New Orleans Hornets Week 7 Review

Alright, alright, alright people here it comes...

I was wrong... But I was right in my wrongness.

Before the season started I stated that Mike James would have to be a productive player and have to be the backup shooting guard for the Hornets as a result of his contract and the team's lack of depth behind Chris Paul at the position. I stated that the loss of Jannero Pargo was going to cripple the Hornets coming into the season (and said it before everyone else has now noticed it) but stated that James could put up Pargo numbers with Pargo's minutes. That's probably true for James over in Washington but he's not going to put those numbers up in New Orleans. Wednesday's trade for Antonio Daniels and a conditional 2nd round draft pick left Mike James in Washington and give the Hornets the backup point guard they need to be taken with a bit of legitimacy. Devin Brown has been serviceable at the backup point guard position but it's clear he's playing out of position at that spot. Now that he's going to move back to his more natural 2 position, it looks as if he's played his way into the rotation: sending Morris Peterson and Julian Wright further down the bench.

Rasual Butler, an afterthought entering the season for most Hornets fans, has taken the starting job through Peterson's injury and has done the most with it this season, playing his way out of Byron Scott's doghouse and giving the Hornets an additional three point threat in the starting lineup. Wednesday's game against the Bobcats was a breeze for the Hornets. The only criticism that should be given to the team for that game would be on those awful New Orleans Buccaneers throwback jerseys. Please no more of those. But seeing as how the Hornets have lost to the Bobcats this season, it was nice to see them stare the opposition in the eye, know they were better than them and soundly show that they were better.

Friday night's game at Boston was encouraging despite the 94-82 loss. Moral losses aren't much for a team hoping to win a championship this season, but playing that way without Tyson Chandler proved that the team has a lot of heart and a lot of grit. But when you play a team as sound defensively as the Celtics are and you watch players consistently kill you on the offensive boards, you know that Chandler is missed. But let's be honest: Chandler's been missed all season. This new injury (a stiff neck) can join his ankle injury and back stiffness this season and continues to trouble the Hornets starting center. Something has not seemed right and you can only hope it's not serious and that he can still come back and be the player he was last season for the Hornets. Hilton Armstrong has stepped in strongly in his absence but his knack for picking up fouls has left Sean Marks playing double digit minutes the past few games. Nothing against Marks, I'd just rather him be a guy like Ryan Bowen, who comes in in garbage time and is a fun locker room presence. I don't like him taking Melvin Ely's minutes because Ely is more of an inside scorer, which is what you'd ideally want on the Hornets since players like David West tend to stay around the perimeter too much. But Ely has to earn his minutes and apparently Marks has earned them.

Speaking of David West, he saved himself from a lashing from yours truly with a strong performance today at Toronto. His shooting percentage this year is solid right around 50 percent but what was a great tool for him last season has turned into something he depends on this year. He's a great mid range jump shooter but you'd like to see him take it down to the low block a little bit more and use his agility and size to his advantage. The way he played against Chris Bosh today was very admirable and furthers the notion that the Hornets can win with him as the number two scorer.

James Posey has been great this week as well and especially today at Toronto, knocking down six three pointers in the win over the Raptors. He still has yet to get into a groove (in my eyes) but I think with time he'll be able to easily gain confidence in the rotation and be able to effortlessly contribute on a nightly, routine basis.

The Hornets continue their little road swing at Memphis on Tuesday before coming home to face the red hot Spurs on national television Wednesday night before hoping to exact revenge on the Kings Saturday night in New Orleans. Wednesday night's game will be huge for the Hornets as they don't want to develop habits of coming up short against the better teams (such as Friday's game at Boston). But they can't overlook a solid and streaking Grizzlies team on Tuesday. But the way they've been playing lately, Byron Scott seems to have this team's attention. And as we've seen in a league where five coaches have been fired already this season, having the attention of your team is a fantastic thing. Until next week.

Written By GoHornets21
CBS Spoortsline community member

New Orleans Hornets Land Antonio Daniels In Trade

It's a dream scenario here in Hornets land as they basically give up Mike James for Antonio Daniels in a three way deal. Also involved in the deal are Javaris Crittenton joining Mike James in Washington with the Wizards, and the Grizzlies are receiving a first round draft pick that they originally gave to the Wizards in the Juan Carlos Navarro deal back in 2007. The Hornets also land a conditional 2nd round draft pick from the Grizzlies.

This is a fantastic move for the Hornets. Antonio Daniels will be a solid backup to Chris Paul and while he's never been potent on offense, his defense and championship experience off of the bench will be a perfect balance for the offensive prowress that Chris Paul provides. Along with James Posey, Devin Brown, Melvin Ely and Sean Marks he joins a bench that now boasts four players with championship rings (although Daniels and Posey are the only ones to play prominent roles in those championship runs while Brown was a nice contributor to the Spurs' 2005 run). Antonio Daniels is going to be a great addition and unloading Mike James also does wonders for the team's salary cap: Daniels' contract should go up in the next year or two.

