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

By Wesley O.

In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. That is what the Hornets have to keep in their minds throughout this entire series, because this is going to be another uphill battle. New Orleans did everything right against the Mavericks in the opening round, they must carry that level of play into the second round.

Let’s break down the matchups. You got Tim Duncan going against either David West or Tyson Chandler depending on who Byron Scott wants to go with. Duncan has tremendous strength and shooting ability, so Chandler might have an advantage on West because of his larger frame, but don’t expect Duncan to be slowed down one bit. You got Peja Stojakovic taking on Bruce Bowen who is already known for his lock-down defense, but the Spurs most likely will have Bowen guarding Chris Paul throughout each game. Morris Peterson will try and out hustle Michael Finley and this could be the wild card matchup. Peterson was relatively quiet against the Mavericks, but with the Hornets most likely struggling to score points down the stretch, Morris will need to start hitting his shots to keep the momentum going.

And last but not least, Chris Paul will duke it out with Tony Parker, a match made in heaven. Parker not only averaged close to 30 points per game against the Suns, he also held Steve Nash in check for most of that series. For Paul, it was his coming out party as he chipped in 24 points per game and 12 assists per game. Paul will be the main target for the Spurs’ defense, and if they can force the ball out of his hands and not let him get open looks, the Hornets could really struggle to keep up.

The general consensus among most fans and experts right now is that the Spurs should have no trouble ending the Hornets’ magical season within five or six games, but don’t be surprised if the Hornets play just as well as they did against Dallas. New Orleans has a deeper bench, younger legs and a chip on their shoulders. All they have to do is keep Duncan in check and not allow Parker and Ginobili to drive and create shot opportunity for themselves. The Spurs must shutdown Paul, West, Stojakovic, Jannero Pargo and possibly Peterson in this series to advance all while keeping Chandler off the glass and away from the basket. Oh yeah, they also have to keep Bonzi Wells and Julian Wright from making impacts off the bench. I think you can see what I’m getting at here, the Hornets have too many weapons for the Spurs to defend. My prediction, the Hornets pull off the major upset in seven games.

Game 1- 5/3 @ NO 10:00 ET (TNT)
Game 2- TBA
Game 3- TBA
Game 4- TBA
*Game 5- TBA
*Game 6- TBA
*Game 7- TBA

* - If necessary

New Orleans Hornets

G- Chris Paul G- Morris Peterson F- Peja Stojakovic F- David West C- Tyson Chandler

Series Leaders
(Playoffs)
G Chris Paul: 24.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 12.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 50% FG
F David West: 22.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.6 BPG, 48% FG
F Peja Stojakovic: 15.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 41% FG, 60% 3PT

San Antonio Spurs

G- Tony Parker G- Michael Finley F- Bruce Bowen F- Tim Duncan C- Kurt Thomas

Series Leaders
(Playoffs)
G Tony Parker- 29.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 7.0 APG, 52% FG, 50% 3PT
F Tim Duncan- 24.8 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 2.4 BPG, 49% FG
G Manu Ginobili- 18.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 45% FG

By Wesley O.

This is it, this is what we’ve been waiting for. We will now find out whether or not the Hornets’ 56-win season was a fluke. Ironically, the Hornets are facing a Mavericks team that won 67 games last season but were eliminated early in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. If New Orleans is to advance, they must limit their mistakes and fight until the very last possession each and every night. The Hornets and Mavericks split the season series at two games a piece, and both teams averaged similar team stats throughout the season, but that’s beside the point.

Dallas has much more playoff experience and are built for a title run, while New Orleans is still raw and coming off a shaky finish to the regular season. Now, the Hornets do have some players that have been to the playoffs before such as Peja Stojakovic, Bonzi Wells and Morris Peterson, but the rest of the team has either never made it or have only had limited playing time in the postseason.

Head coach Byron Scott has twice taken a team to the Finals before, and he can certainly do it a third time with this young squad. Still the question remains, will it be the Mavs who prevent the Hornets from advancing to the second round or themselves? My prediction, the Hornets win this series in seven games.

