In the middle of February, just four short months ago, the Hornets shipped local fan favorite Marcus Thornton out of town partly because they were overloaded at shooting guard. Now, as the Hornets prepare for the draft and free agency, they are facing the proposition of not having any shooting guards on their roster.
Willie Green is an unrestricted free agent and the Hornets have the option of whether or not to tender Marco Belinelli. Beyond that, they have nothing, unless you consider Jarrett Jack a shooting guard (I do!). Monty Williams spent much of last season giving 35-40 minutes to one guy at the point guard, small forward, power forward, and center positions while simultaneously playing musical chairs at shooting guard. Some might say that this needs to stop for the Hornets to take the next step, but we just saw a team win an NBA title with a fringe starter at this very same position.
Can the Hornets contend with a Marco Belinelli or Willie Green starting at shooting guard? Sure, but the other pieces the Hornets get this summer better be pretty damn good (Dwight Howard good) for them to be able to get by with a bottom level shooting guard. The Hornets will make every effort to shore up this position so that the team has more balance and so Monty will not have to tinker so much with rotations. The question is whether or not the missing piece to this puzzle is out there, and perhaps more importantly, can we land him?
Draft
Most people hated the fact that Willie Green got playing time over Marcus Thornton, and if talent was all that mattered, those people would be right for criticizing Monty. The truth is, however, that there were some personality and attitude issues behind the scenes that the Hornets organization did an excellent job of keeping behind closed doors so as not to embarrass the young man. Why do I bring this up, why pour salt back into the wound? Because David Lighty is the anti-Marcus in this regard and that is why he might be a Hornet in two weeks.
Lighty does not have the god given ability or remarkable skill set that somebody like Thornton has, but he is the type of guy who will be a coach’s favorite player. Go back and listen to the interview Monty did just a week or so ago. He said, and I quote, “There are different ways that guys can help this team. Some guys can come in and raise the levels of our practices and that helps us out.”
No, David Lighty won’t be a star, and it is highly likely that he will ever be a starter in this league, but he is an excellent defender and a hard worker who is willing to do anything a coach asks him to do. Think a quicker, but less physical version of Sam Young or perhaps a future Tony Allen with better handles. No, his ceiling isn’t very high, but the Hornets have other avenues to get starters. They could do far worse than Lighty in the middle of the second round.
A highly touted HS recruit, Liggins didn’t exactly live up to his billing but he did excel as a lockdown defender in college. He is even worse on the offensive end than Lighty, but he might actually be an even better defender because he is versatile and long enough to guard three positions. Liggins wingspan (6’11.25″) allows him to get into passing lanes and contest shots. With the zone likely to become more en vogue next season, a guy like Liggins could be a nightmare on the defensive end.
If Dell Demps is serious about putting some athletes around Chris Paul, he need look no further. Leslie is raw but he can jump through the roof (40.5 inch vert), and like Liggins, he has a freakishly long wingspan for his size (6’10.5″ despite only measuring 6’3″ without shoes). He can’t shoot and his defense is just slightly above average, but he rebounds wonderfully for his size and did I mention that he can jump through the roof?
Leslie doesn’t fit the Demps/Monty profile on the court, but I think both men realized how unathletic the Hornets were at times last year and they both know that they will need to improve the roster in that area. Leslie has a great work ethic and non stop motor and that might be enough to make him a Hornet despite his limitations elsewhere.
Other possibilities: Scotty Hopson, Gilbert Brown (Sleeper who I really like), Nihad Djedovic
Free Agency
Unrestricted
1. Jason Richardson (Magic)
He is almost the top unrestricted shooting guard by default in a relatively weak class. Jamal Crawford is a superior player, but will be out of the Hornets price range. Richardson was awful after his trade to Orlando, but he was playing excellent ball with Steve Nash and would likely return to that form if paired with CP3. In his 25 games with Phoenix last year, Richardson scored just over 19PPG on 47% shooting, including 42% from three.
At this stage of his career, Richardson is basically just a jump shooter, as evidenced by the fact that 87% of his shots last year came outside of the paint. He doesn’t get to the line much anymore and he is just a slightly above average defender. Basically, he is a more consistent version of Marco Belinelli. Question is: How much will teams be willing to pay for that?
