After two days of confusion, the three-team trade sending Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick (and $1.15 million) to the Hornets has become official. In exchange, the Hornets will send Brad Miller and Jerome Dyson to Phoenix, and Minnesota will receive the two second round picks that were originally sent to the Hornets in the initial Brad Miller trade.
In addition, the Suns will receive a Wesley Johnson and a lottery protected 1st round pick from the Timberwolves. Robin Lopez (24 years old) will reportedly sign a 3-year contract worth around $15 million. Hakim Warrick (30 years old) will make $4 million in 2012-13, and has a team option for another $4 million in 2013-14.
Though the trade is official, I haven’t talked to one person who understands how or why it is legal. The CBA explicitly states that “teams cannot trade players for two months after receiving the player in trade, if the trade aggregates the player’s salary with the salaries of other players for teams over the salary cap.” The Hornets must aggregate the salaries of Miller and Dyson to bring back the salaries of Lopez and Warrick and are over over the salary cap, so the CBA clearly says that trading the two together is illegal. We’ll have to wait and see where the loophole is that makes this trade permissable, no one seems to have an answer at the moment.
UPDATE (7/27/12 at 2:30 PM) – Dell Demps has just provided clarity to the situation at hand regarding the legality of today’s trade. Because Brad Miller was received by NOLA using room under the salary cap (not an exception), they were allowed to trade him immediately with another player. Though it was unclear in the CBA FAQ, the Hornets being over the cap right now does not matter as long as the player being dealt was received at the time by using cap space. (We’ll ask Mr. Coon to include that in his excellent site for future reference.)
I’ve hit you with enough on this trade over the past 48 hours, so I’ll leave it at this for now. Everyone can take comfort in knowing the deal is done, and the Hornets finally have a legitimate center on a pretty good contract despite giving up next to nothing for him! Great work once again by Dell Demps the Chessmaster.
120 responses to “Hornets OFFICIALLY obtain Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick”
Why over think it? Just enjoy we got another 7 footer to throw in the fire. Welcome to the Big Easy Lopez and Warrick!
Sooooo in essence the hornets got Lopez and warrick for a second and Jerome Dyson! Dell is the man!
And the Hornets got paid to make that trade!
Wasn’t too sure at first but I think that this team is shaping up to be a pretty solid team in the next few years! Demps has given hornets fans a reason to be excited!!!
Good trade for us. Lopez’s contract is traceable, and Warrick has a team option for the 2013-2014 season.
Sorry to Mr Demps for calling him a moron yesterday but i didn’t think this trade would go through.
Nice work J, good to see you finally woke up
How much do the Hornets have under the cap?
The Hornets are over the cap, but under the tax.
Could u explain that?
I’ll have a post in a few days detailing the salary situation.
Does this trade eliminate the possibility of cp3 returning?
It was never a real possibility, unfortunately.
Not at all. We can do a sign-and-trade with the Clippers next year.
YES! Thanks for being on top of this, guys.
So our starting 5 on Halloween Night will be:
C – Lopez
PF – Skynet
SF – Anderson
SG – Gordon
PG – Vasquez
Not bad. Not bad at all. Remind me to never gamble with Dell.
Anderson will not play SF it will most likely be Aminu
Why are we assuming Lopez will suddenly be a starter in New Orleans?
Our lineup (so far) for the 2012-2013 season:
PG-Greivis Vasquez, Austin Rivers
SG-Eric Gordon, Xavier Henry
SF-Al-Farouq Aminu, Lance Thomas (assuming he makes the team), Darius Miller
PF-Anthony Davis, Jason Smith, Hakim Warrick
C-Ryan Anderson, Robin Lopez
My 5 would be….
pg-Vasquez, Rivers
sg-Gordon,Henry
sf-Davis,Aminu
pf-Anderson,Warrick
c -Lopez,Smith
NICE!!!!!!!!!!
Why would you start Lopez over J. Smith?