Game 1- 4/19 @NO 7:00 ET (ESPN)
Game 2- 4/22 @NO 7:00 ET (TNT)
Game 3- 4/25 @DAL 8:00 ET (ESPN)
Game 4- 4/27 @DAL 9:30 ET (TNT)
*Game 5- TBA
*Game 6- TBA
*Game 7- TBA

* - If necessary

New Orleans Hornets

G- Chris Paul G- Morris Peterson F- Peja Stojakovic F- David West C- Tyson Chandler

Series Leaders
(Regular Season)
G Chris Paul: 21.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 11.6 APG, 48% FG
F David West: 20.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 48% FG
F Peja Stojakovic: 16.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 43% FG, 44% 3PT

Dallas Mavericks

G- Jason Kidd G- Jerry Stackhouse F- Josh Howard F- Dirk Nowitzki C- Eric Dampier

Series Leaders
(Regular Season)
F Dirk Nowitzki: 23.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 48% FG
F Josh Howard: 19.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 45% FG
G Jason Terry: 15.3 PPG, 3.2 APG, 46% FG

By Wesley O.

Just when you think someone or something is invincible, an event occurs that makes you think twice about it. For the Hornets, losing three of their last four games has people once again questioning whether or not this team can go deep in the playoffs. With two games remaining before the postseason, New Orleans must find a way to regain their confidence while staying healthy for what will be a very rough two-month stretch. To put it simpler, if the slump continues, New Orleans may not even be playing past the first week of playoff action.

You always have to find the good in a bad situation, and the good news for this team is that they may not have such an uphill battle in the first round. The Lakers passed New Orleans in the standings and have gained sole possession of the first seed with one game remaining, meaning if the playoffs were to start today, Los Angeles would have to battle the high-scoring Nuggets while the Hornets would take on a not-so-tough Mavericks team. We all know that experience always conquers, but in this case, Dallas may actually have too much experience if you know what I mean. The Hornets could end up literally running them up and down the floor until they surrender, or puke.

So what would be the best scenario for the Hornets heading into the playoffs? It’s simple, pray for the Spurs to stay behind and for the Lakers to win their matchup with the Kings tonight. Oh yeah, did I mention they must win their next two games as well? So maybe it’s not really that simple, but the Hornets are in perfect position right now to play a much older team who has had trouble beating good teams this season, you can’t risk losing an opportunity like this. If New Orleans gets stuck with a team like Denver or Phoenix in the first round, they could be in deep trouble.

The Week Ahead

vs LAC 4/15 8:00 ET

This should be a bounce-back game for the Hornets, who understand that you won’t survive long in the playoffs if you can’t win easy games like this.

@ DAL 4/16 7:00 ET (ESPN)

By the time this game tips off, the Hornet will most likely know who they’ll be facing in the first round and it will probably be the team they are playing. Whether or not Coach Scott rests his starters is up in the air at this point, but a win against a team that they are likely to face next week would certainly give them a boost of confidence.

By Wesley O.

The Hornets did everything right last week, and clinched themselves their first playoff berth in four years. The crazy week was capped off with an impressive performance against the Warriors on Sunday afternoon, in which Chris Paul led New Orleans with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, he also had five steals as well. Now CP3 may not be the favorite to take home the MVP Award this year over guys like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, but he certainly is an MVP in Hornets fan’s minds.

Now, in no way is the regular season finished just yet. New Orleans still needs to hold off the countless other teams in the West who are all vying for that first seed which the Hornets currently occupy. If the Hornets can have another strong week and avoid dropping games, they can possibly keep that first spot come April 19 when the playoffs tip off.

The Week Ahead

vs UTA 4/8 8:00 ET

Another heavy-weight bout between Chris Paul and Deron Williams, this one should be good, but the Jazz have experience on their side and will be playing hard as they look to jump over Los Angeles and San Antonio in the standings.

@ MIN 4/9 8:00 ET

This should be an easy game, Minnesota is on a slump and are no match for the Hornets at this point.

@ LAL 4/11 10:30 ET

This is a potential Western Conference Finals preview if I ever saw one. The Lakers are red hot, the Hornets are red hot, there’s no doubt that both of these teams will try and prove something on this night. The winner could potentially have the first seed locked down, while the loser may slip down the ladder once more.

@ SAC 10:00 ET

The Kings have played well lately, winning four straight games before the Lakers snapped that streak on Sunday night. The Hornets better watch out, this could be a trap game.

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