2. JR Smith (Nuggets)
People always want to give JR Smith the benefit of the doubt because of his enormous skill set. They think that one day he will put it together and make an All-Star team a la Zach Randolph, but as Schwan has said multiple times, “This guy is the same chucker he was five years ago.” The question is whether or not that inefficient player is still better than anything the Hornets have on this roster or will have a legit shot at in the market.
Smith made the efficient Nuggets offense even more efficient when he was on the court last year (by 4.8 points per 100 possessions) and didn’t do any harm on the defensive end (+1.9). He also got to the bucket more last year than in seasons past (26% of shots taken in the paint compared to 16% in previous years) and who knows- maybe CP3 can help him flip that switch. You gotta take a chance sometimes, right?
3. Shannon Brown (Lakers)
Technically, Brown might not even become a free agent if he invokes his player option, but I have a feeling he wants out of LA. The Hornets made a run at him last offseason and might do so again this year if the price is right. Brown doesn’t have what it takes to start in this league, but he and Jack could be a deadly backcourt combo that could compliment each other very well.
Brown’s athleticism would be a welcome addition to a team that has one of the least athletic backcourts in the league. He has improved greatly as a defender and outside shooter since coming into the league and there is no reason to believe that he couldn’t continue to grow under Monty. Signing Brown would make sense if the Hornets brought back Belinelli or Green to play the “Deshawn Stevenson” role while CP3/Jack/Brown played the role of an upgraded Kidd/Terry/Barea.
Other possibilities: Vince Carter, Anthony Parker, Michael Redd, Sasha Vujacic
Restricted
1. Aaron Afflalo (Nuggets)
Afflalo is the type of shooting guard that Monty would kill for, but the problem is that Denver will likely match whatever the Hornets can throw at him. He is in some ways the two-guard version of Bruce Bowen, an excellent defender who can kill you with the three ball. Perhaps if Denver overpays Nene or sees Wilson Chandler as more of a priority, they might allow Afflalo to go, but I doubt it.
2. Nick Young (Wizards)
Young, on the other hand, seems destined to leave his current team for greener pastures. The problem is that he will want too much green and the Hornets will likely be out of the running for the up and coming shooting guard. Young put up great offensive numbers for a bad team this year and it is hard to tell if it is a case of a “looter in a riot” or if this is a sign of things to come. I say it is a little bit of both, as Young averaged over 20PPG in the 39 games he started last season, but his clutch time stats were awful.
The Wizards were not involved in many games that were close in the last five minutes, but in the 21 such games that Young participated in, his team went 5-16 and he shot just 40% from the field. The other red flag is that he is even more of a jump shooter than Richardson, as only 7% of his field goal attempts came from inside the paint. The Hornets need somebody who can get into the paint occasionally and get to the line, and they also need someone who can step up big in the final five minutes. I am not sure Nick Young is any of those things.
Trade
1. Stephen Jackson (Bobcats)
Michael Jordan says that he is not looking to cut payroll, but why hold onto a guy who is going to be on social security by the time your team is ready to contend? Jackson needs to be on a playoff bound team and the Bobcats need to start giving Gerald Henderson more playing time. At some point in the next 9 months, Jackson will be traded and the Hornets would be a great fit.
Jackson provides the outside shooting, length, and ball handling that the Hornets need while also giving them somebody who will not shrink when the bright lights of the playoffs are turned on. Jackson’s salary is a bit high, but the Hornets can’t afford to be pinching pennies at a time when they have to convince Paul to stay.
2. Joe Johnson (Hawks)
Johnson’s remaining salary is ridiculous and he is probably only worth half of what he is getting paid, but the fact of the matter is that Johnson probably represents the only chance the Hornets have of getting an All-Star shooting guard to go along side of CP3. If the Hawks get into the position where they are merely looking to dump his contract, the Hornets might have to consider. Think of it this way: What is CP3 worth to this franchise? If Lebron was worth an estimated $100 million to the Cavs, then CP3 has to be worth at least half of that, right?
Under the new CBA, a resigned CP3 would likely only get 14-18 million per year. If you have to overpay Joe Johnson just to keep CP3, then it is worth it financially when all things are considered. At least, that is how I will justify it to myself if the Hornets were to pull the trigger.