All in all, an under the radar tinker with the roster but altogether a great addition by the Hornets.

Written By GoHornets21
CBS Spoortsline community member

New Orleans Hornets Week 6 Review

Another solid week here in Hornets land as the Big Easy Bugs took a short week and made the most out of both of their favorable games. It's always nice to be able to relax and look back at a couple of games and see nothing but positive come from them. In many cases, people would look at an easy week and blow it off as fool's gold but in the Hornets' case, it's a blessing in disguise as the team was in dire need of regaining their identity and getting a continuity with one another that's seemed lost this season. So in many cases, two home games against a Phoenix team without Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal followed by a home game against the Grizzlies could be overlooked, but coach Byron Scott did the right thing and kept this team motivated and is starting to get them into a nice little groove once again.

One performance this week that was remniscent of last season was that of Peja Stojakovic. After speaking of his importance last week, he put in two very good games this week. Stojakovic averaged 22 points and shot 63 percent from three point land (10 for 16) this week and looked every bit as good as he did last season. Chris Paul tallied his 14th double double of the season already (in only 17 games) and gets closer to Alvin Robertson's consecutive games with a steal streak.

Tyson Chandler looked good against the Suns and honestly he always does. He put up 14 points and 9 rebounds against Phoenix on Wednesday night in what's looked like his best outing all season. He looked fresh and played with intensity on both sides of the ball. But then again, maybe that's just against Phoenix (in 3 games against the Suns last season Chandler averaged 15 points and 14.7 rebounds) because he put up a lackluster performance against an extremely small Memphis team.

Not much to speak of from the bench this week and all in all, it was a quiet, yet encouraging, week from the Hornets. Next week brings a home game against the Bobcats, a game that the Hornets should look at as a revenge game for their earlier loss at Charlotte this season and then they travel to Boston for a nationally televised game with the defending champions Friday night. They then finish the week at Toronto on Sunday and all in all, it looks like a tough week ahead for the Hornets but for another week, I'm able to rest easy as far as the Hornets are concerned

Written By GoHornets21
CBS Spoortsline community member

New Orleans Hornets Week 5 Review

The economy is bad. I can't afford Christmas presents for my friends and therefore I'm assured they can't afford presents for me. I have to take a defensive driving class on Saturday to nullify a "rolling stop sign" ticket I received nearly two months ago. I've had turkey for dinner for three straight nights and my last three Hornets weekley reviews have been negative. I have a college algebra test this week and finals all next week, but today is good. Today is a day for positive thoughts in Big Easy Bugs land. Two wins over the lowly Thunder (see last week's review) and a win over the equally lowly Clippers helped get the Hornets back on track with a four game winning streak and although the Hornets still look a tad discombobulated out there, things are at least feeling good again in New Orleans.

The first game of the week, played on Monday night in Los Angeles, proved to be a solid victory against the Clippers. Eric Gordon is the last in a string of swingmen who continue to dominate against the Clippers (see J.R. Smith and Brandon Roy as well) but the Hornets were able to use their talent advantage to, well their advantage, and overcome a game Clippers team. The Thanksgiving night game at Denver, though, was the best game that the Hornets have played since their game at home against the Cavaliers three games into the season. James Posey and Rasual Butler were huge in the game, providing the Hornets with two strong performances and hope for the bench for the future when Morris Peterson eventually returns to the lineup (he missed all three games this week as well). All of the good will that was gained in the surprising game against the Nuggets (despite efforts from scorned former promising Hornet J.R. Smith) it was lost just as quickly in their game at Portland the very next night. Back to backs are tough, but traveling to two different time zones in two nights is even more difficult and the Hornets looked sluggish all game. They did a good job controlling the paint (which is surprising as the frontcourt is supposed to be the weakness of this team) but frontcourts are killing the Hornets currently. That's something that needs to be addressed and I'm sure Byron Scott will get around to it.

Peja Stojakovic has come to life the past few games for the Hornets, serving as their leading scorer against the Trail Blazers, shooting 47 percent from three point land this week. I think a majoritiy of people undervalue the importance of Peja to this team. When he's making shots and when he's spreading the defense the team flourishes and David West is allowed operate down low and Chris Paul is allowed to operate from all angles around the floor. Speaking of Chris Paul and David West, they both had quiet games against Portland and West, especially, has looked sluggish the past two games, shooting 35 percent from the field at Denver and Portland after having great games against the Thunder and Clippers. Paul, meanwhile, struggled against Portland but followed up two straight triple doubles with an amazing fourth quarter performance at Denver and has had a steal, now, in 99 consecutive games-bringing him within six games of the NBA record set by Alvin Robertson. Here's to a Hornet setting any kind of milestone.

