David West's leadership makes impact in Indiana Pacers' victory against Miami Heat: NBA links

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

News from around the NBA

What is the New Orleans Hornets most glaring position of need? 2-on-1 fastbreak

Source: Nola.com by The Times-Picayune

This week's Hornets topic to discuss

2012 NBA Draft: 5 Prospects New Orleans Hornets Should Consider

Source: Bleacher Report

The New Orleans Hornets will enter the draft with needs in almost every area. The Hornets need shooters, a rebounder, a three-point shooter and more. With hardly any of their players looking like guys who could be starters on a playoff team, the Hornets need to be open to drafting almost any type of player.

Fortunately for them, they have two first-round picks. Both picks may come up in the first 10 spots, depending on what happens in the draft lottery. Currently, the odds for their first pick have them slotted fourth, and the odds for their second pick (acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves) have them slotted 10th.

With two picks in the first half of the first round, the Hornets will be able to set their sights on plenty of players. Following is a list of the five players they should consider.

Begin Slideshow

FTC signs off on New Orleans Hornets sale to Tom Benson

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

Final step for new owner is approval by NBA's Board of Governors

Anthony Davis Foreshadowing?

Source: At The Hive by mknkachow

Anthony Davis Foreshadowing?

[From the FanShots - R]

A sign of things to come or wishful thinking?

Hornets Invite Fans Out for Hornets Day at the Aquarium

Source: NBA.com

The Hornets and the Audubon Nature Institute will host Hornets Day at the Aquarium on Sunday, May 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. Head coach Monty Williams and assistant coaches James Borrego, Dave Hanners, Bryan Gates and Fred Vinson will make appearances.

Counter-Point: Here there be no Dragons

Source: Hornets247.com Blog by Ryan Schwan

The free agency pool this year isn’t teeming with exceptional fish.  Most of the real talent comes in two varieities: Old or Restricted.  In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say there is almost nothing the Hornets will do in free agency this summer that will turn them into anything resembling a contender.

That said, there has been one name cropping up in discussions about the Hornets all over the web:  Goran Dragic.

Dragic plays for Houston, and was nearly a Hornet at the start of the season before the Paul to the Lakers trade was aborted.  That near-trade has clearly stuck in the minds of some Hornets fans, and the fact Dragic is unrestricted and played well over the last two months of the year has some hoping he could be the new Point Guard of the Future.

My take?  No thanks.

Take a look at these two lines:

FG%	FT%	Pts/40	Ast/40	TS%	AST%	TO%	Usage	PER
46.2%	80.5%	17.7	8.0	56.7%	29.5%	13.2%	21.7%	18.03
45.6%	87.2%	18.3	7.5	54.0%	27.4%	10.2%	23.0%	17.97

The first of those players is Goran Dragic. The other? The much maligned Jarrett Jack.

Right. Jarrett Jack.

But wait, you say, those are full season stats, and Dragic only started the last couple months? You feel that’s misleading? Fine. Here’s Dragic’s advanced stats as a starter.

48.7%

83.9%

19.9

9.1

60.9%

34.6%

12.7%

23.1%

20.14

Ahhh…those numbers look better.  Look at that shooting!  Those increased assists?  That shiny PER!  And his defense can’t be worse than Jarrett Jack’s, right?

Sure.  Still, buyer beware.

Fluke Shooting

Dragic’s true shooting percentage(TS%) was nuts as a starter.  A 60.9% TS% is something to drool over.  Here’s the problem:  Dragic has been in the league for 4 seasons now – and this stretch was way above the norm for him.  He’ s not a bad shooter, but it’s rare that a player can sustain a sudden bump of 5% in their true shooting percentage and keep that going forward.  They fall back to earth.  I expect that will happen – and in truth, it had already started to happen.  In Dragic’s last two weeks as a starter, he shot at his normal TS% of 56% – and the Rockets, you’ll remember, rode him right out of playoff contention.

That doesn’t scream difference maker to me.

The Eventual Price

Still, let’s even grant Dragic retains his shooting numbers as a starter.  How much is that improvement over Jack really worth?  Remember, Dragic isn’t a sexy name just for Hornets fans.  His hot close to the season earned a bunch of hype around the league – and I’ve seen writers in Portland, Phoenix, Indiana, Utah,  Atlanta, and Golden State bring him up as a target this off-season.  Houston management has also said they would try to keep him.