3. Brandon Roy (Blazers)
Speaking of bad contracts. Still, Roy has his moments and he is the kind of guy that teammates respect and want to play with. I have floated the idea of a Mek and Ariza for Oden, Roy, and Batum trade before and I still think that it is one that both sides should consider. Roy will never be the player he once was, but he wont have to be if he is playing with Paul and West. He can give 25 minutes of solid basketball every night, and maybe more on rare occasions or in the playoffs.
Again, he is not ideal, but when you are in a position like the one the Hornets find themselves in, sometimes you gotta take a leap of faith.
Conclusion
Even the casual fan can look at the Hornets roster and realize that shooting guard is the position that needs to be addressed, but the problem is that there are not a lot of great options out there. Teams will likely have to overpay for one of the starting caliber free agents and the draft will not provide the Hornets with the player they are looking for at #45.
History says that the Hornets should be patient here and wait for the trading deadline, when they are far more sellers willing to dump guys for pennies on the dollar. In the offseason, everyone is a buyer and the only thing teams are selling is straight garbage. Come trade deadline, you an get a guy like Gerald Wallace for nothing or steal a guy like Kevin Martin away from a bad team. But who knows, maybe Demps will find a diamond in the rough or swindle some poor sucker. We’ll just have to wait and see.
76 responses to “Offseason Targets: Shooting Guards”
To me the question is one of timing. Can we afford to sit it out and wait? Can we even make a splash? Patience is a virtue but this team is going to be highly criticized going forward in the next 12 months. If Demps pulls the trigger on something he better be sure it doesn’t cripple the team in the future and is a sure fire hit, but like you said that is very, very unlikely.
It’s quite frustrating, because until this team gets an owner we can’t say things like, “We’ll we can take on that guys salary, blah blah.”
Ugh, this offseason is going to suck.
How about Leandro Barbosa from Raptors it’s free agent this year
Boooo. All Babrbosa had was his incredible speed, now he’s old. And hes too small to fill any role on this team. No spank you
He might consider going back to Brazil, so he might not even be in the NBA.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/post/Raptors-Barbosa-headed-back-to-Brazil-?urn=nba-362471
Despite that I still don’t want him.
“Brown doesn’t have what it takes to start in this league”
I’m not even a Shannon Brown fan but hell Marco Belinelli was a starter last year. Maybe not an all star but a starter definitely. Brown is a mutant athletically and he when his shots there he can stroke it.
I’m very suprised Justin Holiday wasn’t mentioned here. He may not be there at 45, but it’s possible. He’s got a 7-0 wingspan and is a smart, lockdown defender who has good shooting range. His jumper is still a work in progress, but hes a good rebounder, athletic, and aggresive. I think he fits the profile of what Monty and Dell are looking for, it’s just a question of whether or not he’ll be there at 45. Hes projected anywhere from 40-50.
Oh, and NO WAY to Vince Carter. Here’s why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcTHP2K1ZWY
“Overloaded” lol
We have to improve this position in the off season by a decent bit if we want next season to be any different. I’m going to be pretty sad if we go into next season starting WG or MB.
My preference on this list for realistic options would be JR or Brown. Please god no to Roy or S-Jax.
Any one of these athletes cited in the article would be very welcome. All of them are much better than Belinelli and Green.
What about Wilson Chandler? It’s hard to see the Nuggets keeping Nene’, Martin, Smith, Afflalo, and Chandler especially given they are negotiating hard with Nene’ right now?
Smith, Afflalo, and Chandler all play the same position; who will go? Chandler starts but only averaged 23 minutes in the playoffs, down from 33 in the regular season. He played only 8 minutes in their only post-season win. What might that say about future Nugget line-ups? Enough to make me wonder if Chandler will come back.
Finally, the Nuggets are still digesting all of the Knick players they received for Melo and how they fit into the Nuggets’ team and plans. They may spit out a Knick player or two when given the chance.
