by 808Hornetsfan

If there was any time to be optimistic about this upcoming Hornets season, it’s definitely right now. Of course, the team is returning to the city of New Orleans for a full season since ‘04-05, and the entire organization is ready to do everything in their power to re-build and give back to the community. The highlight of that plan will be the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, in which superstars from all over the country will be gathering on one special weekend to give back to this once proud city. This will sure be one of the most memorable events this area has seen in a long time, and emotions will be running high.

The NBA unveiled the 2008 All-Star Game logo earlier this week, and boy does it look beautiful:

If this isn’t big news for Hornets fans across the U.S., then this next announcement will definitely blow you away. 2K Sports announced today that Hornets star point gaurd Chris Paul will be the cover athlete for NBA 2K8! Why is this big news?? Well, name one athlete in Hornets history that’s had the honor of being on the cover of a major sports game, that’s right, no one. In fact, not one player from the New Orleans Saints has ever graced the cover of Madden, yeah that includes Reggie Bush.

Not only will I be buying NBA 2K8 the day it ships out, but I may in fact buy the official poster so that I can show my grandchildren someday that there once a famous Hornets player that earned the right to be on the cover over many other great NBA players. I just hope I’ll be around long enough to throw this in people’s faces when they’re asking me “You’re a Hornets fan?? When have they ever had a decent player?? They suck!”.

I can’t think of a better storyline for next season other than the Hornets making the playoffs for the first time since 2004, and playing in front of thousands of fans at New Orleans Arena for a home playoff game, it doesn’t get much better than that. Congrats to Chris Paul and the city of New Orleans, this is our year!!

by 808Hornetsfan

Both teams put on quite a show on Sunday night, but the Rockets made enough big plays to hold off the surging Hornets in the fourth quarter. With a 72-61 lead entering the final period, the Rockets looked as though they had secured the win, but New Orleans went on to out-score Houston 32-26, but came up short and received their fifth loss of the tournament. Although expectations are still high for the Hornets next season, things look bleak for some of the young prodigies looking to earn a roster spot.

Aaron Brooks led the Rockets with 19 points and four assists. Many believed that Brooks would never become a complete PG in the NBA, but his Summer League averages of 21.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 5.2 apg seem to prove otherwise. With not much standing in his way, Brooks could end up starting for the Rockets at PG and become the steal of the 2007 Draft. Other high-scorers for Houston were Steve Novak who had 15 points on the night, Andre Emmett who had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Mike Harris who chipped in with 12 points.

It was no surprise that Anthony Roberson had a big night, scoring 17 points. Roberson finishes with averages of 19.5 ppg and 3.0 rpg in four games. The 6-2 rookie PG out of Florida is the favorite to earn the role as the team’s third option at PG, that is if New Orleans doesn’t sign a veteran free agent. Another surprise for the Hornets was forward Anthony Richardson who had his best game of the tournament with 19 points and five rebounds while coming off the bench. Richardson averaged 14 and 3 in five games including one start.

It was not a good night for Julian Wright however, who failed do anything other than score six points and five rebounds. Second-round pick Adam Haluska had been in Wright’s same situation up until Sunday night, when he broke out of his shooting slump and scored 15 points while shooting 6-for-8 from the field. Haluska also made three three-pointers. Both Haluska and Wright did not impress many at all during the Summer League, but they now know that it will be much harder to earn playing time with guys like Anthony Richardson and Anthony Roberson working twice as hard to get there.

Hilton Armstrong had another solid performance, finally getting a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Armstrong also had two blocks in the game. Averaging 15 and 5 a game was enough for Armstrong to secure a backup spot behind Tyson Chandler, but once again, at any moment he could be replaced by a more experienced free agent veteran.

Only two teams finished winless in the 2007 Summer League, unfortunately New Orleans was one of those teams. The Hornets tied with Seattle for the worst record, going 0-5. I have to say I’m not pleased with this at all, but hey, as long as this isn’t the regular season… I’ll be fine.

In other news, Knicks guard Nate Robinson took home the League MVP award after scoring 24 points on Sunday night to defeat the Nuggets 116-108. Robinson averaged 19.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 6.0 apg while shooting 48% from the field. He also was the main reason the Knicks went undefeated in the Summer League, tying with Dallas for the best record at 5-0. Tomorrow we’ll recap the entire 2007 Summer League and give you our take on what’s to come for these young Hornet hopefuls.