That’s seven teams trying to land him without factoring in NY, NJ, Orlando, Miami, Dallas and Charlotte – all of whom could use an upgrade or major help at PG and only one is going to get Deron Williams.  Those teams other options?  Jameer Nelson maybe?  Felton, Hinrich, Aaron Brooks or the ancient Miller or Nash?   Other than Nash, are any of those guys better than Dragic?  No, I’d say not.

That, of course, means he’ll have lots of suitors.  Teams spent the last couple years eviscerating their salary numbers, and as a result, a lot of teams will have a lot of money to spend this year.  I expect he’ll get an offer averaging 4 years at no less than 9 million per.  Stuckey demanded that.  Mike Conley and Calderon demanded more in their time.  That seems to be his market.

Do you think Dragic is worth that much of our cap?  Next to Gordon who will probably command 12 million or more a year?  Is Dragic, who needs the ball in his hands, the type of guard you want to put next to Gordon?

I don’t think so.  I’d rather keep Jack and pay 60% of that salary or look at other veteran options and trades.

Hopefully, in New Orleans, there will be no Dragons. (Unless you are watching Game of Thrones. Which you should be. If you aren’t, you are banned. You hear me, McNamara!?! Banned!!)

Small Market, Big Heart: A Sacramento Kings Documentary

Source: Hornets247.com Blog by Joe Gerrity

I suggest you watch this Kings Documentary (below the jump) at some point.

 

Point: The Backcourt of the Future

Source: Hornets247.com Blog by Jake Madison

Part 1 of Jake and Ryan’s debate on whether the Hornets should sign Goran Dragic during free agency.

With the off-season underway for the Hornets, GM Dell Demps and head coach Monty Williams should have one name at the top of their free agent wish list: Goran Dragic.

For most of the season Dragic was solid yet unspectacular, but when Houston’s starting point guard Kyle Lowry went down with an injury, Dragic stepped in and kept the team in the playoff race. Not only that, but he was putting up All-Star numbers. In 27 games as a starter Dragic averaged 18.4 points, 8.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds per game, 49.6% shooting and 39.4% three-point shooting. For the season Dragic had a true shooting percentage of 56.7%, well above the Hornets’ average of 52.7%

But it goes beyond his individual statistics; Dragic also raises his team’s level of play. When Dragic is on the court, the team’s true shooting percentage jumps up a full 3%. This is the result of him getting the ball to the rest of the team in their favorite spots. This is also why his assist percentage jumped over 7% to 34.6% as a starter.

Contrast that with the Hornets current starter Jarrett Jack. With Jack on the court, the Hornets’ true shooting percentage declines 1% and their rebound rate drops 2%. Not only does the team play slightly worse offense with Jack, he really hurts the team’s defense as well. Opponent free throw rate and steal rate both increase by 5%, and opponent shooting percentage increases by 4%. Dragic’s presence on the other hand neither hurts nor helps his teams defense, though 82games.com lists his opponent PER as a below average 12.7. (While Jack’s is a terrible 16.7)

While Dragic may not be able to keep up the same level of play, the beauty is that he doesn’t need to. With Eric Gordon in the fold, Dragic would be the second offensive option. He would be able to focus on distributing the ball while still being able to take on the scoring burden when Gordon is out or having an off game.

Dragic will have many suitors this offseason and is expected to receive a contract worth 8 to 10 million a year. And you know what? I’m totally okay with that. The free agent pool is fairly weak and next season there are almost no desirable unrestricted point guards. Yeah it might be a little too much given what his production will most likely be, but if he lives up to what we’ve seen this season, Dragic could be a steal.

Plus, there is soooo much nickname potential.

The Hornets have a chance to lock up their starting backcourt for the next 4 seasons and they need to jump at the chance to do it.

Hornets tax break package on its way to Gov. Jindal

Source: Nola.com by Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune

BATON ROUGE -- The New Orleans Hornets should get a tax break of $36.5 million over a 10-year period as part of a new deal with the state, senators said Monday.On a 28-7 vote, senators approved House Bill 1072 by...

New Orleans Hornets' chances of getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft are slim

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

San Antonio is the only franchise to land No. 1 pick slotted fourth in the draft lottery since 1987.

