chris Paul that hasn’t already been said? As a member of the Hornets, Paul led New Orleans to the NBA Playoffs three times and established himself as the greatest active point guard in the NBA. 2012 has seen Paul take his talents to Los Angeles where he has led the woeful Clippers to a rare trip to the NBA Playoffs.

Honorable mention New Orleans Hornets in the 2012 NBA Playoffs

Chris Andersen, Willie Green, Jannero Pargo, Quincy Pondexter, J.R. Smith

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.

Source

“NBA Playoffs,” yahoo.com

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The New Orleans Hornets are going to see how much progress Emeka Okafor makes in his recovery from his knee injury this offseason before making any determination about their plans for the seven-year veteran.

The Hornets could decide to use their one-time amnesty clause to waive Okafor to clear more salary-cap space. Okafor, who missed 39 games this season because of knee injury, is owed $28 million over the next two seasons.

When Hornets Coach Monty Williams was asked to address Okafor’s future beyond this summer, he said that he didn’t want to get into it right now.

“He’s in a situation where we got to see where he is as far as his knee,’’ Williams said.“He’s going to play with our young guys this summer, which is pretty good for us. We’ll find out more about Emeka this summer so we can get him back healthy again.’’

Okafor said he expects to be back with the Hornets next season, but said this season was crazy because of the team’s mounting injuries.

“It was crazy all around, injuries were crazy for everybody in the league,’’ Okafor said. “Right now, I’m going to take a little time off before starting things up.’’

With the understandable frenzy regarding the loss of a four-time All-Star from the New Orleans Hornets’ roster before the season began – referring, of course to the trade of Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers – the bigger loss was probably the departure of two-time All-Star power forward David West.

West, you will recall, signed as a free-agent with the Indiana Pacers after opting out of the final year of his contract last summer with the Hornets. Coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament, West was hoping to find a situation where he could win.

Indiana, he figured, was his best fit, and he helped lead the Pacers to a third-seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a 2-1 edge over the Orlando Magic in the current series. West is fully recovered and one of the reasons the Pacers will likely advance to round two.

Paul was a big loss for New Orleans, but West might have been bigger.

What do you think?

 

 

In the NBA’s Coach of the Year balloting, New Orleans Hornets’ Monty Williams received one second-place vote to finish with three points. San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich won the award after totaling 467 points, which included 77 first-place votes.

The voting was done from a panel of 119 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the the United States and Canada.

Williams guided the Hornets to 21-45 record despite having an injury-riddled roster. He was forced to use 28 different lineups this season due to injuries.

HERE ARE THE RESULTS:

Coach, Team 1st 2nd 3rd Pts
1.Gregg Popovich, San Antonio 77 24 10 467

2.Tom Thibodeau, Chicago 27 53 21 315

3.Frank Vogel, Indiana 7 27 45 161

4.Lionel Hollins, Memphis 6 3 11 50

5.Doc Rivers, Boston 1 4 9 26

6.Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City 0 2 3 9

7.Tyrone Corbin, Utah 0 1 6 9

8.George Karl, Denver 1 0 2 7

9.Mike Brown, L.A. Lakers 0 1 1 4

10.Stan Van Gundy, Orlando 0 1 1 4

11.Larry Drew, Atlanta 0 0 3 3

12. Monty Williams, New Orleans 0 1 0 3

13.Vinny Del Negro, L.A. Clippers 0 0 2 2

14. Kevin McHale, Houston 0 0 2 2

15.Alvin Gentry, Phoenix 0 0 1 1

My Coach of the Year ballot:

1.Gregg Popovich, San Antonio

2.Tom Thibodeau, Chicago

3.Frank Vogel, Indiana

Stats that stand out from the New Orleans Hornets’ 107-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

1.8. Steals total for Clippers point guard Chris Paul.

2.5. Hornets players that scored in double figures that included all of their starters.

3.13. Biggest lead the Hornets enjoyed in the fourth quarter before the Clippers made their comeback.

4.14. Points scored by the Hornets in the fourth quarter after scoring 32 in the third.

5. 43. Free throws attempted by the Clippers.

 +/- rating for every Hornet player

Landry -4

Gordon -6

Thomas +6

Vasquez -16

Henry +1

Belinelli -6

Aminu -8

Smith -3

Ayon -20

Dyson +8

Watkins+3

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Clippers 32,  Hornets 27

Hornets points in the paint: 18.

Clippers points in the paint: 10.

Hornets second chance points: two.

Clippers second chance points: two.

Hornets fast-break points: four.

Clippers fast-break points: zero.