Speaking of struggling, Tyson Chandler still continues to pile up lackluster performances at center. Hilton Armstrong continuously improves by the game and he is on par with Tyson Chandler as far as averages per 48 minutes (Armstrong is averaging 14.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per 48 minutes while Chandler is averaging 12.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in the same categories). Congratulations to Chandler for welcoming his son into the world on Thanksgiving day, but he needs to improve if the Hornets are to have any legit shot at a championship this season. Also on the topic of big men, I'm surprised to see Sean Marks get more minutes than Melvin Ely this season. I understand that Sean Marks has a better long range shot but I'm not too sure if long range accuracy is a necessity for the Hornets at the moment. Melvin Ely has a good low post game and I'd like to see him get more minutes than Sean Marks but he's been in and out of Byron Scott's rotation so far this season.

The Hornets have two home games this week, against Phoenix on Wednesday and Memphis on Saturday. Tyson Chandler and David West should both look to have bigger weeks against the competition and hopefully the Hornets won't let the confidence from their four game winning streak be lost with underwhelming performances this week. Hopefully Morris Peterson, who had a huge game at Phoenix in the second game of the season, will return this week and it will only strengthen the Hornets bench with Rasual Butler adding firepower to an impressive set of frontcourt players off the bench for the Hornets.

Until next week, people...

Written By GoHornets21

CBS Spoortsline community member

New Orleans Hornets Week 4 Review

"I told our guys, they are full of themselves if they step on the court and think teams are scared of them." ~ Coach Byron Scott

Two victories over the last place Thunder couldn't mask the obvious. Hornets coach Byron Scott put the entire team on notice: you've gotten soft. My week 2 worries have been brought to fruition following the Hornets Wednesday night loss to the Kings. A home loss to a Sacramento team minus Kevin Martin is inexcusable for a team whose ultimate goal is to become an NBA champion. In addition to the earlier loss in the season at Charlotte and Byron Scott said it best: these teams don't fear the Hornets. Nor should they. The Hornets don't play with that "us against the world" mentality that they had last season. Last season they were wild and aggressive and played an inspiring brand of ball. This season they're trying to copy that, and it looks forced. This team still lacks its identity but Chris Paul and David West have to continue to keep this team afloat until everyone else remembers that the Hornets are supposed to be a great team.

What's wrong with Tyson Chandler? This week Chandler averaged 6.7 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Normally those are solid numbers but Tyson Chandler is above that average style of play. Those are his Chicago Bulls numbers. I don't know if his ankle is still bothering him or if he's just trying to do too much after lifted expectations this season, but he needs to get back to playing strong defense, running the floor and blocking shots. Hilton Armstrong stole a majority of Chandler's minutes in the teams two victories over Oklahoma City and played strong: taking all of his shots around the basket and showing an aggressive drive for the ball near the hoop. That's very encouraging for a team that's playing Julian Wright at the 4 a lot the past couple of weeks. But I'm not sure if Wright will continue to play the 4 since Melvin Ely returned at Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Speaking of injuries: it's tough to watch Devin Brown go down Saturday night against the Thunder. He's taken over as the second scoring option off of the bench (after James Posey) and played a majority of his minutes at the point guard position. It's necessary for him to play or else Mike James will get a lot of minutes, and I'm sure Byron Scott is not playing him for a reason. Further on the injury report, Morris Peterson was a late scratch for the Wednesday night game against the Kings but missed both of the Oklahoma City games as well. Rasual Butler has stepped in admirably for the Hornets and has now started four games this season but the team misses Peterson's defense: most notably when John Salmons went off for 29 points Wednesday night. They can't get by without him but he does help the team more than what pepole notice.

The Hornets return to Oklahoma City Friday night was a lot of fun to watch. I miss the days when the Hornets played in OKC and anyone who has been on the boards long enough knows that I actually wanted the Hornets to stay in Oklahoma City. The return to New Orleans has been nice, but the fans will turn on the team when they start losing again. Oklahoma City fans cheered rabidly for the team in two losing seasons. Even though the Thunder didn't add any excitement during the game (Friday night's blowout was embarassing) the fans warm reception to the Hornets players and to Byron Scott was nice to see. I wish those fans nothing but the best, even though their team doesn't leave much hope.

For the past three weeks the Hornets have played Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night games. They've played 9 games in 21 days and they will again play only three games this week. They hit the road for games at the Clippers, at Denver and at Portland. It's essential that the Hornets win at least two of these games for their own confidence, but they still posses the talent to steal all three.