Anthony Davis – as he should be

Source: Hornets247.com Blog by Ryan Schwan

Had to post a link to this picture of Anthony Davis. (HT to Truehoop) Michael McNamara, eat your heart out.

Clippers-Spurs Preview Capsule (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

A look at the Western Conference semifinal series between the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers (with regular-season and playoff records):

New Orleans Hornets hold fourth slot in draft lottery but only once has a franchise landed top pick at the spot since 1987

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

San Antonio is the only franchise to land No. 1 pick slotted fourth since 1987.

New Orleans Hornets hold fourth slot in the NBA draft lottery but only once has a franchise landed the No. 1 pick at the spot since 1987

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

San Antonio is the only franchise to land No. 1 pick slotted fourth since 1987.

2011-12 Season in Review: Marco Belinelli

Source: NBA.com

In a season defined by uncertainty, one constant for the Hornets was the presence of Marco Belinelli. Though 11 different players missed time due to injury, Belinelli persevered through minor ailments and the compact schedule to play in all 66 games.

Miami Heat's LeBron James delivers performance worthy of his MVP award: NBA links

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

News around the NBA

Miami Heat's LeBron James delivers performance against Indiana Pacers worthy of his MVP award

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

News around the NBA

A river runs through the Hornets: A letter to the editor

Source: Nola.com by Letters to the Editor

I vote for the New Orleans Riverboats as the new name for the Hornets. It would be a tribute to New Orleans' past, present and future. Robert A. Walker Metairie...

This Week’s Ownership Update

Source: Hornets247.com Blog by Jason Calmes

Measured progress towards the official sale and lease agreement continues to be made as time winds down.

Though agreements in principle have been announced, the sale of the Hornets to Tom Benson is not official. Likewise, the lease amendment to keep the team in New Orleans through 2023-2024, the tax rebates the Hornets require, and the money to renovate the Arena have not been approved. These items are in various stages of development.

HB2

This bill controls a massive bond issue, part of which is the $50M for upgrades to the New Orleans Arena. Comparing this amount to the $2.6B in bonds and $3.9B in total financing, it is understandable that this bill has taken its sweet time getting out of the Ways and Means committee of the House. The half-page of description of these funds for the LSED, not the Hornets, in the 131 pages document should draw little attention, being just 2% of the bond issue and is being used to upgrade a state asset that has seen no major upgrades in 13 year existence.

This bill will likely see movement this week, but a meeting on the bill for today was cancelled.

HB1072

This bill controls about $3.65M in annual tax rebates over the next 10 years. The amount of the rebates starts off below this level and increases annually.

It requires final senate approval and the Governor’s signature, which it is expected to get, making other means of approval unnecessary to comment on further.

These tax rebates are a continuation of tax rebates the franchise is already receiving. The basis of the rebate is the Quality Jobs Program, which gives tax rebates to businesses that create jobs. In this case, the amount of the rebate is approximately equal to the amount of income tax associated with typical player payroll. These tax revenue source would not present if the team were not located here. The rest of the employees of the team will contribute about $1M annually in income tax. This does not include the indirect tax effect due to increase payroll to Arena workers, etc., spending by players and employees that generates tax dollars. Even with these rebates, the team is creating a net positive in terms of taxes. Tax rebates and the like can be touchy subjects in trying economic times, but this situation is far from the most odious.

Lease

I have not found any reference to the lease in the Legislature at this time. If you see something I don’t, let me know. Thanks.

I’m not sure what the mechanism really is for the State to approve or sign the lease, so perhaps the Legislature is not involved. I’ll be researching this process this week.

Sale

Tom Benson has made a down payment on the team and the NBA Board of Governors has given their nod from the financial perspective, but the sale is not final. The final approval is expected by the end of May according to David Stern.

In the end, the dates to remember are June 4th, the date by which the Legislative session ends, and July 1, the date on which the lease amendment takes effect if all the preconditions are met.

Threats

With three weeks left of the legislative session and seven weeks left before all the work must be done, there is plenty of time for all this to work out . . . and plenty of time for it to fall apart, like the sale in Atlanta and the Arena deal in Sacramento.

dcoop over at Hornets Report asked what the chances were of something going wrong with all of this. This isn’t a math problem, but a qualitative threat analysis kind of problem.