Hornets biggest lead: one.

Clippers biggest lead: 11.

Times tied:one.

Hornets leading scorer: Greivis Vasquez, six.

Clippers leading scorer: Blake Griffin, 12.

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Hornets 25, Clippers 25

Hornets points in the paint: six.

Clippers points in the paint: eight.

Hornets second chance points: five.

Clippers second chance points: five.

Hornets fast-break points: seven.

Clippers fast-break points: two.

Hornets biggest lead: zero.

Clippers biggest lead: 10.

Times tied: zero.

Hornets leading scorer: Eric Gordon, eight.

Clippers leading scorer: Mo Williams, five.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Hornets 32, Clippers 17

Hornets points in the paint: 16.

Clippers points in the paint: eight.

Hornets second chance points: four.

Clippers second chance points: zero.

Hornets fast-break points: one.

Clippers fast-break points: four.

Hornets biggest lead: 11.

Clippers biggest lead: five.

Times tied: two.

Hornets leading scorer: Al-Farouq Aminu, 12.

Clippers leading scorer: Chris Paul, 11.

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Clippers 33, Hornets 14

Hornets points in the paint: six.

Clippers points in the paint: eight.

Hornets second chance points: zero.

Clippers second chance points: two.

Hornets fast-break points: zero.

Clippers fast-break points: zero.

Hornets biggest lead: 13.

Clippers biggest lead: nine.

Times tied: one.

Hornets leading scorer: Vasquez, four.

Clippers leading scorer: Paul, 13.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Jason Smith scored 22 points, hitting 10 of 12 shots, to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 105-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Marco Belinelli added 21 points and Greivis Vasquez 15 for New Orleans, which shot 55.9 percent (38 of 68) and surged ahead for good with an 18-3 run in the third quarter.

Marcus Thornton led all scorers with 25 points and Tyreke Evans added 19 points for the Kings, who have lost six straight.

DeMarcus Cousins had early foul trouble and played only 20 minutes, missing nine of his 12 shots.

Reserve guard Xavier Henry scored 14 points, while Chris Kaman grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots for the Hornets, who have won two of three.

Sacramento led 59-53 after Jason Thompson’s three-point play on a layup as he was fouled, but then managed only one basket during a span of more than five minutes while the Hornets made their decisive run.

Kaman’s 15-foot fade started the spurt, during which he added a basket from inside. Vasquez hit a pair of jumpers, Henry converted a steal into a breakaway dunk and Belinelli hit one of his three 3s as the Hornets built a 71-62 lead.

New Orleans’ lead reached 11 when Vasquez’s 3 made it 79-68 late in the period and got as large as 12 early in the fourth quarter when Gustavo Ayon tipped in Carl Landry’s missed free throw as he was fouled, then hit his free throw for a three-point play that made it 84-72

The Kings pulled back as close as 94-90 when Evans’ jumper capped an 8-2 spurt, but Vasquez hit a jumper and Belinelli found Kaman cutting to the basket for a layup to give New Orleans enough of a cushion to hold on.

Thompson scored 18 points and Terrence Williams added 16 for the Kings, who shot 43.4 percent and were hurt by missing 15 of 22 shots they attempted from 3-point range. New Orleans outrebounded Sacramento 44-37.

Thornton, a former LSU star and Hornets player, had 13 of his points in the first quarter, when Sacramento took its largest lead at 29-20.

New Orleans erased its deficit early in the second period and Belinelli’s 3 gave the Hornets a 50-49 lead at halftime.

Notes: Hornets G Jerome Dyson made his debut, one day after being signed to a 10-day contract. The rookie out of Connecticut was the 21st player to appear in a game for the injury-riddled Hornets this season. He had 3 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal in 23-plus minutes. …. Hornets G Eric Gordon missed his second straight game with a back injury that forced him out of last Saturday’s victory over Minnesota. … Thornton scored 20 or more in three of his four games against New Orleans this season. … Cousins, who had seven points, failed to reach double figures in scoring for only 10th time this season.

NEW ORLEANS
– Jason Smith scored 22 points, hitting 10 of 12 shots, to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 105-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Marco Belinelli added 21 points and Greivis Vasquez 15 for New Orleans, which shot 55.9 percent (38 of 68) and surged ahead for good with an 18-3 run in the third quarter.

Marcus Thornton led all scorers with 25 points and Tyreke Evans added 19 points for the Kings, who have lost six straight.

DeMarcus Cousins had early foul trouble and played only 20 minutes, missing nine of his 12 shots.

Reserve guard Xavier Henry scored 14 points, while Chris Kaman grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots for the Hornets, who have won two of three.

