The Hornets are off to the best start in franchise history (8-0), yet there are trade rumors around two Hornets players. Peja Stojakovic and Marcus Thornton have been rumored to be on the trading block. Now Peja is no surprise to be on the block, but Thornton? He was expected to be have a major role for the Hornets this season and many believe if the team was to have a successful season it would be due to Thornton’s development in his second season in NBA. But it seems as if Thornton does improve this season it may be with another team.

Thornton has a lot of trade value because of his offensive potential and very low salary. However, in order to trade Thornton to a team the only way it would work out financially for the Hornets would to make it a package deal with Peja. Now Peja’s contract is expiring so that helps out but it is $14 million too. So if the Hornets are to trade Peja and Thornton what teams might be interested? But first let me say I would like to see Thornton stay in New Orleans as he is one of my favorite players.

Now onto possible teams to trade with. I see the Hornets going in one of two ways with this possible trade: get a solid wing player or a solid backup center. Now which teams might be interested in giving up on their season by trading away one of their better players. I see 3 teams that might seriously be candidates: Kings, 76ers, and Bobcats.

If it was to be the Kings I see the Hornets trying to get center Samuel Dalembert. The 76ers I see it being trying to get Andre Iguodala. And if it was the Bobcats try to get either Stephen Jackson or Gerald Wallace. Ideally I would love the Hornets to get Wallace, but I think he is the least likely of the four to be traded. Wallace is the face of that franchise and I highly doubt Michael Jordan would part with him. Jackson on the other hand has also been rumored to be on the trading block. So maybe that could happen, but would Charlotte want to take Peja’s contract and Thornton? I say yes if they continue to struggle. They would need to get younger and Thornton is that, plus he can replace Jackson at the shooting guard position.

Now would the Sixers really consider trading Iguodala? Maybe. I mean he might become an afterthought if Evan Turner can play to his potential. So perhaps they would look to get something in return if they trade him before his contract ends. But Thornton might not be the best player to trade with because Turner may turn into a SG in this league and not a SF like he was at Ohio State. I only see this trade happening if another team gets involve to make this a 3-team trade.

The Kings and Samuel Dalembert. They have a young big man in rookie DeMarcus Cousins who has I think just as much potential as fellow rookie from Kentucky John Wall. The only difference is Cousins has character issues. However, if the Kings can control Cousins off the court issues then he has a chance to be special. Thus why would they need Dalembert? Plus they would be getting back in return a former King and fan favorite Peja and Thornton, which would make a solid young backcourt for the Kings in the future with Thornton and Tyreke Evans.

So now would any of these happen? Most likely not because well they are rumors and rumors rarely are true. But if GM Dell Demps can bring in the talent he has done so far in his 3-4 short months with the Hornets then I will be extremely happy. But if Demps fails to do that and we lose like a player with talent like Thornton for basically nothing in return I might be slightly upset for the the first time with Demps.

What are your thoughts? GO HORNETS!

As many of you know, the New Orleans Hornets are 6-0 and remain one of two NBA teams without a loss, the other being two-time defending Lakers. And to me the Hornets have been the most impressive team thus far in the young season. Now I am not saying they are the best or will be the best, but through six games they are the most impressive. Under rookie coach Monty Williams the Hornets are a whole new team. It has been remarkable to see what he has done with the players he has in such a short time period, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The Hornets are the 4th best defensive team in the NBA if you look at defensive efficient rating. Last year the Hornets were 22nd in the league. Much of that is due to Monty’s system and how more importantly the players are bought into that system. Emeka Okafor and David West last season were awful on defensive pick and rolls and rotations. This year they have played with extra passion, hustle, and most importantly smarts. Okafor, except for the first game of the season, has been on fire on defense shutting down or at the very least making the opponent’s best big man work extremely hard for every point and rebound they get. This is why Okafor was taken 2nd overall in the 2004 NBA draft.

West has been a beast. This is the D-West that I loved earlier in his career. He has dove on the floor for loose balls, out muscled rebounders, and for the most part kept his cool when things have not gone his way. Last season West rarely did any of those things. West’s defense has been stellar through six games.