Again, Davis is not playing the 3! Neither is Anderson. Accept it. There’s 96 minutes between PF and C and Davis, Anderson, Lope, and Smith will get those minutes. Even warrick maybe. Minutes will be decided by foul trouble and who is hot that particular night. Often, it’ll be Davis and Anderson. I hope we get another wing and our point guards blossom
YES, YES, YES!!! And Dell did know what he was doing as the trade went through as originally proposed.
Yes he did. There was simply a piece of the CBA that we were unaware of (which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, given the complexity of the thing). We are accustomed to using Larry Coon’s FAQ site as the CBA bible, when we have to realize that it is not the CBA itself, but merely an detailed outline.
I just wonder if people really know Robin Lopez the player based on all the enthusiasm. This is a guy who has had 1 season (out of 4) where he performed at a level that would be worthy of this contract. He has never averaged 20 MPG in a season, and yet some people are putting him in their starting lineup, and has shown signs of regression in each of his last two seasons.
When we were discussing trading Gordon to Phoenix, most people came on here and said their players were overvalued because Nash made them better and they wouldn’t repeat that here. Yet, when we get Lopez, somehow the reverse is true. He is going to get better here. Um, okay.
I don’t see how that works, but I admit I am not fully versed in unconventional logic.
I am obviously hoping Lopez plays like the 09-10 version of himself, but most evidence points to him playing like he has the past 2 years, and if that is the case, he is overpaid and I would have preferred to wait it out.
Sincerely hoping I am wrong on this one.
I think your concerns are logical and legitimate. I like the deal and understand why we did it, but I’m not crazy about it either. That said, it is clear the Hornets wanted a true center on this roster. Dell even said so in his statement about what Lopez brings to the Hornets. Even if it is a mediorcre backup, you have to pay for a 7-footer with experience in this league.
Also, I don’t think Lopez’s deal is so bad that you couldn’t move him after this season if you wanted to. After this year, he will have 2 years and 10 mill left. That’s not outrageous and really about what you would expect for a 25 year old 7 footer with 5 years of experience. Unless he is just plain awful this year than I think you could easily move him to free up the cap that you speak of.
Chris, I literally could not have said this better myself. This is almost EXACTLY how I feel about it. The only thing I would change is the part where you call him a “mediocre backup.” I consider him a top-tier backup or a starter for a team with limited options at center (like us).
The key this first year is keeping AD out of foul trouble and that is where Rolo will help the most. He has 6 fouls that won’t have to go to AD while allowing AD to roam a little more freely around the lane.
Michael,
Four quick points, in no particular order:
1. We are desperate for a center.
2. Dell is a great teaching coach, and Lopez is 23.
3. Instead of playing pick and roll or pop, with the Hornets Lopez with have PFs with great shooting range to open up the inside for his more traditional back to the basket and put back game. (We will likely play pick and roll/pop with our PFs.) I think of him as a Okafor at 1/3rd the cost, which I will take any day.
4. Robin was the ‘more athletic Lopez brother’ out of high school.
Your #1 scares me more than it reassures me. When teams get desperate, they make moves they wouldn’t otherwise make. Again, I dont care about this year, so the fact that they didn’t have a true center a week ago didnt matter to me long term.
#4 means nothing.
#2 is not proven and we only believe this to be true because we are subjective creatures. Jason Smith vastly improved and Marco improved slightly, other than that I have seen no great improvement under Monty’s tenure. No more so than Gentry getting improvement from Dudley or Gortat.
#3 Okafor’s worst season far surpasses Lopez’s best season. Again, I understand that the point of the fan or fanatic is to be wildly optimistic, but if you look at it objectively all of the data shows that he has been, at best, an average backup big 3 of the 4 years he has been in this league.
I know I cannot win this with a subjective fan base, but if I got just one person to temper their optimism I have done my job
You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you’re looking for
We were desperate for a center… But the fact that we got a 7ft young center for 5million a year in exchange for peanuts is pretty amazing and something to be happy about. Usually when a team is this desperate, they overpay big time. Dell didn’t do that!
I have made it known that I am not a robin lopez fan BUT at this price, he is a great addition. Also, comparing him to the field of prospects available, it was a needed move.