Most of the recent sources of turbulence had to do with owner finances or arena complications, not mutually exclusive. Our situation was basically due to the NBA foreclosing on the team due to Shinn’s finances and his inability to operate the team once the aid he needed from the NBA to run the team was maxed out. The Sonics were sold by Schultz to some extent because of arena complications, but also because he was not willing to take the financial risk associated the team as it was at the time. Alex Meruelo’s purchase of the Hawks fell through due to concerns by the NBA over his finances. Most recently, the Maloofs’ very public Compson-like fall in which they have tarnished the arena in which they play with their thrashing about have seemingly cemented themselves into not having the Kings at some point in the near future whether the move or not, whether they get an arena or not.

Benson seems to have no such issues financially, and any questions about the Arena are being addressed with HB2.

I see the biggest threats as Benson dying between now and when the deal is done, or divorce. The former is the most likely I’m assuming, and there are no indications that he’s in anything but good enough health to travel and work business deals.

Our Edge

There is money to be made here and a will to keep the team on many levels, including a governmental one. These things do not exist together in many markets, regardless of size. The small-market / large-market aspect of who `deserves’ a team stems from two factors. One was an analysis of where success was and wasn’t, where free agents were and were not, etc., without a good deal of regard for accounting for confounding factors. The second is intellectual laziness.

While market size is a factor in determining how much money there is for an owner to make in a market, it’s how much money that can be extracted from a market that really influences things. Seattle does not make it easy to extract money from their much-larger-than-New-Orleans’-market market, so they lost their team.

We, as a region and people, are taking pride in our entertainment assets and working with the NBA to make our facilities good for us, them, and other tenants.

Find a bigger city than New Orleans who can put on Mardi Gras, the Sugar Bowl, and the Super Bowl . . . perhaps with some NFL playoff games . . . all in a month, and I’ll show a city that could swipe our NBA team in a legitimate fashion.

Until then, we got this.

Don’t sweat this too much, but you have to keep an eye on the bureaucrats. Always, one eye on the bureaucrats.

Paperwork is important.

And miles to go before I sleep.

We’ll keep you posted here or in an update next week.

Will Tom Benson Retain Dell Demps and Monty Williams?: Fan's Opinion (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Tom Benson

After elimination, Denver Nuggets' Andre Miller looks ahead; NBA links

Source: Nola.com by Jimmy Smith, The Times-Picayune

Nuggets' Miller keeping options open. (Denver Post). J.R. Smith opt-out deadline next month. (New York Post). Garnett's only life the game. (ESPN.com). Derrick Rose's knee surgery "went great." (Chicago Tribune).          ...

A member of the Krewe: Letter to the editor

Source: Nola.com by Letters to the Editor

While "Krewe" has been suggested already as a new name for the Hornets, I can't help but endorse it as symbolic of New Orleans. Krewe is singularly linked with NOLA and, like the Jazz, makes people ask what the...

Los Angeles Lakers advance to second round by topping Denver Nuggets

Source: Nola.com by The Associated Press

Pau Gasol had 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, Metta World Peace scored 15 points in his return from a seven-game suspension, and the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Denver Nuggets for a thrilling 96-87 victory in Game 7...

Miami Heat forward LeBron James wins third MVP award:NBA links

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

News around the NBA

Miami Heat forward LeBron James wins third MVP award

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

News around the NBA

In the NO Podcast Episode 66: Special Guest David Thorpe weighs in on the young guys

Source: Hornets247.com Blog by Ryan Schwan

Special Guest David Thorpe – NBA trainer, coach, and writer from ESPN.com – joins Michael and I to talk the young players on this team – what they need to do to grow, what they should and can focus on, and talks other young guys in the draft. He also seems to proscribe a trip to France to lose weight and tells us what he’d do with Eric Gordon if he was the Hornets front office.

This one is a good one guys.

Enjoy the Podcast! Want it on Itunes?

Here's a name with soul and spirit: Letter to the editor

Source: Nola.com by Letters to the Editor

Re: "What's in a local team's name? Lots," Other Opinions, May 10. Richard Campanella's thoughtful reflection spurs me to propose the following name for our basketball team, the New Orleans Dominos.Times-Picayune archiveHornets' current mascot HugoIf we want to talk about the...