Now onto the other side of the ball. Chris Paul has played a career low minutes per game so far this year and we are 6-0!? Yes. Paul is only averaging 35 mpg. Yet one can argue that he has never been in more control of the game. He has been the BEST POINT GUARD in the NBA this season. Apologies to you Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, and Deron Williams fans. Paul has not hesitated to score when the team needed him to score, but I have maybe only seen one or two shots forced by him. That is the CP3 I love!

Back to the big men. Okafor’s 26 points and 13 rebounds game versus Miami was spectacular. And he never missed one shot in the paint (12-12 in paint and 12-13 overall). I mean I do not expect that every game, but Emeka has not shown that ability to score since his days at Uconn. Then he got Mr. Reliable David West. In last Saturday’s win at Milwaukee, West was the one Hornet who did not look a little tired, after the previous nights dramatic and draining win in New Orleans against the Heat.  His play that game showed that he too can still put on a show and lead his team to victory. Then you the biggest surprise player for the Hornets this season Mr. Hustle, Jason Smith. Smith is the team’s leading rebounder and scorer off the bench 8.7 ppg and 4.7 rpg. Smith, although this stat is unofficial, leads the team in ‘Hell Yeahs’. Or in other words every time I see Smith do something it has a impact on the game. Whether it be a monster dunk on the Heat, a hustle rebound, a clutch mid ranger jumper, or solid defensive play, Jason Smith is quickly becoming one of my favorite Hornets.

With those 4 guys along with Trevor Ariza’s solid play, Marcus Thornton’s spark off the bench, Willie Green’s leadership, and Marco Bellinelli’s 3 point shot, I only see this team as getting better through the season. No I do not expect them to win the West or even the Southwest Division, but I do see them as a legitimate playoff contender. This team has been fun to watch and I can not wait til Tuesday night’s home game versus Blake Griffin and the Clippers.

Head Coach Monty Williams his first career coaching win in his first game as Hornets coach Wednesday night as the Hornets defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 95-91. It wasn’t the prettiest win, but it certainly provided Hornets fans with hope for this season. Since this is my first blog of an actual game I want to set a format for how I will look back on the game. Thus I will be doing a format where I look at “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”. So let’s get to it.

THE GOOD

David West started out hot for the Hornets and if it wasn’t for foul trouble would have had more than the game high 22 points. West looked like the former All Star that we all know and love. D West was knocking down his mid range jumpers with ease. Much of that came off CP3′s penetration, which led to Paul recording 16 assists. Paul ended with a double double 17 points and 16 assists. Not to say he was not impressive, because well he was, but this type of game has become a regular expectation for Paul. Which is why he still is the best PG in the game. When you have a average game and end with 17 and 16….that’s some dam good basketball. Paul never took over the game, but he controlled the game from start to finish. He set the tempo and the rest of the Hornets followed suit.

Another solid performance came from one of the many new Hornets players in Marco Bellinelli. Bellinelli scored 18 points, 11 in the first half. Bellinelli sparked the Hornets and gave the starting lineup an energy level that was missing much of last season. Bellinelli did not make all his open shots, but he did draw fouls, drive to the basket, and create his own shot. Something that I did not expect from him when he joined the Hornets.

Jason Smith. What can I say, but thank you for showing up in the second half. Smith played to say the least poorly in the first half. I was ready for Monty to give up on him and go small with Peja at the 4. But given the foul trouble with West and how poor Okafor played (which I will get to later), Smith was forced into duty and he played with heart and passion. He ended with 8 points off the bench. He also seemed to be someone Monty trusts in the most crucial game situations. Smith may become a key player in this rotation.

As for the team as a whole, they Hornets played adequate defense, drew fouls (23-29 from the line), moved the ball well (23 assists on 34 makes), and showed energy. I’ll take that everyday of the week.

THE BAD

Emeka Okafor. He seemed lost at times. His offense was non existent as he took no shots. Mainly because Andrew Bogut shut him down and because Okafor could not get open. Okafor did have 9 rebounds, but only one offensive. Okafor needs to move more often without the ball. His defense was average and for what we need from him, he will need to be better than that.

