And the wait is over! James Posey has agreed to a four-year deal with the Hornets. The contract will cost the team their entire mid-level exception (approximately $5.6 million per year). This move addresses two big issues for the Bees: 1) their need for some veteran leadership from a proven winner and 2) the lack of any bench scoring.
It will be fun to watch Posey pair up with Julian Wright as the team's bench swingmen. With Posey's sharp shooting and JuJu's athleticism, they should complement one another very well. Plus, neither guy is solely a shooter or a slasher. Posey can put it on the floor and draw a foul, and Julian can spot up on the perimeter.
Welcome to the Crescent City, James. We can't wait for you and your championship rings to arrive. I hope you're not happy with just two of 'em.
Now, if the team can just re-sign Pargo or offer Summer League sensation Bobby Brown a cheap contract, the rotation for 2008-09 is pretty much set.
Go Hornets!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
The James Posey Sweepstakes
Right after I post that there's nothing to report in free agency, I stumble upon all sorts of articles talking about the Hornets' desire to sign James Posey.
The Times Picayune is reporting that Posey, according to his agent, is still interested in the Hornets. Ken Trahan at NewOrleans.com has an article up about why the team wants to add the veteran swingman to the roster.
And Marc Stein of ESPN.com has confirmed that the Hornets are the team with the best chance to lure Posey away from the defending champs.
Meanwhile, NBC Sports is saying that Posey and the team might agree to a contract today. Although it's getting late in the day, and we still haven't heard any official news.
Stay tuned.
The Times Picayune is reporting that Posey, according to his agent, is still interested in the Hornets. Ken Trahan at NewOrleans.com has an article up about why the team wants to add the veteran swingman to the roster.
And Marc Stein of ESPN.com has confirmed that the Hornets are the team with the best chance to lure Posey away from the defending champs.
Meanwhile, NBC Sports is saying that Posey and the team might agree to a contract today. Although it's getting late in the day, and we still haven't heard any official news.
Stay tuned.
Leaps and Bounds
With nothing to report in the realm of free agent signings, we'll take a look at our two biggest potential internal improvements: Hilton Armstrong and Julian Wright. Both "veteran" Hornets are participating on the summer league team in Las Vegas. Two games into the offseason scrimmages, Hilt is averaging 13.5 ppg and 7 rpg. As usual, JuJu is filling up the stat sheet with some impressive numbers: 11.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3 apg, 3 spg, and 1 bpg. Granted, that's a sample size of only two games. And it's not exactly against the world's greatest competition. But it's nice to see the team's two most recent draft picks (Hilton was 12th overall in 2006 and Julian was 13th overall in 2007) have a solid showing.
It's really no surprise for either player. Armstrong did very well last offseason; unfortunately, that never translated into any significant improvements during the regular season or playoffs. His averages in scoring and rebounding actually dropped from his rookie season to his sophomore year. One writer over at Hoops World thinks that Hilton is a bright spot in the team's future. He certainly could be. But he hasn't proven anything yet. If he can get his on-court game to match what he's shown during the summer, this team will have one thing fewer to worry about.
With JuJu, we've seen more immediate progress. And plenty of long term promise. In his first season as a pro, Julian "Flight 32" Wright averaged 3.9 ppg and 2.1 rpg, all while shooting a very respectable percentage from behind the arc (41.7%) and from the floor in general (53.3%). The per game stats are a little deceptive, because his turning point didn't come until after the All-Star break. His breakout stretch came during two back-to-back home games: March 5 against the Hawks and March 8 versus the Nets. In those two games, JuJu had a combined 33 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. His field goal percentage during those two outings was an out-of-this-world 70% including 2/3 on three pointers.
Coach Scott himself has said he'll be keeping an eye on Julian this summer. A midrange jumpshot should be JuJu's main concern during the offseason. He has no problem driving the lane or getting to the rim. But if he could become a shooting threat, Julian would have a good chance to be the league's Sixth Man of the Year. And I wouldn't be surprised to see him crack the starting lineup soon enough. Although he saw limited time on the court (a little over 11 minutes per game), he should be a major part of the rotation next season. Weighing in his favor is the fact that he's an extremely versatile player. At 6'8" he could arguably play either forward spot. And his explosiveness and athleticism make him a good fit for both wing positions. With an improved shot, he could increase his role as a backup shooting guard. And he has a good enough handle to give the team an oversized playmaker on the floor at all times.