By 808Hornetsfan

Hilton Armstrong picked the perfect night to break out, unfortunately the Hornets dropped another Summer League game tonight as they fell to the hands of the Phoenix Suns. Armstrong shot nine-for-16 from the field and scored a total of 24 points while grabbing four rebounds. It was Armstrong’s best performance of the tournament, although the rest of the team continued to struggle.

Forward Ron Hale scored 25 points for the Suns, while G Adam Hess scored 15… Both of them came off the bench. The Phoenix starters had an impressive night, led by rookie guard D.J. Strawberry who scored 13 points while dishing out nine assists on the night. Strawberry is averaging 13 and 5 a night for the Suns.

One Hornets player that has not disappointed the coaching staff is point guard Anthony Roberson, who scored 23 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists. The young rookie product out of Florida is proving to the coaches that he can get his teammates involved on offense, as well as hit shots from anywhere on the court. Roberson has averaged 20.3 ppg in three games so far, and he’s pretty much been the most consistent performer of the group.

The Hornets have to wonder if Roberson is the steal they never saw coming, with the numbers he’s putting up so far, he has a very good shot at being the third option at PG behind Chris Paul and Bobby Jackson.

After a disappointing night against the Bucks on Thursday, Julian Wright bounced back and put up 14 points against the Suns. Wright has started all four games at SF for the Hornets, but has only been able to put up right around nine points a game, something that is just not good enough for the coaches and the fans.

New Orleans will look to try and get at least one victory on Sunday night as they take on the Houston Rockets in both team’s final games. The Hornets have now fallen to 0-4 in the tournament and tied with Washington, Portland and Seattle as the only teams remaining without a win. We can only pray that this team can win at least once before heading into the long days of the NBA off-season.

by noballer07

G-F Morris Peterson
6-7 220
Free agent guard-forward Morris Peterson has agreed to a four year, $23 million deal with the Hornets after spending seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors. “Morris feels blessed for this opportunity to play for Coach Byron Scott with a great style of play,'’ Peterson’s agent, Rob Pelinka said. “To play with one of the top point guards in the NBA in Chris Paul and to play for an organization in a city where so much has happened that’s just a part of Morris because he has family there.'’

My take
Very good signing by New Orleans. They finally hooked this guy in after he signed an offer sheet in 2004 before it was matched by the Raptors soon after. MoPete should come in and be our immediate starter at the shooting guard position, and will possibly chip in 12-14 PPG next year as well as solid three point shooting and backcourt defense. This signing also provides insurance in case Peja Stojakovic goes down to injury.

So Whats Next?
The Hornets are probably not done this offseason. Jannero Pargo, Desmond Mason, and Devin Brown have all expressed interest to continue with the team, and it looks as if the Hornets may keep 1 or 2 of these guys. They still need a true backup at the shooting guard position, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Haluska doesn’t make the squad, so keeping Devin Brown makes the most sense out of those three. The Hornets staff must make a decision; if they do decide to keep Brown, then they can reach into their summer league roster and sign a point guard like Milt Palacio or even Anthony Roberson.

By 808Hornetsfan

Only one player scored double-digits for the Hornets, allowing the Milwaukee Bucks to cruise to a 72-58 win on Thursday night. Lynn Greer scored 15 points for the Bucks, while teammate Damir Markota chipped in 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Not only did the Bucks out-score the Hornets by a 14-point margin, but they shot 46.4% from the field as a team compared to the Hornet’s lowly 29.9%.

Anthony Roberson was able to lead the Hornets with 16 points, but he was basically the only player on the Hornets roster that came to play. Not one other person was able to score more the nine points, leading the coaches to believe that these youngsters may not be prepared to play against much tougher competition in the NBA regular season. Roberson has been, by far, the most productive player for the Hornets thus far in the league. Roberson has averaged 19 ppg in the two games he’s played in.

Second-year big man Hilton Armstrong was dominated in the paint today, only grabbing a mere three rebounds, all of which were on defense. His fellow 2006 first-rounder Cedric Simmons sat out another game and may not return in time to play in the Hornet’s last two games.

Other high-scorers for the Bucks included G Ramon Sessions who chipped in with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists while coming off the bench. C Noel Felix scored eight points and three rebounds and did a tremendous job at preventing the Hornets from getting rebounds. Felix is averaging 12.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg in the Summer League, he’s also shooting 59% from the field.

Tomorrow night the Hornets will take on the Phoenix Suns before playing their final Summer League game on Sunday against the Houston Rockets. After watching three very disappointing games, I’m beginning to wonder if any of our young stars will get a grip on things and start working together as a team. First-round pick Julian Wright is only averaging 7.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg in three starts, while second-round pick Adam Haluska is averaging 4.7 ppg off the bench. If both of these guys want some playing time this season, they better show coach Scott that they’ve earned it… They’re really in a deep hole right now.