Written By GoHornets21
CBS Spoortsline community member

New Orleans Hornets Week 3 Review

This week leaves us very malcontent in Hornets nation. Entering this week the Hornets were coming off a very dissapointing second week, in which they lost at home to the Hawks and at Charlotte before finding a way to overtake the Heat in New Orleans. But this week brought more of the same for the big easy bugs. As of today, they've now lost four out of their last six, and it looks as if this team is struggling to regain the identity that it possessed for so much of last season. The swagger and confidence that was there in April and May is gone, and this is a team playing off of expectations and habit. A 5-4 record is nothing to scoff at, especially since everyone in the NBA has had an up and down week and they remain only a half game behind Houston in the southwest division, but this is a team that needs to regain its confidence. Its bench, all too often a hindrance to the Hornets has continued to be inconsistent and unpredictable. James Posey has been every bit what the Hornets signed him up to be and the price tag, at the moment, doesn't seem as high as it did when they offered it to him, but after him there's no guarantees. Moments like this the Hornets miss the big game production and swagger that Jannero Pargo brought to the team. Mike James can put up Pargo numbers (he put up 10 points against the Heat last week) but doesn't have that presence or command the attention that Pargo did and hasn't yet produced like Pargo did. Overall this team needs to develop options and currently there aren't any that you can rely on past Chris Paul and David West.


Coming into this week was the highly anticipated matchup with the Lakers on Wednesday night. The Lakers proceeded to continue to be the Lakers and took a 21 point lead into halftime before the Hornets came back and cut it down to 3 points with a minute and a half left. That shot that Kobe Bryant hit over James Posey was a thing of beauty and completely unguardable. But this was a problem that the Hornets had last season; first half performances. The Hornets ended the season and played in the playoffs very lackadaisacally in the first half and the same problem has followed the team to this season. The Hornets need to get up for games like this (especially with three days off in between them and with the Lakers being on the second night of a back to back) and with their chance to get a little confidence they played flat against the best team in the league.



Then came the game against Portland on Friday night in New Orleans. The Trail Blazers came into the game on a winning streak and the Hornets, though ugly, pulled out a victory over the Blazers to get back on the board. But that ugly win was followed by an ugly loss at Houston on Saturday night. The Rockes bottled Chris Paul and a weak 18 points by David West was all that kept the Hornets to a respectable 9 point loss.



I don't want to come across as harsh on my team but they had an awful week (even though they did win against Portland). Their performances in these three games leave a lot to be desired and don't exactly inspire us onlookers. Tyson Chandler may still be bothered by that ankle as he has yet to kick it into stride this season and Peja Stojakovic has been wildly inconsistent with his shot. He's not automatic as he was last season (37.4% from the field) and he has yet to find his groove. This all could be attributed to still being in early season mode, rust and continuity lacking on the team but it's not encouraging when you're playing this way against teams that are playing well as a team themselves.



Rasual Butler (a favorite of the first two reviews) had a quiet week but still remains in the regular rotation. With Mike James missing the games against Portland and Houston and with Melvin Ely missing every game since the Phoenix game, the Hornets have played Hilton Armstrong and Devin Brown heavy minutes this week. Devin Brown responded (7 points 2.6 rebounds this week) but Armstrong continues to just be another body out there. He needs to show aggression if he wants to keep his job, because Antonio McDyess is available (though I'm not sure if the Hornets could afford him) and there's a chance they could go after P.J. Brown at midseason. His seat is hot and I'm not seeing the immediacy I need to see out of him. Coming up next Wednesday is a game against Sacramento who fields an impressive list of big men. Armstrong will need to be productive and will need to have some sort of presence if the Hornets are to feel safe with him in the lineup.



Coming up next week is a meeting in New Orleans against the Kings, a return to Oklahoma City that I'm much looking forward to and a rematch against the Thunder the next night in New Orleans. So The Hornets have an opportunity for three impressive victories this week and time will tell if they get back to that team you knew would win last season. Until then, we'll have to think of last season to have good memories of the Hornets.

Written By GoHornets21

CBS Spoortsline community member

New Orleans Hornets Week 2 Review

It's been a tale of two weeks so far in the young season for the New Orleans Hornets. After a surprising start with victories over the Suns, Warriors and Cavaliers last week, the Hornets opened up this week with a surprising loss to an equally surprising Atlanta Hawks team, and then an extremely dissapointing loss at their old stomping grounds in Charlotte. Losing to the Bobcats is inexcusable but the loss was eased by a game the very next night, a home victory over the Miami Heat.

After the initial high of the season wore off, the Hornets fell back down to earth on Wednesday night when an Atlanta Hawks team walked into New Orleans and beat the Hornets down. The Hawks were more physical, hungrier and more determined than the Hornets on that night, even with the returns of Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic to the lineup. The best part out of the game was the said returns of the two injured starters.