I posted this in the forum but I’ll post it here too since nobody mentioned him yet:
I’d like to throw a name into the ring and get your guys’ opinion on it. Michael Redd. He is a scorer and a unrestricted FA. Obviously last yesr he had an injury that cost him practically the whole season but in a recent article it said “Redd is determined to prove he can play at a high level and has stated he doesn’t want to end his career due to injury.” From 03-09′ he averaged over 20 pts a game. In the last few games of the 10-11 season Redd finished it off pretty well proving he can still play but is it too much of a risk? If we re-sign D West and (in this made-up secnario) sign Redd thats 2 players coming off surgeries is that too big of a gamble. I personally love Michael Redd and would love to see him playing along side CP3
Article I pulled the quote from: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/p…..chael-redd
Wat about a trade for Monta Ellis? I know some will be against this but a back court of Cp3 & Monta wud be disgusting. Monty cud make Monta into a more than capable defender and his offense… u already know.
It’s not a good fit bud. Monta needs the ball in his hands too much. Its different with him and Curry because Curry’s just a spot up shooter. Monta needs the ball in his hands. That takes away from CP WAY TOO MUCH. We don’t need that. It’s a very BAD fit.
I still believe that backcourt would be among the best in the league. Monta can come off screens wit his deadly mid range J and has a good 3 point shot that is only improving. And as we saw this past season when CP3 & Jack played together JJ wud be the primary ball handler while cp3 kinda sit back. That cud be monta. Cp3 isnt looking to score so why wud adding monta upset him. David West as our 1 & only scoring option isnt going to cut it. Id MUCH rather have Monta starting at sg than Jack as some suggest on here. Monta is the same height but much quicker, athletic, and versatile.
If CP was ripping his past teammates like Thornton apart due to defensive lapses, what makes you think he wouldn’t do so to Monta Ellis? Especially since Ellis will demand the ball even more? Not to mention that Ellis’s defense is bad enough that it would force CP to guard all opposing shooting guards.
In the words of CP… #notagoodlook.
Why wud Jack be a better option at starting SG. Especially since he wud be 2steps slower than the other sgs?
I never said Jack would be better?
I think we should go a different direction blackmagic.
Ideally, if I could have anyone for THIS team, it would probably be Afflalo right now. But he’ll be tough. I think JR will be more probable.
Monta Ellis is already a good no great defender check his stats his in the top 5 for SPG. I think his like number 4 and Paul’s #1 of course so he would fit into monty williams system I said that too also scroll down to my comments and see how we can get him and more players.
You need to have a comparison that works. Monta plays on a team where defense isn’t a priority, and they play uptempo offense. Because of that, Monta gets opportunities for steals because he’s fast, not that he’s a good defender.
In our defense, he won’t help us. Monty specifically said in a recent interview that the team needs LENGTH. And that’s something Monta doesn’t provide. If we had Tyson Chandler as our Center to funnel players like Dallas does, it would. But we don’t. We need to play position defense. And Monta can’t do that.
I only see it as if he have defense from the start, why can’t he play for monty and be a better defensive player, why say and I quote “He’s fast, not that he’s a good defender.” a defender is a defender it doesn’t matter if he’s fast or not. I think he would play great defense, but his offense might be slowed down because Monty might make him focus in on D-fense more than offense. besides G.S.’s GM already said that their not putting Monta on the trade block even if he somewhat wants to be on another team!!!!!
From those list and the one’s discussed, my personal preference(arranged):
– Afflalo
– Chandler
– Smith
– JRich
and from the draft? Oh men, give me David Lightly. Has every tool to become a great role player.
David Lighty, at the very least, would add some new fire to Gil’s pun repertoire
Wilson Chandler wuld be my pick. But he and ariza are the same height but Wilson is stronger. Puttin Wilson at 2guard is like puttin lebron at the 2. Some nights it’ll work but what when he goes against dwade Jason Terry or monta. I say package ariza okafor Jarret Jack and two first round draft picks for Dwight Howard. Resign Marco. Maybe ariza and okafor for Chris kaman and Ryan gomes or Randy foye. No offense but just some more size on this team.
Iman Shumpert would fit this team so well i don’t see how you guys missed him im telling you look up his highlights and with Scotty Hopson we have to trade for him he can provide us with extra offense off of the bench…….Also i came here to vent a little bit…..Honestly i think we’re never going to win a championship with Chris Paul here…….I think he wants to leave anyways because when the question do you want to stay in New Orleans he always avoids the question so i think he wants to leave so i say we draft Iman Shumpert as the fall back for Chris Paul, then trade Chris Paul…..