By 808HornetsFan
Rookie F Corey Brewer drove to the basket with 12.3 seconds remaining in OT and made the game-clinching layup as the Timberwolves beat the Hornets 85-83 on Monday night. Brewer finished the game with 16 points and eight rebounds, but it was teammate Craig Smith who shot 7-for-10 from the field and scored a game-high 25 points to go along with seven rebounds.

The Hornets team fell to 0-2 thus far in Summer League play, but first-round pick Julian Wright kept New Orleans in the game. Wright hit a three-pointer with 3.8 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to send the game into an extra period. Although he only managed to score 13 points and 11 rebounds, Wright is now confident that he can be a game-changer if given the opportunity.

G Anthony Roberson and F/C Hilton Armstrong did not play in the game. Roberson scored 22 points in Saturday’s loss against the Warriors, while Armstrong chipped in 17 points and five rebounds.

The Hornet’s bench players were able to put up numbers as well. The unit was led by F Anthony Richardson who scored 17 points while grabbing five boards. Veteran F Jackson Vroman, who played for the Hornets from 2005-2006, scored nine points and five rebounds.

Minnesota took a 62-53 lead heading into the final period, but the Hornets dominated by outscoring the Timberwolves 26-18 and pushing the game into OT.

The Hornets will take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, followed by a tough game against the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Although two teams have yet to play a game, the Hornets are tied with Portland and Seattle for the worst record in the tournament so far.

by 808Hornetsfan

Warriors rookie F Marco Belinelli was almost unstoppable, scoring 37 points while leading his team to a 110-102 victory over the Hornets in today’s exhibition game. Belinelli also grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists, completing a perfect debut for the young rookie from Italy. G Kelenna Azubuike scored 29 points and six rebounds for the Warriors, while fellow G Pierre Pierce had 21 points.

The young Hornets squad struggled to contain the Warrior’s fast-paced offense, and were unable to match them offensively as well. G Anthony Roberson led the Hornets with 22 points, while C Hilton Armstrong scored 17 points and grabbed five boards. The Hornets were without Cedric Simmons, who was unable to play with an ankle injury. There is no word yet on when the second-year forward will be able suit up.

The Hornets went into halftime with a 55-54 lead, but the Warriors fought back in the third quarter and tied the game 82-82 heading into the final quarter. Golden State dominated the final 12 minutes and outscored New Orleans by eight points. The Warrior’s three-point shooting made a big difference down the line, the team shot 11-for-20 from the perimeter.

First-round pick Julian Wright had a disappointing night, only chipping in 10 points for New Orleans. Second-round pick Adam Haluska was able to score six points in 14 minutes of playing time. Both rookies will have to step it up in Monday’s game vs. Minnesota.

Aside from the scoring, the Hornets were also out-rebounded 41-26 in the game. On top of that, the Hornets were only able to grab six offensive rebounds compared to the Warrior’s 18. If these youngsters want to earn a roster spot, they have to be more fundamentally sound in the next four games.

By 808HornetsFan

A lot of fans are still not sold on the Hornets 13th overall selection Julian Wright(including noballer07), but Wright is ready to prove he was worth the pick as he joins 12 others on the Hornets Summer League roster. Second-round pick Adam Haluska will also be watched closely by fans and coaches alike. However, the main concern for the team will be developing these young prodigies into exceptional performers both on and off the court.

Last summer, many saw rookie Hilton Armstrong dominate the competition in each of the Hornet’s contests, but he was unable to do so in the regular season and could not earn enough minutes to produce. Armstrong will return along with the other first-round pick from the 2006 NBA Draft, Cedric Simmons. Both Armstrong and Simmons will be playing at their best in order to climb the depth chart and receive more playing time on the floor.

The Hornets named assistant Kenny Gattison the squad’s head coach for the tournament, if anyone know what it’s like to compete for a roster spot on a team, it’s definitely Gattison. Drafted in the third round by the Phoenix Suns in 1986, Gattison had to battle for playing time with his respective team. After just two seasons in Phoenix, Gattison was released and was unable to find work elsewhere. He later signed with the Charlotte Hornets and played six seasons for the team, there is no doubt that those were the best years of his short NBA career.