Additionally, I think warrick is a perfect trade chip for the future.
We had no veteran players on our team, really. The importance of having guys that are veterans and know the ways of the NBA and help teams get through a season is so underrated. We got that in Hakim Warrick.
Robin Lopez is a young center that has shown promise. I think we got a pretty good deal. We still have lots of cap room for next season, and we got a guy that can bang with the big boys and rebounds pretty well. He’ll take hits away from Davis and isn’t afraid big time players (Blake Griffin). I believe that he will make a Smith-like progression. In his first season with the Hornets, Jason Smith was just asked to do a few things. As he got more familiar with the team, Monty allowed him to do more things. I think that Monty will just ask him to rebound and bang with the monsters of the league at first. If he passes that test, I think Monty will allow him to get better and keep adding something he can do.
Lopez provides length and can foul like crazy if you need him to. He will be a great pickup for $5 million a year.
On another note, Monty has proven that he is a good teacher. He got Greivis Vasquez, Marco Belinelli, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Jason Smith all to be much better players. He will get the most from his players; and if he doesn’t, he will get Dell to find players that do give their all.
Gentry didn’t get improvement out of Gortat. His per minute numbers were very similar to what they were at Orlando.
I believe that he will make a Smith-like progression.
Do you have any more rational belief than do the suicide bombers who believe that they’ll be banging virgins minutes after they release the detonator.
I’m with you on this one, McNamara. I hope we’re wrong. I don’t hate this trade but I am not going to bow down to Dell’s “genius” for making it. It IS a questionable trade and it remains to be seen whether it will lead to higher on-court production for the Hornets.
It seems to me that some people are overeager to heap praise onto Dell and Monty, who are still largely unproven (see: no ring). These guys are not at all unworthy of a healthy dose of skepticism from (understandably) skittish Hornets fans.
My OPENING DAY depth chart:
PG-Greivis Vasquez, Austin Rivers, ?? (Roberts?)
SG-Eric Gordon, Austin Rivers, Xavier Henry
SF-Al-Farouq Aminu, Darius Miller, Lance Thomas, Xavier Henry
PF-Ryan Anderson, Jason Smith, Anthony Davis, Hakim Warrick, Lance Thomas
C-Robin Lopez, Jason Smith, Anthony Davis
Wouldn’t be surprised to see us trade Warrick. Either way I don’t see him playing much.
After Warrick, the next oldest player is 26 years old. So this is a nice young core. We may be a high lottery team this year, but watch out as our players grow together in the next few years.
P.S. No need to thumb me down for saying a 19 year old, one and done college player who played in a mediocre college conference won’t start.
Because Smith can’t back up the C and PF spots at the same time, I expect Davis to average around 20 minutes a game while we are in the playoff hunt (and more if/when we are eliminated). That is really solid playing time and in keeping with Dell and Monty saying Davis won’t have a lot of pressure on him. Also, remember Davis’s defense is ahead of his offense. How many games will we be winning late in the 4th Quarter? The fewer of those games, the lower Davis’s 4th Quarter minutes.
[My real gamble is saying Miller is our 2nd string SF on Opening Day.]
That “mediocre” conference has only produced 3 out of the past 7 national champions, including this past season’s champs.
The team Davis played AGAINST in his conference were mediocre at best. Get it. Don’t look at Kentucky, look at their conference schedule.
“teams”
Yeah, we’re gonna sit the player who was drafted #1 overall, college player of the year, part of the 2012 Olympic Team, whom other stars are already saying will be a “franchise” player, on the bench behind Jason Smith.
Yes! It’s the difference between potential and ability, tempered with the need to let Davis develop without undue pressure. This early in his NBA career, Davis is more about potential. No need to retard his development by rushing him. (And he is only on the Olympic Team due to a huge number of injuries to better big men.)