THE UGLY

Hornets committed way too many fouls. The Bucks were the worst team in the NBA at getting to the foul line last season and they shot 28 free throws in the game. Imagine what might happen when we play a team that gets to the foul line a lot? It could get bad real fast.

4-17 from three point range. Bellinelli and Trevor Ariza combined to go 2-11 from 3, and most of those if not all were open shots. They need to improve on those numbers.

The lack of playing time for Marcus Thornton. Yes he did play 11 minutes, but he needs more time on the court. He ended with 8 points and tied for second best on the team with a +/- of +8 (Tied with Ariza and behind Paul +11). Thornton did not even enter the game until the second quarter. He is our sixth man. He may be our 3rd best player. He needs to get more playing time. But I will say I trust Monty and his style. So maybe he is just getting an idea of what type of team he has and as far as the first game goes, it’s a team that has potential. Hopefully we can build on that Friday night when the Hornets host the Denver Nuggets.

GO HORNETS!

Courtesy of Hornets247.com….here is a video to get all Hornets fans amped for the upcoming season. Enjoy!

Only two days until the Hornets open the 2010-11 regular season when they host the Milwaukee Bucks. And the off-season moves continued for the Hornets as they traded a future conditional first round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for third year PG Jerryd Bayless. From the Hornets perspective, they get a major upgrade at the backup point guard position with Bayless. Before this trade the backup PG position was a mess. An overrated Willie Green? An unproven Mustafa Shakur? A D-Leaguer in Curtis Jerrells? Bayless is a young talented quick scoring point guard.  I’ll take that anyday over those other players.

But was Bayless worth a future first round pick? Despite the talent, Bayless has never lived up to it. Bayless was the 11th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers in the 2008 draft before being traded to the Blazers. In his first season with Portland, Bayless appeared in 53 games averaging around 12 minutes a game. His stats were 4.3 ppg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 rpg, 36.5 FG%, 25.9 FG% from 3, and 80.3 FT%. Nothing that stands out, but it was only his rookie year. During his second season as a pro, Bayless averaged 17.5 mpg, 8.5 ppg, 2.3 apg, 1.6 rpg, 41.4 FG%, 31.5% from 3, and 83.1 FT%. As you can see he did improve in every category in his second year, including starting 11 games in his 74 games played last year. The troubling stat for Bayless is that he averages for his career 1.18 turnovers a game. Considering he does not play a lot of minutes a game, that is something Bayless must improve on.

Bayless is only in his third year and there is still time for development, and his new coach Monty Williams likes him a lot from his days in Portland, but Bayless must improve his defense and turnovers if he wants to become a legitimate PG in the NBA. Nevertheless I like this trade for Bayless. He gives us a must needed boost off the bench along with Marcus Thornton and Peja. Lets hope Bayless can turn into the player Coach Monty sees in him because he may be the key for success for the Hornets, especially if something awful happens such as Chris Paul getting hurt or god forbid gets traded.

With only a couple days to the regular season it is time to get excited for the Hornets and the new group of players joining the team. This could be a magical year for the Hornets or a forgettable one, but that is what makes sports and the NBA so great. So here is to a new season and a new hope. The time is now Hornets, let’s do it!

As the New Orleans begin the 2010 season this week with training camp, I decided to make my predictions for the Hornets this season. First things first though. The big news besides starting training camp this week for New Orleans was the signing of former Hornets player and fan favorite PG Jannero Pargo. Pargo as I hope you remember was a key bench player during the 2007-08 Hornets season where the team won a franchise high 56 games. Pargo was Chris Paul’s backup and was a spark off the bench for the Hornets. I must say I am excited to see Pargo back in the white and teal. Along with the signing of big man Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the Hornets training camp roster stands at 17 players currently. The league limit is 15 players on the roster, so the Hornets will need to cut a couple players before the season begins. Now onto the preview.