With coach Gattison’s leadership, some of these youngsters can really improve their game, but very rarely does a player achieve success by outperforming his teammates in Summer League games. Let’s just hope that whoever does dominate for team can play just as well against much tougher NBA veterans.

Others on the Summer League roster includes F Jerald Fields, G Justin Gray, G Chris Hill, C Yemi Nicholson, F Milt Palacio, F Anthony Richardson, G Anthony Robertson, F Marcus Vinicius and G Ezra Williams. Gray is a personal favorite of mine, and a favorite of Chris Paul as well.

CP3 started alongside Gray for two seasons at Wake Forest, and they both endured much success during that span. Although Gray is considered a PG, he was able to play a fair amount of minutes at SG while at Wake Forest. If Gray can develop into a solid combo guard that can play a decent amount of minutes, we could see the Hornets sign him to a small contract and allow him to compete for a roster spot during training camp.

The numbers don’t lie… Gray averaged 18.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 4.3 apg during his senior season in college, and like I said before, he knows how to handle things at both PG and SG. Whether or not he’s been able to stay in shape and continue to develop is the question.

If you have NBA TV, or a high-speed computer to watch the live webcasts available on NBA.com, I suggest you tune in to the Hornets five games this July… Why? Well, if you’re anything like me you’ll want to enjoy any basketball you can find during the summer, because we all know it’s going to be a while before the ‘07-08 season tips off.

Full Roster

Pos.     Name                 HT     WT         EXP

G        Justin Gray         6-3    194lbs     N/A
G        Adam Haluska     6-5    210lbs      R
G        Chris Hill            6-3    190lbs     N/A
G        Anthony Roberson 6-2  180lbs       2
G        Ezra Williams      6-4    190lbs     N/A
F         Jerald Wallace     6-7    260lbs     N/A
F         Milt Palacio         6-4    210lbs       7
F         Anthony Richardson 6-9 210lbs    N/A
F         Cedric Simmons  6-10  235lbs       1
F         Marcus Vinicius   6-8    225lbs       1
F         Julian Wright      6-8    225lbs       R
F/C     Hilton Armstrong 6-11  235lbs       1
C         Yemi Nicholson   6-11  258lbs      N/A

Hornets Summer League Schedule 

Sat. 7/7    GS    4:00pm ET
Mon. 7/9   MIN   8:30pm ET
Thu. 7/12  MIL   8:30pm ET
Fri. 7/13    PHX  4:00pm ET
Sun. 7/15  HOU  8:30pm ET

* All games will be available on NBA.com as part of their exclusive webcast coverage.

On June 28, the Hornets were bold and selected 6-9 forward Julian Wright out of Kansas with the 13th pick, and selected 6-5 Iowa guard Adam Haluska with number 43 in the second round. On Wright, coach Byron Scott commented that he is “a poor man’s Magic Johnson.” Here is my analysis of the Hornets’ two selections in the draft.

Round 1 Pick 13: F Julian Wright 6-9 211
Possible Positions: SF, PF
Grade: C+
Analysis

To be honest, I was quite disappointed when the Hornets passed up on Nick Young for this guy. They went into the draft needing a shooting guard and Nick was the purest one in the draft. This guy would have fixed all of our perimeter scoring woes. But, since Julian Wright fell to us, Scott and Bower were compelled to take him. Sure, Wright was one of the best athletes in the draft, but he won’t put up the points we need on the perimeter next season and his development will probably take a year or so to give him a complete game. Don’t look for this guy to play the 2 for us anytime soon, but for now he’ll probably take on the high-flyer/perimeter defender role that Desmond Mason has had for the past two seasons. Now, the question remains: will he end up being a full-time small forward or will his poor jumper keep him relegated to the four position?

Round 2 Pick 43: SG Adam Haluska 6-5 210
Possible Positions: SG
Grade: D
Analysis

I was extremely disappointed with this pick considering they had the chance to trade up to take Vandy guard/forward Derrick Byars, a guy that absolutely should have gone in the first round, but they decided not to. Instead, they were left few options after Byars was selected at 42, and I guess Haluska seemed like the best choice to help create depth at the 2. This guy was predicted by many to go undrafted. He’s a good shooter and works hard off the ball, but does nothing else and is too slow to guard opposing players in the NBA. I truly hope this guy doesn’t fall into Scott’s doghouse, but it might happen; we’ve seen it before in Arvydas Macijauskas and his refusal to spend more time improving his defense. They could have taken Reyshawn Terry and molded him into a solid forward/guard mix, but they’re stuck with Haluska as their primary backup unless they pick up a formidable shooting guard in free agency.