It's really no surprise for either player. Armstrong did very well last offseason; unfortunately, that never translated into any significant improvements during the regular season or playoffs. His averages in scoring and rebounding actually dropped from his rookie season to his sophomore year. One writer over at Hoops World thinks that Hilton is a bright spot in the team's future. He certainly could be. But he hasn't proven anything yet. If he can get his on-court game to match what he's shown during the summer, this team will have one thing fewer to worry about.
With JuJu, we've seen more immediate progress. And plenty of long term promise. In his first season as a pro, Julian "Flight 32" Wright averaged 3.9 ppg and 2.1 rpg, all while shooting a very respectable percentage from behind the arc (41.7%) and from the floor in general (53.3%). The per game stats are a little deceptive, because his turning point didn't come until after the All-Star break. His breakout stretch came during two back-to-back home games: March 5 against the Hawks and March 8 versus the Nets. In those two games, JuJu had a combined 33 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. His field goal percentage during those two outings was an out-of-this-world 70% including 2/3 on three pointers.
Coach Scott himself has said he'll be keeping an eye on Julian this summer. A midrange jumpshot should be JuJu's main concern during the offseason. He has no problem driving the lane or getting to the rim. But if he could become a shooting threat, Julian would have a good chance to be the league's Sixth Man of the Year. And I wouldn't be surprised to see him crack the starting lineup soon enough. Although he saw limited time on the court (a little over 11 minutes per game), he should be a major part of the rotation next season. Weighing in his favor is the fact that he's an extremely versatile player. At 6'8" he could arguably play either forward spot. And his explosiveness and athleticism make him a good fit for both wing positions. With an improved shot, he could increase his role as a backup shooting guard. And he has a good enough handle to give the team an oversized playmaker on the floor at all times.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The Offseason: who wants some cake?
Now that the free agent cake has had a large chunk taken out of it, I thought it was time for me to revisit the potential offseason game plan. After all, let's face it: who doesn't like cake?
Curry has advocated a nice plan that would certainly give us the depth we'd need to conquer the West (and beyond), but I'd like to try something a little different. An approach that I feel addresses our weaknesses and doesn't quite put us in luxury tax land. Now that Corey Maggette and Mickael Pietrus are off the boards, let's start with arguably the best available (restricted, mind you) free agent at the 2: Ben Gordon.
The problem with going after Gordon is that the Hornets are at/over the cap. They could offer him their full midlevel exception, but if Gordon turned down a 5 year 50 million deal from the Bulls last year, I find it hard to believe that he'd jump away from Chicago for a little more than half that yearly salary (the midlevel this year is about 5.8 million). This means that to get Gordon, Bower would probably have to arrange a sign and trade deal. So who would we give up for Gordon? I personally wouldn't want to touch any of the following players: Paul, West, Chandler, Stojakovic, Wright. That leaves Mo Pete, Shoes, Hilt, Ely, and Butler. Does anyone honestly believe the Bulls would trade Gordon to us for any of those players? Short of us giving away all of them, I don't see it happening (not even then, actually). Plus, if we make any deal that sends Mo over to Chicago, Gordon would have to start... which would be bad.
Instead, I'm going to offer a different approach. It will require a little bit of that whole "suspension of disbelief" thing, but it could work. Think "improbable", but not "impossible". Keep in mind that none of this has any grounding in reality; I'm simply musing on the subject. Here's the 3 step plan.
Wouldn't it be nice...
1. Send Hilton Armstrong over with Mike James for Andris Biedrins in a sign and trade. Shoes makes sense for a point guard-less Golden State, especially now that it looks like Chicago may not open to deals involving Kirk Hinrich. James is a poor (very poor) man's Baron Davis. He's fast, he doesn't always like to pass, and he'll throw up contested 3s all day if you let him. The warriors are dying for a point man, and James' recklessness (which is somewhat effective) could be a good fit.