First lets take a look at the potential starting lineup: Chris Paul, Marcus Thornton, Trevor Ariza, David West, and Emeka Okafor. That is a pretty damn good starting 5. When you look around the NBA you will be hard to find more than 5 starting fives that are as good as the Hornets. Paul is the best PG in the NBA, or at least arguably the best for you Deron Williams and Steve Nash fans. Marcus Thornton is a young efficient shooting guard who should improve his overall game in his second year in the league. Trevor Ariza gives the Hornets a very solid 4th scorer and a top of the line one on one defender. David West and Emeka Okafor may not be the tallest frontcourt in the league, but they are a formidable frontline that can combine score around 30 ppg and 18 rpg. That’s pretty good. And with Thornton at the 2 spot, this is the first year where CP3 has a legitimate shooting guard in the starting lineup (apologies to Morris Peterson, Devin Brown, and Rasual Butler). If the Hornets can stay healthy they have a shot at a top 6 seed in the West.

But there in lies the problem. If one of those players goes down with a significant injury, the Hornets as a whole take a major step backwards. While the Hornets starting 5 may be a top 5 or 10 lineup, the Hornets bench is the opposite, a bottom 5 or 10 bench. The projected bench has Pargo, Willie Green, Peja, rookie Quincy Pondexter, Jason Smith, Aaron Gray, and Marco Belinelli. Of course this could change, but if that is the bench the Hornets may be trouble. Pargo is a nice pickup, but he has been plagued with injuries in the seasons since he was a Hornet. Green is a below average player who gets too much credit. Peja can still shoot the 3, but not much else. And who knows how long he may be a Hornet as he has a hefty expiring contract. Pondexterhas promise, but you can not expect him to contribute too much to the team this season. Smith has potential, but is not a solid backup big man in this league, or at least he has not proven it yet. Belinelli is a solid role player and will have the opportunity to make a difference on this team, but will he? No one knows.

With that bench it seems below average to say the least, but for me the key player off the bench this season will be Aaron Gray. Gray is very big body at 7 feet tall and 270 lbs., or so it says on the Hornets web site. Base on last season Gray was heavier than that and out of shape. He did show more promise than I expected after being traded from the Bulls mid season, but he will have to be slimmer in order to contribute to the team this season. Reports are that he looks thinner and in shape, so let’s hope that equates to a better performance on the court.  If Gray does play well, Peja hits his 3′s consistently, Pargo provides a spark, and Belinelli simply gives quality minutes maybe just maybe this bench could be a top 20 bench. I know that is not saying much, but a top 20 bench is a lot better than a bottom 5. And with that starting 5, this team could surprise the rest of the West.

Now all of this hinges on new head coach Monty Williams. This is Williams’ first head coaching gig so no one knows too much on whether his system works in the NBA, at least not on a long term basis. If the players get grasp his coaching style and system then I see the Hornets as a playoff team as long as they stay relatively healthy. At best this Hornets team is a 55 win team, yes that is optimistic. At worst New Orleans is a 37 win team. So let’s split the difference and say the Hornets end up with a 48-36 record. Given the Western Conference last year’s 8 seed had 50 wins that is not a given that the Hornets would make the playoffs, but I see the West slightly worse this year overall. I predict the Hornets to finish as the #7 seed in the West. While that may not be a championship contender status, it is improvement and that is all we can ask for as Hornets fans.

Thoughts? What are your predictions for the Hornets this year? Or any team in the NBA for that matter.

I haven’t done a post in awhile and during that time the Hornets made a few moves that have added depth, but not sure what else. In the past few weeks the Hornets have added these players: SF Joe Alexander, G Willie Green, PG Mustafa Shakur, F-C Jason Smith, G DJ Strawberry, and C Daryl Watkins. Green and Smith  were traded for as the Hornets sent away F Darius Songalia and rookie F Craig Brackins to the Philadelphia 76ers.  And let’s start with the trade.