Sacramento led 59-53 after Jason Thompson’s three-point play on a layup as he was fouled, but then managed only one basket during a span of more than five minutes while the Hornets made their decisive run.

Kaman’s 15-foot fade started the spurt, during which he added a basket from inside. Vasquez hit a pair of jumpers, Henry converted a steal into a breakaway dunk and Belinelli hit one of his three 3s as the Hornets built a 71-62 lead.

New Orleans’ lead reached 11 when Vasquez’s 3 made it 79-68 late in the period and got as large as 12 early in the fourth quarter when Gustavo Ayon tipped in Carl Landry’s missed free throw as he was fouled, then hit his free throw for a three-point play that made it 84-72

The Kings pulled back as close as 94-90 when Evans’ jumper capped an 8-2 spurt, but Vasquez hit a jumper and Belinelli found Kaman cutting to the basket for a layup to give New Orleans enough of a cushion to hold on.

Thompson scored 18 points and Terrence Williams added 16 for the Kings, who shot 43.4 percent and were hurt by missing 15 of 22 shots they attempted from 3-point range. New Orleans outrebounded Sacramento 44-37.

Thornton, a former LSU star and Hornets player, had 13 of his points in the first quarter, when Sacramento took its largest lead at 29-20.

New Orleans erased its deficit early in the second period and Belinelli’s 3 gave the Hornets a 50-49 lead at halftime.

Notes: Hornets G Jerome Dyson made his debut, one day after being signed to a 10-day contract. The rookie out of Connecticut was the 21st player to appear in a game for the injury-riddled Hornets this season. He had 3 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal in 23-plus minutes. …. Hornets G Eric Gordon missed his second straight game with a back injury that forced him out of last Saturday’s victory over Minnesota. … Thornton scored 20 or more in three of his four games against New Orleans this season. … Cousins, who had seven points, failed to reach double figures in scoring for only 10th time this season.

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon did not participate in the team’s shootaround workout this morning and his status for tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings remains unclear because of a sore lower back.

Hornets Coach Monty Williams said he wasn’t sure if Gordon would play and that he’ll find out later today regarding his status.

Gordon experienced tightness in his lower back during last Saturday’s victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves and did not play Monday night against the Lakers. He missed 51 games this season because of cartilage damage in his right knee before returning April 2 against the Denver Nuggets.

Also, Williams wouldn’t confirm if center Emeka Okafor will miss the remainder of the season with a sore left knee, saying only that it’s something he’s not thinking about. Okafor has not played since a Feb. 10 game against the Portland Trail Blazers. After tonight against the Sacramento Kings, the Hornets have only eight games remaining before the regular season ends. 

“He’s been gone so long and (Chris) Kaman has done such a good job in that spot,” Williams said. “I’ll find out when the trainers tell me.”

 

The Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Hornets are the worst teams in the Western Conference and already are eliminated from playoff contention.

The Kings may find some solace in ending a five-game slide and sweeping the season series from the host Hornets for the first time in eight seasons Wednesday night.

Sacramento (19-39) will miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, and is ahead of only New Orleans (15-42) in the West.

Part of the reason for the separation between the teams is the Kings taking all three meetings, putting them in position to sweep the season series for the first time since winning both matchups in 2003-04.

Sacramento, though, is a conference-worst 5-24 on the road and enters this contest having dropped five straight overall, the team’s longest slide since a season-high six-game skid Feb. 11-21.

The Kings’ woes continued with Tuesday’s 110-100 loss at Dallas.

“We had a few little details of turning the ball over or maybe some quick shots, but that’s what you get with a team that’s trying to learn how to win and close out quarters,” coach Keith Smart said.

DeMarcus Cousins is looking to build on his 25 points, 18 rebounds and six steals from Tuesday. The second-year center wasn’t nearly as effective two days prior, getting nine points and eight boards in a 104-87 loss to Houston.

Cousins has missed two of three games against the Hornets, but made his presence felt Feb. 6, when he had 28 points and 19 rebounds in a 100-92 victory at New Orleans Arena.

Marcus Thornton picked up the scoring slack for Cousins in the most recent matchup March 7. He scored 25 points before John Salmons’ layup with 6.8 seconds left clinched a 99-98 victory.

Thornton had 16 points Tuesday in his return from a thigh bruise that sidelined him four games.

It’s not much of a surprise that the Hornets are missing the playoffs after trading star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the start of the season.

New Orleans, though, had been showing improvement at home, winning three of four before falling 93-91 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Coach Monty Williams felt Eric Gordon’s absence due to lower back tightness was a tough blow.