As for Biedrins, the Warriors only use him off the bench (which is a crime given their lineup), so Hilton will be just as useful for them considering he is one of the quicker big men in the game. His 40 minutes averages are far from Andris', but Nellie might be willing to spend more time developing his skills (something Byron had no interest in). Plus Hilt would cost less for them keep, making room for Maggette's contract and anyone else Chris Mullin wants to overpay (4 years, 17 million for Ronny Turiaf? C'MON!).
2. Resign Jannero Pargo. I'm fairly positive we can do this without it counting against our cap. Sure, we could use a backup who is more "pass-first" minded, but Pargo did do well this year all the while managing to avoid Byron's doghouse (despite a field goal percentage hovering near 43). Yeah, he's streaky (but so is Gordon), but he's comfortable with the team and the coaching staff. I still don't think the shot to save our season should have fallen to him, but I'd welcome him back in a heartbeat.
3. Assuming we still have the option (after a very hypothetical trade for Biedrins), offer the full midlevel to Josh Childress. He's restricted, but I'm not sure that Atlanta will match any offer, considering he really isn't their top priority. Childress is super talented, he can play the 2, 3, and 4, and he has a release that will confuse anyone who tries to guard him. He's likeable and he loves Tyson. He's a more solid backup than Bonzi and gives us depth with his versatility. Of course, if we do land him, you'll probably have to switch out you old Josh Childress Wallpaper.
If we couldn't drag Childress away, my vote would be to re-sign Bonzi. It wouldn't be ideal, but then again, if we pull of the above sign and trade, I'd be cool if we signed Curry.
Here's how the Top 10 Bees stack up if my plan goes off without failure
PG: Paul, Pargo
SG: Peterson
SF: Stojakovic, Wright, Childress (or Wells)
PF: West, Ely
C: Chandler, Biedrins
Does the word unstoppable come to mind? It should. Granted, this probably won't happen, but on the off chance it does, you heard it here first.
Peace.
Curry has advocated a nice plan that would certainly give us the depth we'd need to conquer the West (and beyond), but I'd like to try something a little different. An approach that I feel addresses our weaknesses and doesn't quite put us in luxury tax land. Now that Corey Maggette and Mickael Pietrus are off the boards, let's start with arguably the best available (restricted, mind you) free agent at the 2: Ben Gordon.
The problem with going after Gordon is that the Hornets are at/over the cap. They could offer him their full midlevel exception, but if Gordon turned down a 5 year 50 million deal from the Bulls last year, I find it hard to believe that he'd jump away from Chicago for a little more than half that yearly salary (the midlevel this year is about 5.8 million). This means that to get Gordon, Bower would probably have to arrange a sign and trade deal. So who would we give up for Gordon? I personally wouldn't want to touch any of the following players: Paul, West, Chandler, Stojakovic, Wright. That leaves Mo Pete, Shoes, Hilt, Ely, and Butler. Does anyone honestly believe the Bulls would trade Gordon to us for any of those players? Short of us giving away all of them, I don't see it happening (not even then, actually). Plus, if we make any deal that sends Mo over to Chicago, Gordon would have to start... which would be bad.
Instead, I'm going to offer a different approach. It will require a little bit of that whole "suspension of disbelief" thing, but it could work. Think "improbable", but not "impossible". Keep in mind that none of this has any grounding in reality; I'm simply musing on the subject. Here's the 3 step plan.
Wouldn't it be nice...1. Send Hilton Armstrong over with Mike James for Andris Biedrins in a sign and trade. Shoes makes sense for a point guard-less Golden State, especially now that it looks like Chicago may not open to deals involving Kirk Hinrich. James is a poor (very poor) man's Baron Davis. He's fast, he doesn't always like to pass, and he'll throw up contested 3s all day if you let him. The warriors are dying for a point man, and James' recklessness (which is somewhat effective) could be a good fit.
As for Biedrins, the Warriors only use him off the bench (which is a crime given their lineup), so Hilton will be just as useful for them considering he is one of the quicker big men in the game. His 40 minutes averages are far from Andris', but Nellie might be willing to spend more time developing his skills (something Byron had no interest in). Plus Hilt would cost less for them keep, making room for Maggette's contract and anyone else Chris Mullin wants to overpay (4 years, 17 million for Ronny Turiaf? C'MON!).
