I got to record several video interviews at Media Day today. I missed out on some of the big names when my memory card filled up, and the camera work is like something out of Cloverfield. Regardless, enjoy…

Jeff Bower

My favorite interview of the day. Among the questions I asked:

• Do you think the Hornets are now a tougher team and better equipped to handle a physical team like Denver?
• Do the Hornets use advanced statistics?
• Do you find any value in measurements such as PER and Win-Shares?
• Do the Hornets really have a smaller front office staff than most other teams in the NBA?
• What other GM or front office most impresses you?

Darius Songaila

Everyone seems to love this guy. Among the questions I asked:

• Have you ever been asked to be a scorer off the bench?
• How would you describe your offensive game?
• How have the scrimmages been at the Alario Center the past few weeks?
• Do you expect Byron Scott’s offense to be similar to the offense Eddie Jordan ran in Washington?

Marcus Thornton

Thornton says he has a chip on his shoulder and he’s looking to prove his doubters wrong. Sounds like he’s ready to go. Among the questions I asked:

• What have your summer workouts been like?
• Do you think you can come in and take the NBA by surprise this season?
• Do you have NBA three-point range?
• How would you rate your performance at summer league?

Devin Brown

He sounded very disappointed with his performance last season, but said he had a good summer working out in San Antonio and “falling in love with the game again.” Some of the questions I asked:

• Are you still living in a hotel?
• How do the current goals and personality of the franchise differ from your first stint with the Hornets?
• How much does luck have to do with winning a championship?

Sean Marks

Seemed very laid back, easy guy to talk to. Happy to be back in New Orleans for another season. Some questions I asked:

• What’s the X-factor that makes a team a championship team?
• What makes Chris Paul different from Steve Nash and Tony Parker, both of whom you’ve also played with?
• How has it been going against Darius Songaila in scrimmages the past couple of weeks?
• What was it like playing in Poland?

Emeka Okafor

Group interview with Emeka. He was at ease, discussed a lot of different things, joked around a bit. Apologies that the video is especially shaky on this one, and the audio is a little low. Some of the questions he was asked:

• Is it true that you practice yoga and pilates?
• What do you think of New Orleans so far?
• How would you define success this season, both for the team and for you personally?

Hilton Armstrong

This was when my memory card hit capacity so unfortunately I didn’t get much from Hilton. Mostly he talked about his summer workouts…

Morris Peterson

I also got to listen in on a group session with Mo Pete, but the audio from that is so bad that I won’t bother posting it. However, he sounded like he’s itching for the season to start. He’s been working hard all summer (working out with Chris Paul some) and the switch back to #24 is symbolic of how rejuvenated he feels. Methinks the battle between him and Thornton at shooting guard will be one to watch in the coming weeks.

Other Notes

• Everybody seemed to be in good humor. Maybe that’s the norm for media day, but it was nice to see all the players loose and having fun. At one point, Bobby Brown even bust out with some dance moves in front of the green screen.
• From chatting with some of the reporters and media people today, it’s apparent that the Hornets have a great reputation for being easy to work with. From players to coaches to staff, everyone is typically friendly and respectful. I remember when Baron Davis left town on bad terms and George Shinn vowed only to bring in high character guys from then on. Seems he’s stayed true to his word and it’s paying dividends.
• The Hornets headed up to Lafayette after Media Day wrapped. Training camp gets started there tomorrow. First preseason game is Wednesday of next week against the Hawks.
• I completely forgot to wish Emeka a happy birthday. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when he “forgets” mine next March.

Many thanks to everyone who submitted questions. It really made the prep work for this a lot easier. I only wish I could have asked more of them, but perhaps another time.