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=3otakqe
Then the lineup will be
PG: Andre Miller, Iman Shumpert
SG: Wesley Matthews, Jarret Jack, Scotty Hopson
SF: Trevor Ariza, Quincy Pondexter, Scotty Hopson
PF: Carl Landry, David West, Jason Smith
C: Jason Thompson, Aaron Gray
(12 players)
This trade saves us 11M on our salary and we can still sign someone preferably a REALLY good Big man for like 10M
Positives: We finally have that good SG we need, We got a good deal for Chris Paul, we got rid of Emeka Okafor’s big Contract, we save 11M not including the salaries coming off, and We can finally have a championship roster
Negatives: No one will replace Chris Paul, It will take us a little while for the chemistry to be good and for the players to get along for the season, Portland will be a rival, and most people will criticize this trade…
J_HORNETZ
wow if you think that’s a championship roster buddy, you seriously need to rethink what “championship roster” means.
Actually i disagree with both of you Nikkoewan, i agree its not a championship roster…..YET, but have you actually read his whole post? we save 11M not including the salaries coming off and do you know what we could do with 11M?? who knows so that trade will definitely benefit us in a financial way but with you J_Hornetz i don’t think that this would be the right trade to do but ill admit it is well thought out and it can benefit us in the ongoing future
and ill acknowledge that the 2, 3, and 4 positions will be good (depending on Dwest) but the 5 and the 1 needs work then it will be a championship team
If you trade CP, you need to trade him for a player that can fill the role he has as best as possible. In all honesty, that position is IMPOSSIBLE to replace. But if you are going to trade him, you trade him for players like Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo, Tony Parker, or you can go for a guy like Andrew Bynum. Trading CP and Emeka for guys like Miller, Mathews, and Thompson is an absolute WASTE.
That team will NEVER compete for a title regardless of the 11 million you save because you just set Portland up to win for the next 7 years straight with CP. Roy. Wallace. Aldridge. Okafor. And the potential of a healthy Oden. Not to mention there will still be teams like OKC, the Heat, and Bulls who will still be head and shoulders ahead of the Hornets.
Terrible idea. Terrible thought. Wrong direction J, and Jalil.
IF you trade CP. Get true value for him.
agree 100% Ziko.
J Horn
Your roster isn’t even an inprovement over the 10-11 Hornets roster! Spo how is it a step toward a championship?
Why wait to get Kevin Martin? Snag him now. But then, I’m greedy.
See, this is why I like you McNamara. I comment on your last entry about Gilbert Brown and I come to find you write about him in this entry.
I have not been in the forum in a while, but I’m sure I mentioned him there, along with my adoration for Aaron A. and Shannon Breezy.
Word on the street is Shannon had relations with Pau Gasol’s girlfriend, and that’s why Pau zoned out of the playoffs against the Hornets and the Mavs. Given their roles on the team, Shannon might be given the boot for this fiasco, which surely will be portrayed to the media as something else.
Btw. The rumor bout Brown and Gasol’s GF is false. My buddy actually wrote the article reporting this, and he got SMASHED for it. I had a thorough conversation with my source about this, and he told me to tell my buddy he’s way wrong about his report, and that he shouldn’t post it.
He decided to do it anyway, and has been ripped apart by other websites and local media. Really sucks for him because it is the kind of article that literally makes or breaks someone.
But I know VERY well that not only Brown, but Sasha Vujacic is also VERY interested in joining the Hornets this summer. Brown, Sasha, and Trevor were clubbing buddies while in LA together, so the two would love to join Trevor in New Orleans.
Shannons also good buddies with CP, and whispered in his ear after the first round that he wants to join him.
Don’t ask. I just know these things cuz of close friends in high places. =)
At one point you and Mac are going to have to reveal who your NBA ties are. Either way, we’re on the same wave length, but you guys are a part of 2% of this website who have sources beyond NBA.com, ESPN, RealGM, et al.
The post season is a success if we sign Shannon for a moderate price IMO, I like this mysterious source within the Lakers Association u have Ziko.