The main negative of this week is not the two losses, but how the Hornets lost those games. Chris Paul has been absolutely amazing this season, picking up exactly where he left off last year and has put up 20 points and 10 assists in all six games this season. His contributions and performance just cannot be categorized into words and I believe there's not a player in the NBA playing at his current level. But the problem with the Hornets is, they've looked soft through six games. They've become a jump shooting team and were able to get out muscled by teams without big strong presences in Charlotte and Atlanta (and no offense to Emeka Okafor and Al Horford, they're good players just not strong inside presences). Byron Scott has a lot to address in the physicality of this team. The Hornets don't want to fall back into finesse mode where all you have to do is bump them around and take them out of their games, and David West will shoot jumper after jumper with Peja Stojakovic firing up three point bricks. The Hornets need to address a lack of frontcourt scoring and that includes utilizing David West's frame more down in the low block and continuing to feed Tyson Chandler and Hilton Armstrong shot after shot.

The Hornets have no injuries to report this week minus the dental work of Melvin Ely that kept him from the games against the Bobcats and Heat and the bench continues to be servicable this season with surprising contributions from Mike James and Hilton Armstrong this week. Mike James has fought off Devin Brown from taking his point guard spot six games into the season and the Hornets look comfortable with Mike James being this year's lesser version of Jannero Pargo.

Rasual Butler Watch: Rasual Butler continues to be a contributing member of the Hornets bench. He's used Julian Wright's early ankle injury to his advantage and has shot 47 percent from the three point line through the first six games. In the Saturday night victory against the Heat, though, Julian Wright logged 10 minutes and Butler has to feel the pressure to continue to perform at a servicable level. All it takes is a stretch of cold games for Butler to lose his job to Wright. I hope he continues to surprise me.

The Hornets will take the next few days off before Wednesday's huge game against the Lakers. They then finish the week Friday against the Trail Blazers at home before playing their only road game next week a few hours away Saturday night in Houston against the Rockets. The Hornets have a strenuous week ahead and their toughness has to be adressed. All things considered, though, it's still been a solid start for the Big Easy Bugs.


Top Ten Teams Through November 9th, 2008
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Utah Jazz
3. Boston Celtics
4. Atlanta Hawks
5. Phoenix Suns
6. Houston Rockets
7. Detroit Pistons
8. New Orleans Hornets
9. Cleveland Cavaliers
10. Orlando Magic

Written By GoHornets21
CBS Spoortsline community member

New Orleans Hornets Week 1 Review

The very first week was a successful one for the New Orleans Hornets as (including the postseason) they have yet to lose a game this season. A 3-0 start is impressive with wins at Phoenix and Golden State and with a home victory over Cleveland (three talented teams), especially considering that Tyson Chandler has not been healthy for any of the games. Hilton Armstrong played admirable at home against the Cavaliers and he's a player you cheer for, as he's talented enough to be an impact player but his mental approach to the game needs lots of work. There were many instances against the Suns where he would make a solid play, such as a block and would then try and grab the ball to pass it and would just slap it out of bounds by accident. He commits stupid fouls and has bad footwork but the players and coaches stand by him so I hope he plays with the intensity he did against Cleveland, and the team will be fine.

Peja Stojakovic picked up where he left off last season and you can only hope that his and Chandler's injuries aren't really serious. The Hornets health last season was the key factor in why that team won 56 games and the southwest division. You don't want to see problems with injuries in the beginning of the season, even if the injuries are really freak problems. Freak problems can accumulate and become a huge problem for the team. Speaking of injuries, it was nice to see Julian Wright get some minutes against the Cavaliers as he has tried all year (including the preseason) to recover from a sprained ankle sustained in training camp.

James Posey seems to be all that was advertised (his defense against LeBron James in the 4th quarter was inspirational and looked infections to the entire squad). He has been a fantastic addition so far. His and Rasual Butler's big shots in the 4th quarter against Phoenix saved what should have been a big collapse. I'm surprised to see Butler get the minutes he has the first three games and am even more surprised at what he's doing with them. If the Hornets get anything out of him this season that should allow Devin Brown (instead of Mike James) to play point guard and should give the Hornets even more depth (as I expected nothing out of Butler this season).

Chris Paul has picked up where he left off and has not lost a step so far, but endurance will be big this season. His tour in Beijing may affect his play in February, March (especially since we saw him tail off in April last season until his game picked up in the playoffs). David West has been solid and the jerseys are slowly growing on me. Overall, a very good 3-0 start for the Hornets.