2. Resign Jannero Pargo. I'm fairly positive we can do this without it counting against our cap. Sure, we could use a backup who is more "pass-first" minded, but Pargo did do well this year all the while managing to avoid Byron's doghouse (despite a field goal percentage hovering near 43). Yeah, he's streaky (but so is Gordon), but he's comfortable with the team and the coaching staff. I still don't think the shot to save our season should have fallen to him, but I'd welcome him back in a heartbeat.
3. Assuming we still have the option (after a very hypothetical trade for Biedrins), offer the full midlevel to Josh Childress. He's restricted, but I'm not sure that Atlanta will match any offer, considering he really isn't their top priority. Childress is super talented, he can play the 2, 3, and 4, and he has a release that will confuse anyone who tries to guard him. He's likeable and he loves Tyson. He's a more solid backup than Bonzi and gives us depth with his versatility. Of course, if we do land him, you'll probably have to switch out you old Josh Childress Wallpaper.
If we couldn't drag Childress away, my vote would be to re-sign Bonzi. It wouldn't be ideal, but then again, if we pull of the above sign and trade, I'd be cool if we signed Curry.
Here's how the Top 10 Bees stack up if my plan goes off without failure
PG: Paul, Pargo
SG: Peterson
SF: Stojakovic, Wright, Childress (or Wells)
PF: West, Ely
C: Chandler, Biedrins
Does the word unstoppable come to mind? It should. Granted, this probably won't happen, but on the off chance it does, you heard it here first.
Peace.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Hornets! And Lots of Other Bugs
This story is from the middle of last month... but it's still noteworthy, because I made it happen. The advertising agency where I work does the marketing for the Audubon Nature Institute. When I found out they were planning a day-long extravaganza for their newest facility, I thought it would be a natural partnership with the Hornets. On June 13, they opened the Audubon Insectarium in downtown New Orleans. And the Hornets had a presence at the festivities.
I hadn't seen this news story until today, but I definitely wanted to post it. Due to the common "bug" theme, I thought it would be a good idea to pair the team and the museum. So I got in touch with the VP of marketing for the Hornets and asked our client if she'd be interested in having the team make an appearance. Both sides thought it was a great move, so I coordinated getting them in touch with each other. And the rest is history. Pretty cool to see something when I was behind the scenes.
I hadn't seen this news story until today, but I definitely wanted to post it. Due to the common "bug" theme, I thought it would be a good idea to pair the team and the museum. So I got in touch with the VP of marketing for the Hornets and asked our client if she'd be interested in having the team make an appearance. Both sides thought it was a great move, so I coordinated getting them in touch with each other. And the rest is history. Pretty cool to see something when I was behind the scenes.
2008 Free Agency Updates
Earlier today, the Hornets officially completed their number one priority of the offseason: re-signing Chris Paul to a contract extension. That move will keep the starting five intact through the 2010-11 season. With a few more savvy moves from Jeff Bower, that should be enough time to see the Hornets bring home a championship to the Crescent City.
Let's take a look at some potential moves for this summer. I'll start by ruling out a couple of things that won't be possible. First, ESPN reports that the Orlando Magic have taken Mickael Pietrus off the market. And the Golden State Warriors, in response to losing B-Shiddy and Pietrus, have agreed to sign Corey Maggette to a ridiculous deal. So there go my top two free agent swingmen. However, the team's top two targets (James Posey and Jarvis Hayes) are still available.
Last week, NewOrleans.com reported that the Hornets are interested in Hayes. And the Times-Pic/NOLA.com recently had an article detailing the team's interest in Posey. Those two weren't on my list; only one of them -- Posey -- was really on my radar. And you can be sure it will be one or the other, not both, that the team really makes a run to get... since they offer more or less the same things. Honestly, I think I would be OK with either. I would prefer Posey as I think he's more reliable. He certainly has more experience, including in the playoffs (60 postseason games to Hayes' 15). But I don't think either one alone will solve our bench problems.
At this point, my ideal summer would be something like this. The Hornets could wrangle Ben Gordon away from the Bulls, since they'll hopefully be bogged down in contracts in order to keep other players. And the Hornets offer a contract to Eduardo Najera with any leftover money. Gordon would be an upgrade from Pargo, so we can let him walk. And Najera could play either forward spot giving the second string some size on defense and another 3-point threat on offense. If Hilt and JuJu can both improve, we'd really only need a backup point guard as insurance.