Keep it up!
Can’t give my source up. I gave hints before as to who it was, but I promised him I would never say so. The best he can tell me are whispers he hears. Not always true, but a lot of time, they are. Examples? I knew about the Pau Gasol trade to the Lakers, and the Big 3 all going to Miami weeks/months before it happened.
Not a huge shannon fan but i could get down with brown. way better than anything we have and he might actually demand some defensive attention
but brown did throw that cheesy ass elbow at willie green and one at jarrett jack during the playoffs so not sure how much he really wants to be a hornet
Whoa ! For Real thats why he cracked in the playoffz.WOW! the question really is….. IS IT TRU???
The Denver situation is going to be VERY interesting. They are NOT going to be able to keep all those guys (Nene. Kenyon. JR. Chandler. Afflalo.) So It’s going to be interesting to see who they decide to keep, and who they decide to let slide.
My honest opinion?
I think they’ll retain Nene. Chandler. Afflalo. I think they’ll watch Kenyon and JR walk not because they aren’t important pieces, but because ALL those guys are going to COLLECTIVELY ask for too much money.
Wilson Chandler will be listed in part three of this series. I know he has played the position at times, but in my mind the guy is a small forward. As an upgrade to Ariza? Yes, please. Along side Ariza? No, thank you.
As for M. Ellis, I am not worried about the fit as much as I am worried about the pieces needed to acquire him. If Iggy isn’t enough for GS, what could we possibly offer that is better? I know some will say Okafor, but I don’t think either team would agree to that trade.
Michael Redd could be an 07-08 version of Mo Pete with some ability to get his own shot at times, but I think the Hornets would prefer more athletisicm and defense at the position. Justin Holliday is just too small and probably projects at SF when he fills out.
As for Denver, I wouldn’t be so sure that they will be unable to keep their main pieces. I think JR leaves, but they have plenty of room to re-sign Afflalo, Chandler, Nene, and even K-Mart at a reduced price.
Maybe we cud work out a three or four team trade wit GS. If we got monta in a deal involving Okafor, & we pick up Dalembert we cud definetly be a title contender with that starting lineup
PG: CP3
SG: Monta
SF: Ariza
PF: West
C: Dalembert
Dalembert won’t sign here.
i only like that idea because Monta Ellis is involved and we need him badly, but i wouldn’t grab Dalembert. I would try to make a deal for Javale McGee of Washington Wizards. check his stats this year!!!!
What is the allure of Wilson Chandler? He’s never been an All-Star, never made 1st or 2nd team, never lead the league in anything, and you can count his notable games on one hand. Why do people keep dropping his name like he’s “that guy?”
Wilson is a grinder dude. Hes is the type of player you need on a championship team, he is a renaissance man. there is nothing he cant do. Chanlder is a freaken beast id love to have him.
A beastly renaissance man? That don’t make no sense.
Separately, Retro 11s and 14s are coming out in December.
Ya i just picked up my retro 3’s a few weeks ago and im prolly gettin the Orions but i got the Concord 11’s on my list for december. Not into the 14’s
You don’t want the 14’s bro? Same ones he wore during The Flu Game, the Last Shot, and the Final Ring!
They might grow on me in the coming months but as of right now i just want the Concords
Marshon Brooks should have been in this article .
so I guess Memphis is keeping Oj da Juiceman huh?
I leave the pipe dreams up to others and just try to focus these pieces on realistic possibilities. Brooks will be long gone by 45 and OJ Mayo is more likely than not to be a Grizz when next season starts. If they do move him, it wont be in the division.
Off topic, check out this video of CP3 teaching the pick and roll to his campers. Drinking game: one shot of rum for every time he mentions Tyson Chandler and one keg for every time he mentions Mek.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbq2L4-nOZ4&feature=share
that was funny :)) never Mentioned Mek. He mentioned Tyson like 4 times. I wish Mek learns the slip screen. It’s one of CP3s greatest weapons.
Love that vid. Say’s a lot about what CP thinks of TC.