The trade makes almost no sense to me. Green has been a very poor player throughout his 7 year career. According to ESPN, Green had his best season yet last season averaging a solid 15.3 PER at the point guard position and 11.3 PER at the 2-spot. I can deal with that for a backup, but what I can not deal with is his below average defense and poor mid range shooting, which is what he “supposedly” know for. He does add depth and another decent player at the guard position, which at the start of the off season the Hornets had none. Jason Smith is a young 7-footer with potential, but has yet to show it on a consistent basis. I see him fighting for minutes at both backup PF and C positions.

Getting rid of Songalia was one of the main things I hoped the Hornets do for much of the off season, but the way they did it is surprising. New Orleans does not save much money from the trade, if any at all. But I am slightly happy to see Songalia and his non existent post game leave New Orleans. But what I thought would happen was when Songalia leaves then Brackins would take his spot. He is a similar type player, but young. It surprised me to see Brackins get traded before seeing any action in an actual NBA game. But hey that’s why I am not a GM. I hope that Demps knows something that we do not about him. Problem is that we wasted a first round draft pick on a player who will not play one second in a Hornets uniform.

The other additions of Alexander, Shakur, Watkins, and Strawberry are to add some more depth to a roster that had none. I like the signing of Shakur more of anyone else. Shakur was a shooter and leader in college at Arizona and one that I always saw passion and energy from him. If Shakur can bring that passion and energy to the Hornets bench I will be very pleased. Alexander is just another young player who got drafted in the lottery based on his outstanding athleticism, but he lacks a basketball IQ. And unless he develops one soon he will find it hard to find any minutes on this Hornets team, as long as the Hornets remain healthy and competitive (crossing my fingers). Watkins and Strawberry each add more depth and for the money they are worth the shot.

Here is the updated Hornets depth chart:

PG- Paul, Shakur

SG- Thornton, Green, Belinelli, Strawberry

SF- Ariza, Peja, Pondexter, Alexander

PF- West, Smith

C-Okafor, Gray, Watkins

*I see Green playing some minutes at PG as well. Smith will also see some time at center.

When I look at that lineup I see a glaring weakness that was not there prior to the trade for Smith and Green. Jason Smith is our backup power forward!? That is to say the least a poor backup. At least before we had a young PF and veteran PF behind West (even if they both play a soft PF). Now we have a unproven player who is playing out of position. Smith is more a center than power forward. Maybe new coach Monty Williams knows more than we do. Which is the second time I have said that.  I hope the Hornets know more than we do, because with an injury to Paul, West, Okafor, or Thornton and I see this team as it is made up today as a 45 win team at best. That will not be enough to make the playoffs, which of course is what we all want.

On the other hand the one thing that the new front office and coaching staff is doing is making changes in order to make this their team, not Jeff Bower’s or Byron Scott’s team. Let’s just hope the rookie GM Demps and rookie Coach Williams will have some beginner’s luck.

With it being a slow time of the year for the NBA I decided to look back on the New Orleans/Charlotte/OKC Hornets all time best players. It was tough, but I came up with three players at each position. Keep in mind that these picks are also from someone who did not start watching the Hornets until 1995. Thus these players are well for the most part the players I remember watching the most in my lifetime. Okay enough with the blabber onto the team. First up we got are the Point Guards.

PG:

Starter: Chris Paul (19.3 ppg, 10.7 apg, 4.7 rpg, and 2.4 spg in 345 games with Hornets)

Back-up: Baron Davis (15.3 ppg, 6.7 apg, 3.8 rpg, and 1.9 spg in 381 games with Hornets)

3rd String: Muggsy Bogues (8.8 ppg, 8.8 apg, and 1.7 spg in 632 games with Hornets)

This was the easiest choice for starter of all the positions. The best player to ever wear the white and teal Hornets jerseys is Chris Paul. And no matter what the future holds for him and the Hornets he will continue to be considered the best player in Hornets history. From the moment he stepped out on the court as a rookie in 2005 he demanded respect from his teammates and he was a leader. He has never once looked overwhelmed or confused while on the court. He has been a constant leader. In the history of the NBA there never has been a player with his leadership skills, quickness, speed, toughness, amazing ball handling, and in such a small body (6 feet tall) with the exception of the great Isiah Thomas.