Gustavo Ayon Season in Review

Source: At The Hive by MrWayneKeller

It's the dawning of a new era in New Orleans basketball, and with so much attention paid to matters off the court this season, I believe it's time to evaluate how our franchise performed during its time on the court. As a result, I want to begin an evaluation of the front office, the roster and the coaching staff and see how they performed, what could happen going forward, and whether or not you approve of their job this season. Without further adieu, the next player we're going to look at is Gustavo Ayon.

#15 Gustavo Ayon, PF, New Orleans Hornets
First season in the league (first with the Hornets) out of Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in Spain (1 Year, $1.5 Million remaining on Contract; $1.5

Top 5 New Orleans Hornets Players Born in Louisiana: Fan's Opinion (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

New Orleans Hornets born in Louisiana

Eric Gordon Season in Review

Source: At The Hive by MrWayneKeller

It's the dawning of a new era in New Orleans basketball, and with so much attention paid to matters off the court this season, I believe it's time to evaluate how our franchise performed during its time on the court. As a result, I want to begin an evaluation of the front office, the roster and the coaching staff and see how they performed, what could happen going forward, and whether or not you approve of their job this season. Without further adieu, the next player we're going to look at is Eric Gordon.

#10 Eric Gordon, SG, New Orleans Hornets
Fourth season in the league (first with the Hornets) out of Indiana University Bloomington (Restricted Free Agent)

9 Games, 9 Starts, 20.6

()

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Would former New Orleans Hornets GM/Coach Jeff Bower be a good choice for Portland Trail Blazers?

Source: Nola.com by Jimmy Smith, The Times-Picayune

Consider these names: Hilton Armstrong, Cedric Simmons, Julian Wright, Darren Collison, Marcus Thornton, Quincy Pondexter. And this: Tyson Chandler traded for Emeka Okafor. Former New Orleans Hornets general manager and one-time head coach Jeff Bower's legacy with the Hornets is...

Denver Nuggets "excuse" Chris Andersen amid police probe; NBA links

Source: Nola.com by Jimmy Smith, The Times-Picayune

Nuggets distance themsevles from Andersen. (Denver Post). Blazers have European assets. (Oregonian). Sickly Lakers will face first-round Game 7. (Los Angeles Times). Hawks' owner motivated Celtics' Garnett. (Boston Herald).        ...

Nuggets' Andersen target of investigation (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

DENVER (AP) Denver Nuggets reserve center Chris ''Birdman'' Andersen has been excused indefinitely from all team-related activities after Douglas County sheriff's deputies searched his home Thursday as part of an investigation by the department's Internet Crimes Against Children unit.

Denver Nuggets' center Chris 'Birdman' Andersen has his home searched

Source: Nola.com by The Associated Press

He played with the New Orleans Hornets before going to Denver

Breaking down the first round of the NBA playoffs

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

Last season, the New Orleans Hornets were one of the surprise teams in the first round after extending the favored Lakers to six games.

Looking to the Future: Minimizing Risk

Source: Hornets247.com Blog by Michael McNamara

Chicks dig the long ball, but most GM’s just want to get on base.

For those of you who got to hear Dell Demps on Jim Rome this week, you might have noticed that Demps seemed fairly conservative with his thoughts on the draft process. He talked about minimizing risk and evaluating whether a player’s talent is bigger than his problems. Personally, I agree with these philosophies for the most part- happy with the double in most cases, as opposed to going for the home run, but risking the strikeout. Fans like to talk about gambling on the ‘Boom or Bust’ guy, but their livelihoods aren’t at stake. It is fun to imagine what the Nikoloz Tskitishvili’s might become if they “put it all together”, but drafting a known entity like Caron Butler just seems to make more sense to me.

In 2002, Kiki Vandeweghe liked the “upside” more however, and he has since been fired as GM of the Nuggets and the Nets- where he drafted a high upside shooting guard named  Terrance Williams over more proven commodities like Tyler Hansborough, Darren Collison, Ty Lawson, and Taj Gibson. Williams will be on his 4th NBA team next year, most likely on a minimum contract, while the other four are key contributors on playoff teams.