And I got to see first hand what TC thinks of CP. Definitely a great friendship there.
another snub for e’twuan moore
You mentioned the guy I was thinking about in the last few lines. Is it reasonable to see a scenario where Houstan finally admits around the trade deadline that their built up too much to obtain good draft picks and max free agents but not built up enough for title contention? I cant think of what we could possibly offer that’d appeal over other teams but Kevin Martin would just be….. delightful.
My reference to Kevin Martin was about how Houston basically stole him at the deadline, not that he will be available next deadline. Sorry if that was confusing and got people’s hopes up. Not intended.
George- as for Moore, I meant no disrespect, he just does not fit into what it appears that Monty or Dell would want from a guy at 45. I wouldn’t hate the pick, but I would be surprised by it.
Hate to say it, but Kevin Martin’s defense is flat out awful. I’ll try to find the article explaining. This doesn’t dissaude me from trying to trade for him, but Monty and Demps… I think so.
If I had to pick one guy who I thought would be the Landry Fields of this years draft, it would be E’Twuan Moore. Has NBA three-point range, a good spot up shooter, so playing with Chris Paul will no doubt help in that regard. Defensively he won’t be elite at the next level but certainly won’t be any worse than Willie or Marco. Great decision maker with the ball. Outstanding basketball iq, and more athletic then he is given credit for.
It’s fine, I understood that you were talking about steals in general. I was just interested to see if you believed that it is perhaps possible to see a scenario play out like I mentioned above for Kevin Martin specifically.
Hordan mate, Kevin Martin isn’t everyones cup of tea, I understand that. He’s not terrible at defending but maybe calling him average is being generous too. He isn’t ideal but I just like his offensive game overall, don’t forget that Trevor’s offense increased significantly after Kevin’s arrival in Houstan. Imagine having the option of the ball being in CP’s hands to start a game winning play, as the his options are to pass to a Kevin Martin anywhere for any score, or D-West in the post, or taking it himself or at least creating enoguh havoc to find someone else open….. Delightful again
The keyest word that’s been said in the comments: havoc.
Maybe it’s just the imp in me. Maybe it’s the anarchist. Maybe it’s the game theorist. With all the voices, it’s hard to tell.
Here’s what I hold tight to, like a pornstar made of a cotton velour:
“One of the Hornets’ big men — usually power forward David West, center Emeka Okafor or, this season, forward Jason Smith — steps up to provide a strong pick for Paul. This action ignites Paul and gets the Hornets into their half-court offense.
“Then all hell breaks loose.”
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/21140/what-to-expect-from-the-4-0-hornets
if the hornets bring back j.r. smith i’d drive him from the airport to the facility!
We have zero reason not to try to improve here, but I’m of the opinion that Jack may be our answer as the starter here. I like the idea of using our new-found cap room to sign some damned good backups, especially at the 2 so Jack can spell Chris and keep him to 30 mpg as often as possible. Landry / Jack type backups.
I just don’t see a magic bullet happening, something like Stephen Jackson.
Nice work, as usual.
If we get Wilson Chandler, we have a team. Ariza gets 11 points in 40 minutes a night. Wilson has 15 points in 33 minutes. He is a great player. We can trade ariza and okafor ror tall center like Chris kaman and Ryan gomes. Sign jr smith or Michael redd. My choice in the draft would be three point shooter Jon diebler.resign Carl but idk what type of money landry wants so that’s iffy.
Cp3/ jj/Willie green
jr smithor redd/ Willie green/ Jon diebler
wilson Chandler/Ryan gomes/pondexter
dwest/landry/Ewing
kaman/ gray
if money is an issue we cut Willie. But if this team were to come true, jr wuld have to be our fourth scorer and he wuld have to understand that. Monty teaches the philosophy of defense, but the bench is still kindve weak, so idk. I know the hornets have to make some sort of major adjustments.
dwest/Troy Murphy
Hey u probably didn’t notice it but u came up with a cool mavel-NBA N-Name for J.R. Smith: SMITHOR!!! the God of Thunder when he dunks the ball it could also bring in some fan cheering like what we did when Peja makes his 3-Pointers. The AV club or whoever does the sound effects can make a thunder sound and say “SMITHOR” in Dark Demon type of voice. It sounds weird when you read it, but jus picture it and it would sound so cool if it happened………. with J.R. Smith playing for Hornets of course!!!