Second place went to Baron Davis who led the Hornets to the playoffs five times. Third place is one of the faces of the Charlotte Hornets in the 5 foot 3 Tyron “Muggsy” Bogues, who is my personal favorite player of all time along with Michael Jordan.

SG:

Starter: Dell Curry (14 ppg, 2.9 rpg, and 40.5 3-pt% in 701 games)

Back-up: David Wesley (14.7 ppg, 4.7 apg, and 1.5 spg in 522 games)

3rd String: Eddie Jones (19.2 ppg, 2.8 spg, and 4.2apg in 102 games)

You may be wondering why Eddie Jones is third with such impressive stats? Well it is because he only played a season and half with the Hornets. Jones did make the all star team in his one full season with the Hornets and he also helped the Hornets to the playoffs. Wesley who played a small shooting guard standing only 6 feet tall with shoes on. But he knew his role on the team and always did the best he can, a true professional.

The starter at the 2-spot, Curry, actually only started 77 games in his 701 games with the Hornets. But Curry is first in franchise history in games played (701), points (9,839), FG attempted (8,559), FG made (3,951), 3-pointers attempted (2,294) and made (929). Additionally, Curry ranks third in Hornets’ history in 3-point percentage (40.5%) and fourth steals (747). For his career, Dell Curry hit 1,245 3-points, good for 29th in NBA history. Curry may be the player who is most associated with the Hornets franchise.

SF:

Starter: Glen Rice (23.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, and 44.4 3-pt% in 240 games)

Back-up: Jamal Mashburn (21 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 5 apg in 217 games)

3rd String: Bobby Phills (12.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 37.7 3-pt% in 133 games)

One of the best shooters in NBA history gets the starting nod at SF in the hardest decision at any position. Rice barely beat out Mashburn. Rice played three seasons with the Hornets and he never failed to average worse than 21.6 ppg, 4 rpg and made at least 42.4% of his 3-pointers. During the 1996-97 season, Rice had his best season as a pro averaging 26.8 ppg, 4 rpg, made 86.7% of his free throws and hit a staggering 47% (207-of-440) of his 3-pointers. That season, he led the league in 3-point percentage and his scoring average was third in NBA, behind only Michael Jordan and Karl Malone. Rice was simply spectacular that season, which included a All Star MVP award where he holds records of 24 points in the second half, 20 points in the third, and went 8-11 from three. He ranks first in franchise history in scoring average (23.5 ppg) and 3-point percentage (44.4%), and despite spending just three seasons with the team, ranks fourth in 3-pointers made (508) and seventh in points (5,561). Rice is one of the top 3 players in Hornets history despite only playing 3 seasons with the team.

In a close second is Jamal Mashburn. Mashburn led the Hornets to the second round of the playoffs and took the higher seeded Milwaukee Bucks to a games 7 where the Hornets lost. I still remember trying to imitate Mashburn’s turn around fade away shot that I still consider one of the toughest shots in basketball, yet Mash always made it. In third place is the late Bobby Phills who was one of the best role players the Hornets ever had on their team.

PF:

Starter: Larry Johnson (19.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 49.7 FG% in 377 games)

Back-up: David West (16 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and 48.7 FG% in 460 games)

3rd String: Anthony Mason (13.4 ppg, 10 rpg, and 4.8 apg in 236 games)

Another tough decision here, but I went with the 1991 #1 overall pick Larry Johnson. Johnson was dominant in the first few years in the league where he help lead the Hornets to two playoff appearances in five seasons. Each of those playoffs the Hornets were eliminated by Michael Jordan and the Bulls, once in the first round and once in the second. But what LJ did before any other Hornets player did was he was the first superstar for the Hornets. Johnson showed the rest of the NBA that a great player can win with the Hornets. Unfortunately for Johnson, back problems ended his career way too early.

The back-up PF is David West. West did not play much with the Hornets until his third season where he broke out with 17.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg in 34 minutes per game. The following two season West increased his averages as the Hornets went to the playoffs both times. The third stringer is one of the great power forwards of his time in Mason. Mason was a solid scorer, rebounder, and an exceptional passer for a big man.