Top Ten Teams Through November 2nd, 2008
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. New Orleans Hornets
3. Houston Rockets
4. Utah Jazz
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Boston Celtics
7. Toronto Raptors
8. Phoenix Suns
9. Atlanta Hawks
10. Chicago Bulls

Written By GoHornets21

CBS Spoortsline community member

Outlook for the 2008-2009 New Orleans Hornets

After another dominating performance in the ever so pointless preseason I find myself eagerly anticipating the regular season for the New Orleans Hornets. It's been a tumultuous time cheering for this team and for the first time since the Alonzo Mourning years the Hornets enter a season with serious championship aspirations. Granted, they won't sneak up on anybody this season, but this team looks talented enough to make a serious run at a championship. The Hornets game 7 fall to the San Antonio Spurs in last year's western confrence semifinals left a bad taste in many people's mouths, but hopefully the taste of defeat will only make this team hungrier for success. The addition of James Posey brings the championship experience that the team did not previously have and also gives the Hornets a clutch three point option whenever Peja Stojakovic may falter in the postseason. There's not much left to be said about Chris Paul and David West as they are already all stars, and this is as prime a year as any for Tyson Chandler to achieve that same accolade. But here is the outlook and current roster for the New Orleans Hornets.



PG: #3 Chris Paul

(2007/2008 Stats in 80 games: 21.1 PPG, 11.6 APG, 4.0 RPG, 2.7 SPG while shooting 85.1 FT Pctg., 36.9 3PT FG Pctg., 48.8 FG Pctg.) Last year's runner up for the MVP award comes into this season as an early favorite to win that same award. Last year was a surprise for some but it wasn't necessarily a coming out party for Chris Paul. He has now put out three years of consistent, spectacular point guard play and last year developed a three point shot to compliment his speed and driving abilities. He continued the same play in the postseason by winning battles with future hall of famer Jason Kidd and former Finals MVP Tony Parker. He enters this season as a star and with the eyes of the NBA watching him.

#5 Mike James:

(2007/2008 Stats in 21 games with the Hornets: 2.7 PPG shooting 100 FT Pctg., 30.4 3PT FG Pctg., 34.4 FG Pctg.) It seems eons ago that Mike James averaged 20 points a game with the Toronto Raptors and received a contract for that season from the Minnesota Timberwolves. After being shipped from Minnesota to Houston, Mike James found a place he hadn't yet suited up for and was traded (along with G/F Bonzi Wells) to New Orleans at the trade deadline in a deal involving guard Bobby Jackson. Mike James did very little after arriving to New Orleans after sitting behind both Chris Paul and Jannero Pargo on the depth chart. After Pargo's departure for the money in Russia, Mike James will be thrust into the backup point guard position and will be counted on to provide good shooting, championship experience, and steady play when Chris Paul needs a breather. If possible, it'd be great if he could find his jump shot and even though he likely will put up similar numbers to that of Jannero Pargo's, it's doubtful he will play the same role that Pargo played and he will not be able to fill Jannero Pargo's shoes. Thankfully, the Hornets don't need him to.

SG: #9 Morris Peterson

(2007/2008 stats in 76 games: 8.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG while shooting 76.5 FT Pctg., 39.4 3PT FG Pctg., 41.7 FG Pctg.) After being a highly regarded pick up last offseason for the Hornets, Morris Peterson inexplicably turned in the worst season of his professional career. In the 2004 offseason, the Hornets signed Peterson to an offer sheet that was matched by the Toronto Raptors but three years later the Hornets finally acquired Morris Peterson via free agency but the output didn't match the desire that was shown to acquire him. Peterson was extremely solid from the three point line and he was still asked to guard the opposing team's best wing player, but Peterson rarely finished games (with Jannero Pargo finishing games at shooting guard) and would go periods of play where you would barely notice he was still on the team. He should retain the starting shooting guard position but will most likely continue to finish games on the bench, as it's likely that Peja will finish games at the 2 spot with James Posey coming into the closer role.

#23 Devin Brown

(2007/2008 stats in 78 games with the Cavaliers: 7.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.2 APG while shooting 75.4 FT Pctg., 30.8 3PT FG Pctg., 40.9 FG Pctg.) Devin Brown returns to the Hornets organization after spending a majority of the 2006/2007 season with the (then) New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. After being brough in following a Chris Paul injury, Devin Brown played a majority of starts at the point guard position and may be asked to do some of the same this season if Mike James fatlers. He brings more championship experience from the 2005 season with the San Antonio Spurs and will be a valuable player off of the bench.

#45 Rasual Butler

(2007/2008 stats in 51 games: 4.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG while shooting 83.9 FT Pctg., 33.1 3PT FG Pctg., 35.0 FG Pctg.) After receiving a contract extension in the 2007 offseason, Rasual Butler delivered a horrible season, falling completely out of the rotation and not playing a game with the Hornets after March. The three point shooting specialist has fallen into Byron Scott's doghouse and if not for his contract probably would not make the final roster. He's deadly when on, though, and if he plays his way out of the doghouse could be good as an occasinal breather for either Peterson or Brown. Butler could also play some small forward but the team is solid there.