504-
So davis is only on the team b/c he is the 7 best american big and not the 3nd best? And we shouldn’t have him start b/c of this?? …… I follow the logic, I just don’t agree.
mazon,
I have posted a number of times why I believe Davis will not be a starter on OPENING DAY, and none of them have to do with the Olympics. So I find it odd the only thing you respond to is my pointing out ImSorry’s mentioning of Davis as a Olympic Team member should be qualified by the number of injuries to other bigs. Further you are doing it with numbers I never suggested, because I believe Davis’s presence on the Olympic team is also a product of his being viewed as a legitimate candidate for the 2016 Olympic Team. I believe Davis was chosen ahead of other, better, American bigs because of the Olympic Coaches view of Davis’s 2016 potential and the lessor 2016 potential of the other bigs. (If Davis is a legitimate Olympic Team member, why does he only play at the end of blow out wins when every other player plays earlier and in every game?)
He was picked over allstars Roy Hibbert and LaMarcus Aldridge. Picked over guys like Josh Smith, Carlos Boozer, Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Zach Randolph, Andrew Bynum, Amare Stoudemire, and I could keep going! Not sure of I’m correct with all of them, but I know he was picked over most of them cause established basketball minds like Jerry Colangelo & Coach K see him as a better player and future super star! You are crazy if you don’t think Davis will be starting for the Hornets at the beginning of the season.
Name me a number one overall pick that was healthy and did not start opening day? Numer one overall picks always start, especially when they are one of the best players on your team. That logic makes no sense that he would have more pressure on him as a starter. He will absolutely start opening day and every other game that he will be a Hornet and healthy. Monty is not stupid. If he wants to keep his job, Davis will be starting opening day PERIOD!
Davis! He weighed 223 lbs. at the NBA Combine! He doesn’t have the body to play down low in the NBA or the offensive skills to play away from the basket. (I think he will in time have both.)
So the problem is where to start Davis. Over most improved Anderson at PF? No. At C where he will get pushed around all day? No. Some people recognize this problem and suggest Davis will start at a position he never played in college: SF. He is an even worse fit there.
It’s not how good Davis is compared to the team, but how good he is compared the players at his position (PF). It’s not where he was drafted, but who he can beat out.
If managment thought Davis was a starting PF, why pay Anderson $34M over the next 4 years? If managment thought Davis was a starting C on Opening Day, why trade for Lopez and say Lopez is the only C on the roster?
You question my logic but yours is merely a formula: 1st pick=starter. (And you never mentioned the position where you think Davis will start on Opening day)
Kevin Garnett weighed 220 lbs his rookie season and started from the first jump ball. He started right away at power forward. Chris Bosh came into the league at 230 lbs and started right away at power forward and played some center his rookie season. Saying he does not have the offensive skills to play away from the basket is ridiculous. Did you see him hit that 3 pointer for the Olympic team in his first game with basically zero practice time. It’s unreal how just because he was such a great defensive player or that he struggled offensively in the national championship game, that he does not have an offensive game or face up jumper.
Answer this question: How can a player be picked over a bunch of NBA All Stars to represent his country in the Olympics, not start for the team that picked him with no other big men on the roster with his ability? Ryan Anderson, Robin Lopez, and Jason Smith will never represent their country on the Olympic basketball team. He will start at power forward or center from the beginning of the season for sure.
To answer your question: I believe Davis will start at power forward opening night. This will be the starting five, if everyone is ready to go:
C: Robin Lopez
PF: Anthony Davis
SF: Ryan Anderson
SG: Eric Gordon
PG: Greivis Vasquez
I don’t agree with the lineup, but I believe Dell & Monty see Anderson as a slightly bigger Peja. They are the same height, but Ryan is about 11 pounds or so heavier. Anderson can shoot the 3, but is a better rebounder. To say that Anderson can’t play the 3 cause he isn’t athletic enough, I’d argue that he is more athletic than Peja ever was, lol. I don’t think Ryan will start every game at small forward, but he will in alot of games. This also depends on the lineup the Spurs put out there. If they start Duncan and Diaw like they did at the end of last year, then we may go with Davis at the 5, with Ryan at the 4, & Aminu at the 3. Against Dallas that lineup above will be the starting 5. Against Memphis I could see Aminu starting and Ryan coming off the bench. Who knows what against Houston, cause I have no idea who will be starting in that mess, lol. So depending on the opponent, Davis will play the 4 or 5, mostly the 4. Anderson will play the 3, 4, or maybe even the 5. Aminu will start when we can’t get away with Anderson playing the 3 defensively(against LeBron, Durant, other athletic 3s). I’m hoping I’m wrong at the point guard position and Rivers shows enough to start right away.