C:

Starter: Alonzo Mourning (21.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.2 bpg, and 51.2 FG% in 215 games)

Back-up: P.J. Brown (9.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg in 475 games)

3rd String: Vlade Divac/Elden Campbell

At the starting center position we have the second greatest Hornets player of all time in Alonzo Mourning. Only problem with Zo was he never got the attention he deserved because he was second overall in the 1992 draft behind some guy name Shaquille O’Neal. Thus Mourning was always second fiddle to Shaq. Along with LJ, Mourning helped lead the Hornets to their first winning season (44-38) in his rookie year and into the playoffs for the first time. LJ and Zo was the best front court duo the Hornets ever displayed in their 21 seasons in NBA. Mourning is also the centerpiece of arguably the best moment in Hornets history. During his rookie season the Hornets took on the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs as a #5 seed. After dropping the opening game at the Boston Garden, Mourning turned in an outstanding 18- 14, with six blocks in Game 2 as the Hornets snagged the home court. Following a 30-point win in game 3, the Hornets found themselves trailing by a single point in the dying seconds of Game 4. Faced with a return trip to Boston for a deciding game, they found Mourning at the left elbow and he buried a dramatic 20-foot buzzer-beater to clinch the Hornets’ first-ever series victory and give the franchise its first, and maybe still its biggest, signature moment.

The back-up center is the constant professional and best role player a team could have in P.J. Brown. The third string was a tough one to choose for me so I went with both Vlade Divac and Elden Campbell.

That is it. The best Hornets players of all time. Can you think of someone that I forgot? Let me know. Hope you enjoyed it.

ESPN is reporting that the Hornets have acquired 25 year old SF Trevor Ariza from the Houston Rockets in a 4-team deal. In the deal the Hornets received Ariza, the Indiana Pacers received from the Hornets SF James Posey and a young talented PG in Darren Collison, the New Jersey Nets get F/C Troy Murphy from the Pacers, and the Rockets get former Nets SG Courtney Lee. And that is not all the Hornets front office did today. GM Dell Demps and company also traded athletic SF Julian Wright or Juju as Hornets fans know him as, to the Toronto Raptors for SG Marco Belinelli.

From the Hornets perspective of these deals they received an athletic wingman who knows how to play defense, both on and off the ball, and can score 15ppg as a starter in Ariza. That is something New Orleans have not had in a long long time, since Jamal Mashburn way back in 2003. This is an immediate upgrade over Peja, Posey, or rookie Quincy Pondexter. He also costs slightly less than Posey, who has 2 years left on his awful contract. While Ariza does have two more years after Posey’s contract would be up, he will be younger than Posey and entering the prime of his career. For the record Ariza averaged 14.9ppg, 5.6rpg, and 3.8apg in 72 games last season.

Secondly, the Hornets lose what is one of the worst contracts in the NBA in James Posey. This by itself is pure awesomeness. The downside to this trade is the Hornets lose a young talented player in Collison, who played very well as a starter last season in the absence of Chris Paul. However, it should be noted that Collison played worse as a bench player than as a starter last season. Collison averaged 18.8 ppg, 9.1 apg, and shot 48.5% from the field (42.9% from 3) in 37 games as a starter averaging 40 minutes a game. While as a bench player, he averaged 15.9 minutes a game, 6.4 ppg, 2.5 apg, and shot 45.5% from the field (32.3% from 3) in 39 games. Now I understand those are not adjusted but they also show that Collison was a more consistent player as a starter and as long as CP3 is healthy, Collison would have been a backup on the Hornets.

With that being said, the Hornets now have a hole in the backup PG role. Who is left on the free agency market? The best options are Earl Watson, Javarris Crittenton, Travis Diener, and Jamaal Tinsley. None of them really stick out, but I would say Watson is the best. And I believe in 15 minutes a game Watson can give the Hornets at least 6 ppg and 2.5 apg as Collison did off the bench last season. Watson may not be a better player or starter as Collison is or will be, but he may be as of right now just as good of a backup PG.