SF: #16 Peja Stojakovic

(2007/2008 stats in 77 games: 16.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.2 APG while shooting 92.9 FT Pctg., 44.1 3PT FG Pctg., 44.0 FG Pctg.) Peja Stojakovic was a hearalded free agent pickup back in the 2006 offseason, hoping to give the Hornets a spectacular three point shooter who could close games in clutch situations and bring experience to one of the youngest teams in the NBA. He gave them 13 games. After recovering from those back pains Stojakovic turned in an extremely solid season last year, even still if not living up to the contract he was given. He posted career highs in three point shooting accuracy and played in 77 games last season. He dissapeared, badly, in the final five games of the semifinals series with the San Antonio Spurs but the Hornets biggest free agent acquisition since Stojakovic was brought in to help with that.

#41 James Posey

(2007/2008 stats in 74 games with the Celtics: 7.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 SPG while shooting 80.9 FT Pctg., 38.0 3PT FG Pctg., 41.8 FG Pctg.)James Posey has won two NBA championships as a member of both the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics and played an intregal role in both championships. He is known as a defensive stopper with an uncanny ability to hit big shots and his leadership and skillset is invaluable to a team looking to bring on board anything that he can offer to them. Posey's addition will steal minutes from the promising Julian Wright, but it was a move that was made to put the Hornets in position to win this season. Time will tell if he will be able to live up to the four years, 24 million dollar deal that the Hornets gave him, but it looks like a brilliant move thus far.

#32 Julian Wright

(2007/2008 Stats in 57 games: 3.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG while shooting 63.5 FT Pctg., 41.7 3PT FG Pctg., 53.3 FG Pctg.)After being a surprise addition in the draft last season, Julian Wright delivered an extremely strong second half of the season and played admirably in the playoffs, developing a three point shot that many critics said would keep him from becoming a good NBA player. His athleticism, speed, and leaping ability make him a perfect fit for the Hornets up tempo style, but Wright will see his development halted by the addition of James Posey, unless his shot has improved enough for him to receive time at the shooting guard position.

PF: #30 David West

(2007/2008 stats in 76 games: 20.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 BPG while shooting 85.0 FT Pctg., 48.2 FG Pctg.)David West continued his amazing improvement by turning in an all star season last year highlighted by a brilliant game five performance in the semifinals against the Spurs which West turned out an amazing statline of 38 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks in a crucial game. West slipped down to the Hornets in the stocked 2003 draft thanks to questions about which position he would be able to adjust tot. What people overlooked is the man's ability to just play the game. He has the potential to become the Hornets first 20/10 player since Alonzo Mourning (as far as points and rebounds are concerned) and looks to be a staple at the PF position for years to come.

#33 Melvin Ely

(2007/2008 stats in 52 games: 3.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG while shooting 55.2 FT Pctg., 47.2 FG Pctg.)Melvin Ely was brought in to give the Hornets a low post offensive option and a championship ring that he won with the 2007 San Antonio Spurs. He delivered what was expected and not much more. Melvin Ely mainly coasted last season before seeing important minutes against the Spurs in the confrence semifinals. He picked up his player option to stay this season with the Hornets, and he will be insurance in case Hilton Armstrong doesn't progress the way the Hornets believe that he will.

#40 Ryan Bowen

(2007/2008 stats in 53 games: 2.2 PPG, 1.9 RPG while shooting 55.2 FT Pctg., 49.0 FG Pctg.)Ryan Bowen's role is something that's overlooked on many teams, but which championship squad doesn't boast that "dirty work/do it all" hustle player off of the bench? Ryan Bowen probably doesn't have a talented bone in his body, but he's still been able to maintain a lengthy, solid career. This is due, entirely, to his work ethic, dedication and willingness to do whatever's necessary to benefit whichever team he's on. The Hornets resigned him instead of Chris Andersen for frontcourt depth mainly because of his locker room presence and his commitment to hustling. Every team needs this kind of positive influence in the locker room.

#4 Sean Marks

(2007/2008 stats in 19 games with the Suns: 3.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG while shooting 63.2 FT Pctg., 53.5 FG Pctg.)Sean Marks joins Devin Brown and Melvin Ely as Hornets who have won championship rings with the Spurs. He probably will not see much playing time but is a big man who can knock down a jump shot and provide minutes in garbage time. He's nothing more than a clubhouse guy and you can't expect more than 20 games from him. You'll see a lot of DNP-CD next to his name this season.