This post is not meant to be an indictment of Kiki Vandeweghe, but rather an example of what can happen when the Boom or Bust guy goes bust. But what if they go boom? Well, that happens just enough to keep the trend going, obviously. If the boom or bust guys always busted, the league would have caught on and there would be no point in having this debate. In fact, in that same 2002 draft, the Nuggets choose a little known player from Brazil name Nene Hilario over guys like Melvin Ely and Marcus Haislip who were very productive in college.

It’s called ‘Boom or Bust’ for a reason- not ‘Bust or Bust’- and sometimes it is necessary to take a risk in order to get more value than expected from your draft position. There is no right answer every single time, in every single circumstance, but for the purpose of this week’s edition, let’s take a look at the guys who are the least risky prospects in the 2012 draft.

1. Anthony Davis

How he fails: Injuries or a drastic shift to the rules on the NBA game.

Admittedly, I would have had Greg Oden as a low risk prospect in 2007, but injuries have derailed his career and there is always a chance that chronic injuries can strike the Unibrow. But aside from that, the only way Anthony Davis completely busts is if Stern decides to use his last years as commisioner to make the NBA more like Baseketball. Psyche outs, no true defense allowed, and inappropriate cheerleading could all minimize his impact on the game.

Outside of those two drastic events happening, there is just no way Davis can fail. His floor is Marcus Camby, and even that is hard to imagine. He already is a better ball handler, a better shooter, better in the low post on offense, and fouls less than Camby ever did. Athletically, Davis and young Camby are on par and Camby is a better high post passer, but Davis gets the check mark almost everywhere else.

Injuries or Rule changes.

2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

How he fails: Injuries or Mati taking his ring back.

Again, we can’t predict injuries, and MKG could be an injury prone player throughout his career for the same reasons Dwayne Wade has gotten banged up several times. He just plays so hard on every play and attacks the rim so feriousisly, that he could get undercut, flipped, etc. at any time. Aside from that, the only way he fails is if he somehow loses his greatest skill- his heart (hence, the Mati Captain Planet reference).

Most players love the game and most players give it their all from night to night, but every couple of years someone special comes along that just shows another level of will, heart, and passion. Kidd-Gilchrist is that guy in this draft. A born leader who also loves to be coached, MKG just won’t allow himself to fail and will find a way to impact the game, even if he never fixes his jump shot. If you measure a guy like MKG by PPG or some other out of date statistic, you are missing the point. Instead, think of a more talented version of a guy like Nick Collison, who year after year finishes in the top 10 in categories like plus/minus.

And that’s his floor.

3. Kendall Marshall

How he fails: Miscast

When a guy has an A+ skill set, he rarely (if ever) fails in the NBA. While a guy like that might not become a franchise changer, he gives you a guy on your roster that is a known quantity with a role and most coaches/GM’s will take that. The JJ Reddicks’ of the world are limited, but they will always have value in this league, as evidenced by the fact that multiple teams were offering 6-7 million dollar (per year) contracts, which Orlando quickly matched.

Marshall’s court vision and leadership are both A+, and at worst you are looking at a backup point guard who makes the guys on the second unit appear to be far better players than they actually are. Think rookie version Jamaal Tinsley, who average 9 points and 8 assists per game, but more likely he becomes Mark Jackson with a ceiling of Ricky Rubio on offense (and still Mark Jackson on defense). He only fails if he is put on a team like the Heat, where he has two other guys dominating the ball, leaving him as a spot up shooter.

4. Austin Rivers

How he fails: Goes to a perenial laughing stock.

Rivers is probably the biggest surprise on the list, but I have racked my brain trying to imagine how he fails and I just can’t do it. He wasn’t a great fit at Duke and therefore didn’t meet expectations, but I saw the same thing happen to Russell Westbrook at UCLA and he turned out alright. I am not comparing the two guys as players, I am just saying that they were both bad fits for their programs because they were one and done scorers forced to play for rather conservative coaches. In the wide open NBA game, Westbrook has thrived and so should Rivers.

Rivers is a cerbral player, the son of a great coach, he can get his own shot almost at will, and has enough athletisicm to make plays in the paint- but not too much where it will keep him from working on other aspects of his game. The only way he fails is if he goes to a horrible team that forces him to become the go to guy instead of a role player, much like Kemba Walker has been asked to do for the Bobcats. Outside of that unfortunate situation, I just can’t imagine a scenario in which Rivers isn’t, at the very least, a Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams type off the bench for the next 10-12 years.