The Hornets also traded a fan favorite Julian Wright, who also has underperformed in his 3 seasons with the Hornets. And with the addition of Ariza there is no more space at the SF position for the Hornets. Wright is also slightly more expensive than Belinelli. Belinelli is nothing special, but he can shoot (38.8% from 3 for his career). And that is something the Hornets need with Paul at point: a player who can knock down the open three. I would say this is a positive trade for the Hornets.

As for the Ariza trade, I would give it a “B”. It is positive and helps us in the future by shedding Posey’s contract and getting a better version of him in Ariza. However we do lose arguably our third best player on the team in Collison. Problem is he would not be playing much even if we did have him. Until we see who the Hornets pick up as a backup PG this trade is graded as incomplete.

So what is next for the Hornets? Get a backup PG and C (someone better than Aaron Gray, who I do like but not as my primary backup center). And if nothing else these trades are positive due to the fact that the front office is saying to Chris Paul that we are trying to get better for you because you are the only PG on our team at this point thus these trades we made are for you and for your future with the Hornets.

Here is a projected depth chart for the Hornets as the roster stands now:

PG: Cp3/ ???

SG: Thornton/Belinelli

SF: Ariza/Peja/Pondexter

PF:West/Songalia(can we please get rid of this guy?)/Brackins

C:Okafor/Gray/???

Thoughts….

During all of the Chris Paul trade rumors, almost all the so called “experts” are saying Paul needs to leave New Orleans in order to win and build a BIG THREE in Orlando, New York, etc… However there is one of these experts who sees it differently, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated believes that what Paul wants is a BIG THREE, but he wants the other two superstars to come to him in New Orleans. Let’s hope as Hornets fans that he is correct.

Well the first step in getting a superstar to join  Paul in the big easy is next off season and Carmelo, as long as he decides not to sign the extension with the Nuggets. And yes this may just be a fan dreaming big, but it may not be as crazy of an idea as you may think. First off the Hornets will have the money to spend next off season as they will be gaining upwards to $30 million in cap space, mostly by losing Peja’s contract. So say Anthony signs with the Hornets, they still have money to get some more solid players, including possibly resigning David West.

Secondly, unless the Hornets struggled immensely in the first half of the upcoming season I do not see Paul being traded and if the Hornets want any chance of getting anyone worth talking about next summer, they will need Paul to be the centerpiece of the attraction to New Orleans, thus they must not trade Paul.

But even with the game’s best point guard would Melo want to go to an even smaller market team than Denver? Most likely no, but maybe Anthony will see the Hornets as a chance to find Clyde to his Bonnie, or vice versa, in CP3. And if Monty Williams can impress this season to show the rest of the league that the Hornets do have a solid immediate future, then the Hornets are starting to look pretty good. Carmelo will be 27 next summer and looking at the prime of his career where he will be looking for another superstar, and how many true superstars are there out there? First rule out the Heat with their big three (Wade, James, and Bosh). Then Kobe will be getting another year older and I do not see the Lakers winning more than one more championship after this season. So truly how many other superstars are there left that will also be entering their prime of their careers? Paul, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, and who else? I do not consider Amare Stoudemire a superstar, sorry Knicks fans.

The Magic are paying currently three guys over $15 million in the 2011-12 season (Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Vince Carter). Thus they do not look like they will have the money for Anthony. The Jazz are in a similar situation with three guys making over $10 million in the 2011-12 season (Mehmet Okur, Al Jefferson, and Williams). They do however have more cap space, but not quite as much as the Hornets.  Then there is the Thunder, where Durant and company are young and talented with some cap space. But Durant plays the same type of game as Anthony at the same position. I do not see Melo and Durant playing together, although that would be scary to see. And So that leaves CP3 and the Hornets in a city that a 27-year old would enjoy very much.

There is of course the chance that Melo decides to go somewhere else, like New York (which he has said he would like to play for) but if the Hornets can look like a solid playoff team this season…who knows what can happen. The Hornets have the money, young players, new coach, and a superstar point guard. But as the great John Lennon said “So you may call me a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” Maybe Carmelo is a dreamer too.