C: #6 Tyson Chandler

(2007/2008 stats in 79 games: 11.8 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 1.0 APG while shooting 59.3 FT Pctg., 62.3 FG Pctg.)The Chicago Bulls looked like idiots trading Elton Brand for the draft right to an 18 year old Tyson Chandler back in 2001. Aside from a solid 2004/2005 season Tyson Chandler's career and role never materalized in Chicago, and after five seasons the promising center was shipped to the Hornets for the troubled J.R. Smith and aging P.J. Brown. The deal could not have worked out better for the Hornets. Tyson Chandler has lived up to that high draft pick in his two seasons with the Hornets, progressing to the point where he is now one of the best centers in the league. He runs the floor extremely well for a 7 footer and as a result is the finishing option on the best alley oop tandem in the league along with Chris Paul. As a result of that alley oop, Chandler shot 62.3 percent from the field and averaged double figure points for the first time in his career. His blocks dipped a little bit, but he's still a rebounding machine and if he consistently stays out of foul trouble he'll be in prime position to make the 2009 NBA All Star game.

#12 Hilton Armstrong

(2007/2008 stats in 65 games: 2.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG while shooting 62.9 FT Pctg., 45.3 FG Pctg.)Hilton Armstrong hasn't yet become the player that the Hornets envisioned he would when they selected him 12th overall back in the 2006 NBA draft. His wingspan and amazing athletic abililty for someone of his size made him a coveted pick, and he and 15th overall selection Cedric Simmons were supposed to be fontcourt staples for the Hornets for years to come. The Hornets were so sold on Armstrong's game that they let a then overweight and underacheiving Brandon Bass leave for Dallas in free agency. But Cedric Simmons never worked out, now struggling to find playing time with Chicago, and Armstrong is facing the defining year of his career. The Hornets have high hopes for Armstrong and he is a favorite of the organization, this is proven by the fact that they brought in no front court help in case he doesn't pan out. They believe this is the year he will leave up to the potential he has shown and that he posseses. If he ever becomes confident or graceful out on the court, he could be the mini Tyson Chandler the team needs off the bench. If not, it could severely hurt the Hornets championship hopes and he most likely will not be employed by the team next season. This is it for Armstrong and I hope he pulls through.

Coach: Byron Scott

(career record with the Hornets: 151-177 with 7-5 playoff record)Byron Scott finally won a much deserved coach of the year award. He was probably slighted out of the award in the 2001/2002 season because he coached a team that had Jason Kidd on it. Last year, he was criticized for coaching a team with Chris Paul on it. But let's face facts: Jason Kidd has never made it past the confrence semifinals without Byron Scott. Byron Scott took perennial loser New Jersey and brought the Nets to two NBA Finals. He walked into an awful situation in the rebuilding 2004/2005 season with the Hornets (a season that saw Lee Nailon and Dan Dickau as leading scorers) before grabbing control of the team in 2005 and then leading them. He's always got this team to play hard, to play tough defense and to play an amazing organized style of basketball play. Chris Paul's success should be largely attributed to Byron Scott's coaching, as probably nobody is as adept at coaching a point guard than Byron Scott is. Just look at what he got out of Dan Dickau. He's one of the top five coaches in the league, and honestly in my unbiased opinion, I would only put Greg Popovich and Phil Jackson ahead of him.

Final Analysis: The Hornets enter this season on a high note and with high expectations. They are an extremely talented assortment of athleticism, three point shooting, team work, chemistry and hard nosed coaching. Byron Scott will have his best shot at returning to the finals and winning his first championship this season but it's not as clear cut as some would think. If you look at the statistics I posted, I think the one that stands out the most is the fact that all five of the Hornets started played at least 76 games. Last year the Hornets had everything clicking: momentum, health, play. They drove past the Mavericks and gave the Spurs more of a fight than they probably should have before falling at home in that tough game 7 loss. The addition of James Posey brings talent to a seemingly talent deprived bench, but the loss of Jannero Pargo nearly offsets all of that. Jannero Pargo is not going to win MVP awards or scoring titles but he was essential and vital to last year's team. You may be able to replace production in this league, but you can't replace presence. The thin front court also leaves no room for error for David West or Tyson Chandler. The Hornets are still waiting on Hilton Armstrong while, even though Melvin Ely, Ryan Bowen and Sean Marks try, they just don't have game changing backups in the front court position. They have bodies though and after last season this team now has experience. All that's left is replicating last year's play while dealing with the new expectations of a contending team. The Hornets should be in the thick of things near the end of the season and will finish between the 50-56 win mark for this season. A second division championship in franchise history is more than a possibility (even with the Rockets and Spurs looming) and an NBA Championship is more than a possibility. But things need to fall in place this season. After all, luck plays a huge role in winning championships.

Written By GoHornets21
CBS Spoortsline community member