Oh yes I changed my name from PD lol
Oh yes I asked you to name me a number one overall pick that was healthy that did not start for his team opening night?
I would like to be the first to officially create the nickname “Swatman & Robin” for our starting front court of Davis and Lopez. I WANT THE CREDIT, HORNETS247, haha.
Actually, after seeing this photo (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SsVrWi7boSQ/TIk5eDeL9SI/AAAAAAAAANs/dd29W7aasY4/s1600/robin-lopez.jpg), I would also be willing to discuss the nickname “Swatman and Sideshow Rob.”
That pic is epic.
Somebody should photoshop AD’s unibrow into the batman symbol.
I read the Hornets are also getting cash considerations from the Suns. Does anybody know if there is truth behind that. And if so, what is that cash amount?
Even if the cash consideration is either false, or nothing substantial I still love that this trade was basically Jerome Dyson and a 2nd round pick for Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick.
In Dell We Trust.
And one more thing. Jim Eichenhofer tweeted the following.
“Demps: ‘”I think we’re almost there but we haven’t finalized our roster. We’re close. I think we’ll have a couple more signings before camp.’ ”
Be interesting to see what those final additions may be. Willie Green anybody?
Interested in Lopez.
Cant wait for Hakim (The Dream) to be off the roster.
You all are crazy. One guy had davis at SF! LoL. That will never happen. And everyone thinks warrick is some stuff slouch. He is a solid player and a veteran to help with the young team. Its gonna be a year or 2two for players to develop and get better playing together. So why not get rivers and davis all the playing time u can.they are the future or at least possible future if the pay them. To say davis is only gonna get 20the minutes a game is insane. Coach wants defense and last time i checked davis should be nba ready on that side of thhe ball
Should Landry go to the Warriors, Charlotte could work a deal to acquire Warrick. However, the Hornets have a pretty deep rotation this upcoming year. The front court will be an interesting battle come training camp and if Thomas goes to the 3, then this will be interesting.
A lot of people are bad mouthing Lopez saying he was a bust. The fact is he didn’t fit there and he wasn’t given enough playing time when Shaq was there and Gortat being a gem for the Suns. Had he started the last two seasons and played well, he could have been given a contract at least more than a quarter of what Brook got in the Nets.
Pg: Vazquez, Rivers
SG: Gordon, Henry
SF: Aminu, Miller, Thomas, Henry (given the situation)
PF: Davis, Anderson (6th man), Smith, Warrick
C: Lopez, Smith, Davis
Looking at this team as of now , this team is very interesting based on what rotation given the certain situation. I do see Anderson being one of the guys to close and Lopez could be more of a pick-and-roll type of player. We will have to wait and see come training camp. A lot of media outlets pick the Hornets to be one of the most improved teams in the NBA.
Some of you aren’t putting the pieces together… Looking back we finished the season with our bench allowing us to unload all the large contracts down to JJ.. So we lost Okafor, Ariza, Landry and JJ… that was about $33,000,000 more or less… and let’s not forget yo by Belinelli…
So we replace Okafor with Lopez/Smith at slightly a third of the cost… We Ariza with Aminu/Miller/perhaps Warrick.. We replace Landry with Unibrow/Anderson/Smith… and Belinelli is replaced with EG…
And we are rumored to be in the hunt for Roger Mason at G..
I really believe our front court will be…
Davis, Anderson n Lopez
-#1 pick will not be comin off the bench. not a player like Davis anyway.