“We just didn’t have what we have been talking about, the closer down the stretch,” he said.

Gordon, acquired from the Clippers in the Paul trade, has only played five games all season due to a nagging knee injury, and his 19.6 points per game is sorely missed.

Having the shooting guard on the court could provide a lift for the Hornets. He’s averaged 24.3 points on 56.6 percent shooting from the floor – 54.5 from beyond the arc – in his last nine meetings with the Kings.

Gordon’s been sidelined for all three this season.

New Orleans Hornets

My favorite NBA team is the New Orleans Hornets and my least favorite is the Los Angeles Lakers. Needless to say, I am amped whenever the Hornets face the Lakers. Since moving to New Orleans, the Hornets have won many inspirational games against the Lakers. Take a look back at the top five New Orleans Hornets wins over the Lakers.

5. 11/7/2003: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 114-95

In the 2003-04 NBA season, Los Angeles got off to a 5-0 start. But they suffered their first defeat at the hands of the Hornets. New Orleans got off to a fast start and never looked back. Baron Davis had a great game with 23 points and 12 assists. Kobe Bryant on the other hand was completely stifled as he was held to a scant 11 points.

4. 1/6/2009: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 116-105

Although the Lakers won the 2009 NBA Finals, that didn’t stop the Hornets from posting a big win on Los Angeles in the Staples Center that season. Although Kobe Bryant put up 39 points that day, the real stars played for New Orleans. Chris Paul scored 32 points and dished out 15 assists while David West scored an incredible 40 points.

3. 11/6/2007: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 118-104

The 2007-08 NBA season is the greatest Hornets’ season since moving from Charlotte. After relocating back to the Big Easy, they got off to a fast 4-0 start. Their fourth win to start the season came against the Lakers in Los Angeles. Chris Paul had an amazing 21 assists and Peja Stojakovic scored 36 points on 10-13 three-point shooting.

2. 4/24/2011: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 93-88

Of course, their two greatest wins over the Lakers came in the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Chris Paul’s final win as a Hornet was one of the greatest games he ever played. While Kobe Bryant scored 17 points on 5-18 shooting, Chris Paul posted a triple-double with 27 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds as New Orleans tied Los Angeles 2-2.

1. 4/17/2011: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 109-100

The only reason I ranked this game higher than the previous is because as the series opener, it served notice to Los Angeles that they were in for a fight. This game may be my favorite Hornets’ win ever. Jack Nicholson and company must have been in disbelief in Los Angeles as New Orleans took a 1-0 series lead thanks to Chris Paul’s 33 points.

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.

Source

“New Orleans Hornets Franchise Index,” basketball-reference.com

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New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon, who required surgery last month to remove cartilage debris from his right knee, will begin practicing with the team next week.

Hornets Coach Monty Williams said Gordon has ramped up his workout regiment in a push to return to help the team.

Though the regular season is just more than a month from completion, Gordon said he wants to help bring back some options that hopefully bring more wins.

“I look forward to trying to get back,’’ said Gordon, who will become a restricted free agent this upcoming July.

Williams has been forced to use 15 different lineups, including 13 different players starting at least one game. But injured forward Carl Landry practiced Monday for the first time without restrictions since spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during a Feb. 4 game at Detroit.

Landry could be back in the lineup no later than this Saturday against San Antonio if he doesn’t experience a setback, Williams said. There remains no timetable on starting center Emeka Okafor’s return from a sore left knee. Okafor has missed 18 consecutive games. 

QUICK HITS: The Hornets did not re-sign center 7-foot center Jeff Foote, whose 10-day contract expired on Sunday.

March 18, 2012 – NBA Development League (D-League)
NEW YORK, March 18, 2012 – The New Orleans Hornets today assigned second-year guard Xavier Henry to the Iowa Energy, the Hornets’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment marks the 53rd time an NBA player has been assigned to his NBA D-League affiliate during the 2011-12 NBA season and is the first assignment of Henry’s career.

Henry (6-6, 220, Kansas) has appeared in 24 games for the Hornets this season, averaging 5.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 14.3 minutes. In his 62-game NBA career, he has averaged 4.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 14.0 minutes.

Originally selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 12th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft, Henry joined the Hornets as part of a three-team trade on Jan. 4.

In one season at Kansas, Henry averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals.

Hornets fans can stay in step with Henry, who is expected to join the Energy tomorrow and be available when the team hosts the Sioux Falls Skyforce in Des Moines, by logging onto nba.com/futurecast to watch all of Iowa’s games live, online, for free.

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