1) Chef Paul, Point Guard X, Mike "Shoes" James
2) Mo Pete, Ben Gordon
3) Peja, JuJu
4) D-West, Hilt, Najera
5) Tyson, Mel Ely
I'd be happy with that lineup.
Let's take a look at some potential moves for this summer. I'll start by ruling out a couple of things that won't be possible. First, ESPN reports that the Orlando Magic have taken Mickael Pietrus off the market. And the Golden State Warriors, in response to losing B-Shiddy and Pietrus, have agreed to sign Corey Maggette to a ridiculous deal. So there go my top two free agent swingmen. However, the team's top two targets (James Posey and Jarvis Hayes) are still available.
Last week, NewOrleans.com reported that the Hornets are interested in Hayes. And the Times-Pic/NOLA.com recently had an article detailing the team's interest in Posey. Those two weren't on my list; only one of them -- Posey -- was really on my radar. And you can be sure it will be one or the other, not both, that the team really makes a run to get... since they offer more or less the same things. Honestly, I think I would be OK with either. I would prefer Posey as I think he's more reliable. He certainly has more experience, including in the playoffs (60 postseason games to Hayes' 15). But I don't think either one alone will solve our bench problems.
At this point, my ideal summer would be something like this. The Hornets could wrangle Ben Gordon away from the Bulls, since they'll hopefully be bogged down in contracts in order to keep other players. And the Hornets offer a contract to Eduardo Najera with any leftover money. Gordon would be an upgrade from Pargo, so we can let him walk. And Najera could play either forward spot giving the second string some size on defense and another 3-point threat on offense. If Hilt and JuJu can both improve, we'd really only need a backup point guard as insurance.
1) Chef Paul, Point Guard X, Mike "Shoes" James
2) Mo Pete, Ben Gordon
3) Peja, JuJu
4) D-West, Hilt, Najera
5) Tyson, Mel Ely
I'd be happy with that lineup.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Tyson to Travel as Team USA Alternate
Great news for all the fans in the Big Easy. According to Chris Sheridan, New Orleans' own Tyson Chandler will be traveling with Team USA throughout the summer as the first alternate for the twelve man roster.
For him to officially crack the roster someone else would have to get injured, but that puts a small possibility out there that he and CP3 could go global with the Crescent City Connection. Think about that. Extrapolate it. Now we can haunt Dirk's dreams in the summer, too.
The addition of Tyson to the team addresses a slight shortage of front court talent (the team is only bringing 3 "true" big men, opting for Melo to start at the 4). Basically this means that Coach K and Company are going to playing small ball... unless TC gets on board.
Hornets fans should be proud of their crew as only 2 other teams have more than one player representing them abroad on either the roster or reserves. Detroit has Prince on the roster (who was actually selected instead of Chandler for the last spot) and Billups in the wings, while Utah actually has 2 players on the official roster: Boozer and D.Will.
At any rate, we at HH would like to extend our congratulations to Tyson... and our condolences to Bill Paxson.
And for those of you who want a little more of a preview for the "Redeem Team" check out my boy Sheridan. Expect more Olympic coverage to come as the summer continues.
Peace.
For him to officially crack the roster someone else would have to get injured, but that puts a small possibility out there that he and CP3 could go global with the Crescent City Connection. Think about that. Extrapolate it. Now we can haunt Dirk's dreams in the summer, too.
The addition of Tyson to the team addresses a slight shortage of front court talent (the team is only bringing 3 "true" big men, opting for Melo to start at the 4). Basically this means that Coach K and Company are going to playing small ball... unless TC gets on board.
Hornets fans should be proud of their crew as only 2 other teams have more than one player representing them abroad on either the roster or reserves. Detroit has Prince on the roster (who was actually selected instead of Chandler for the last spot) and Billups in the wings, while Utah actually has 2 players on the official roster: Boozer and D.Will.
At any rate, we at HH would like to extend our congratulations to Tyson... and our condolences to Bill Paxson.
And for those of you who want a little more of a preview for the "Redeem Team" check out my boy Sheridan. Expect more Olympic coverage to come as the summer continues.
Peace.
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