I found the article of Kevin Martin’s defense. This is what it had to say: “Ironically, Martin is the type of player that requires a Yao Ming-like presence down low to cover up his defensive mistakes… He’s a liability on the defensive side of the ball, as opposing players effectively shot 60.5 percent on spot-up field goal attempts, according to Synergy data.”
-http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=haberstroh_tom&id=6436240
Kevin martin is not as bad as you think 🙂
http://www.thedreamshake.com/2010/12/9/1867444/how-ineffective-a-defender-is-kevin-martin
read that article 🙂
Ok, so maybe he’s not historically bad, or even as bad as everyone thought, but the article still says, “Martin still isn’t a very good defender.”
So, if somehow we could make a play for him, would Monty and Demps be willing to see past that?
Heck No! because if that was the case then we would’ve kept Thornton and let him average out at least 34 MPG so he could be scoring at the same level as Martin!!!
I’m so so surprised that Monta Ellis, Kevin Martin, and Dwight Howard wasn’t part of the trade part of this trade article. Personally I would love it if 2 of 3 was on the Hornets. but what’s the odds of that happening. what I’m wondering is what will our Line-up look like………. heres what it could look like if we had a category call Balance D:
starters Bench
PG-> Chris Paul Mario Chalmers (RFA), Jannero Pargo (Trade)
SG-> Monta Ellis (T) Sam Young (RFA), Deshawn Stevenson (UFA)
SF-> Nicolas Batum (T) Vladimir Radmanovic (UFA) Rasul Butler (Trade)
PF-> David West (Dt Opt) Reggie Evans, (UFA), (Tall) D- Leaguer???(or not)
C-> Javale McGee (Trade) DeAgre Jordan (RFA), (Tall) D- Leaguer??(or not)
yea I might be exaggerating a lil bit but the Hornets have a chance to get some of these players.
1) Carl Landry-sign and trade deal w/T. Ariza and Marco Belini for M.E.
2) Willie Green sign and trade deal w/current 2nd Round pick for N.Batum
3) Jarett Jack/Q. Pond 4 J.P/Rasul Butler (Sign & Trade from CHI) & 2nd Round Pick
4) Emek & 2nd round pick from (CHI) for J.McGee
5) everyone else is signed free Agents or RFA
It could happen!!! Hornets just gotta know how to mouth piece’em or better yet know how to talk to get what they want & stop being so attach to players. only players that need to be attach to is CP3 & D.Dub30
ALSO R.I.P. in Heaven KIARRA “KI-BABY” DAVIS!!!!! Your spirit is always apart of me, God Bless You!!!
I personally think that Affalo would be the best fit for the hornets, taking all things into consideration. But, Im wondering whatever happened to Janero Pargo????? This guy was a great compliment to Paul, and last I heard he was ballin in Russia, does anybody know what he’s up to now?
he plays for the Chicago Balls (Ha Ha) and their not using him really at all. for all that matters he should’ve stayed with us. his career was at his peak when he was playing for us. that’s why I saying he should be the one we try to get I’m pretty sure their paying him cheap, and they also have R.Butler and he played good defense as well as 3 pointers. we trade for them. I’m telling if the Hornets follow my Off-season moves they will be feared in the West not only with defense but with offense as well, but more defensive. the probably is that their focus too much on D not enough on offensive during the season I’ve observe that all they kept on doing was pick and Roll all day. that won’t work and won’t help.
you all make my head hurt.
And make me realize how little I know of player personnel.
But what I do know is West will not play back up…nor should he.
Next, the real move that will make Chris and everybody suddenly hot is the shooting guard.
Even Okafor suddenly becomes a player inside.
Gray gets respectable attempts.
All because we get a real threat outside.
Any thoughts about AI he gets to the line (crossover) and says he is willing to be a team player but he’s old vet min
i think we should call orlando & tell them everythings up for grabs except cp3, draft picks; whatever they want give it to’m.
That’s like saying it only takes 2 out of 5 to win.
Making a run at Dwight is a fool’s errand to me. Going after their other pieces to helps them clear space… That may be pointless, but we could at least propose something they’d consider.
I’m sure they said the same thing to Dell last year, but with Dwight as the only off-limits guy and you see where that got them: Nowhere.