5. Jared Sullinger

How he fails: Injuries or unrealistic expectations

It seems to happen every year. We have a talented first or second team All-American come into the draft that has never been anything but productive on the court. The player also displays exemplarary character and leadership, yet he still plummets down draft boards. Why? Because of his measurables. They are undersized or slightly overweight, or can’t jump as high as fellow prospects, and they earn the dreaded label- “below the rim scorer.” Well, what is the last word in that label? SCORER! Who cares how they do it?

In 2003, David West was one of the top three players in college basketball, yet he went 18th behind guys like Reece Gaines and Marcus Banks who had sensational numbers at their workouts. West measured just over 6 foot 9 inches, which was an inch less than ideal for the position. An inch! And his no step vertical was a rather pedestrian 28.5 inches (almost a foot less than Marcus Banks). Yet, West has gone on to have a terrific career, despite the fact that he doesn’t posterize people. Two points is two points.

We saw the same thing happen with DeJuan Blair, Paul Milsap, Carl Landry, and Carlos Boozer. They all fell to the second round because of their size, as guys with better measureables but less production were called up first by the commissioner. And mark my word, it is going to happen again this year, as GM’s will fall in love with Andre Drummond, Perry Jones, and Arnett Moutrie. It is possible that all of those guys will be selected ahead of Sullinger, but Sullinger will get the last laugh when it comes time to sign their second and third contracts.

Of all the bigs expected to go in the top 20, only Anthony Davis had a better PER and only Thomas Robinson had a higher rebound rate- two stats that usually translate well from college to the pros. The fact is that quality players come in all shapes and sizes, and it really doesn’t matter how a player produces, just that he does produce. While Sullinger might never be the perrenial All-Star that people envisioned he could become after his fabulous freshman season, he won’t bust either.

Honorable Mention (and how they fail):

Royce White (fear of flying, immaturity)

Doron Lamb (asked to do too much on bad team)

Andrew Nicholson (can’t learn to defend 3 or 4)

Kevin Jones (doesn’t get regular PT)

Quick Note

- We will have David Thorpe on the podcast tomorrow, so put your question(s) in the comments below. We will focus on:

- Hornets Young Pups and what they need to work on

- Philosophies on why certain players do or don’t develop

- Pros and Cons of prospects in 2012 draft class

Looking to the Future is a weekly column that you can find only on Hornets247.com. For past articles, click here.

 

Deputies search home of Nuggets' Andersen (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

DENVER (AP) Douglas County sheriff's deputies have searched the home of popular Denver Nuggets center Chris ''Birdman'' Andersen.

Pacers' David Morway emerges as a frontrunner for Blazers GM job; to meet with owner (Yahoo! Sports)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Top candidates in GM search hint that Portland is changing team-building strategy

Pacers' Morway emerges as a frontrunner for Blazers GM job; to meet with owner (Yahoo! Sports)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Top candidates in GM search hint that Portland is changing team-building strategy

Indiana Pacers ready to face the Miami Heat Sunday: NBA links

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

News around the NBA playoffs

Indiana Pacers ready to face the Miami Heat Sunday:NBA links

Source: Nola.com by John Reid, The Times Picayune

News around the NBA playoffs

2011-12 Season in Review: Gustavo Ayon

Source: NBA.com

When Gustavo Ayon was signed by the Hornets, it was difficult to predict what kind of impact he might make. While getting acclimated to his new team and country, it didn't take the 6-foot-10 power foward long to prove he belongs in the NBA.

New Orleans Hornets fans can only envy Los Angeles Clippers' success with Chris Paul

Source: Nola.com by John DeShazier, The Times-Picayune

Paul is the only player in league history to average 20 points and 10 assists in the playoffs in 27 postseason games.

Hornets fans can only envy Los Angeles Clippers' success with Chris Paul

Source: Nola.com by John DeShazier, The Times-Picayune

Paul is the only player in league history to average 20 points and 10 assists in the playoffs in 27 postseason games.

There're lots of meanings in a local sports team's name: Richard Campanella

Source: Nola.com by Contributing Op-Ed columnist

The civic discussion on renaming the Hornets is informative because it has pressed people to capture their complex city concisely