-last yrs most improved player will not be comin off bench. also it wont happen cause what we are payin him
-Dell said hes lookin for a center in f/a. Davis or Anderson cannot play the 5. we finally have a real center since Chandler. (besides Kaman’s short stint)
Davis @ sf will b great. we have good 6’10 sf in these days. Durant, AK47 n also R. Lewis. he can keep up with sf in this league, hes fast n also can shoot. did everbody forget he was a 6’3 guard 3yrs ago? think about it. our best startin 5 is….Vasquez, Gordon, Davis, Anderson n Lopez. Davis @ sf also helps because we have an under size sg in Eric Gordon.
DaThrone said Dell Demps messed up on this trade by not knowing the New CBA guidelines. Always opening his mouth on sports topics that he knows nothing about. Lol…. Throne wrong as usual!
Do you want me to point out all the times you’ve said something that turned out to be wrong?
I based my opinions off of what was reported. It was REPORTED that the deal was invalid. Who else is to blame besides the GM’s for making a deal that’s not legit. Are we that devoid of common sense now?
You can try to point out things I’ve said that we’re wrong but you would be wrong AGAIN!
The info you may gather from others reporting will tell only certain things that may be released to outsiders! But YOU took the approach of blaming Dell Demps! The info released didn’t blame Dell Demps, and come to find out, it wasn’t Dells fault. * Look, your main goal to log on to the Hornets sites everyday is to give bad/negative info or bash the Hornets FO & their Players! Try something new, say something positive and accurate! Your consistent negativity on everything Tge Hornets do, along with your 95% of inaccuracies rely shows your lack of sports knowledge!
*For you to think that Anthony Davis won’t benefit from being on the Olympic team because at 19yrs old he’d be to young to take advantage of the moment there, again shows your lack of a athletic background! Never compare a Great athlete in Anthony Davis to the average 19yr olds mindset! It’s that Alpha Male syndrome that you fail to understand dude. The mindset is different in those type of athletes and also in the work force around the world! And you, not knowing THAT also shows that you don’t have it in you!
*Elite Athletes & Musicians Mindsets are different, they speak/communicate differently than the norm!
#You’reWelcome
….stop giving your “opinions”! People want FACTS, and your “opinions” without “facts” makes you give out Wrong Info!
You just said the reports stated there was a snag in The deal. Nowhere did they say that Dell Demps messed up the deal or blaming him for the snag, like YOU did! Stop trying to blame Dell Demps for mismanaging the Hornets front office when you don’t have a clue of the basic operations in a NBA front office! Stop being a guy that always talking foolish, gain wisdom!
Wisdom:
Every man should have a VISION, and we should always keep that VISION, but never let our eyes be our VISION!
Why do I have to explain the difference about opinions and facts to who I persume are adults?
My opinions were based on the facts(which happen to be wrong in this case). Now that it’s been cleared up my opinion has changed. It’s common sense. That if you make a mistake it’s your fault who elses. If Demps really didn’t know that the deal as reported was invalid then it would have been his mess up. How is this even debatable?
You don’t have to explain the difference between your opinion and the facts! I said to start giving your opinions with the correct facts of the story, which common sense should help give you a accurate picture of the situation and allow you to give a more educated & accurate response!
All you do is hear the challenging obstacle part of the Business of the Hornets, and there you go shooting out at the hip with the negativities of what Dell ain’t doing! You are way in Cali and you nor the media have a clue of the 411 back here in NOLA! Obviously noticing your consistency of being WRONG, you informant where you gather your info, is misleading you.
Let it go, you never played!
…….. OR you just can’t comprehend!
Maybe Lopez will come to the Hornets with a chip on his shoulder. Maybe he’ll be excited about the opportunity to be part of something bigger than him and up his game. Monty instructing him will definitely get the maximum out of him. If these dudes come in and jell together, it will be interesting to watch. A health EG with his head on straight can shock a lot of folks. Monty will drive home the TEAM message and won’t allow egos to take over. I think we’re definitely on the right road. Dell is proving to be a GM worth noting.
I believe Lopez will be averaging alot more than 14min/game with the Hornets. J/S
Ok here’s the starting five
pg rivers
sg gordon
Sf aminu
pf anderson
c davis
reserves. Vaquez miller henry and lopez
thats all you see. Trying to lineup a depth chart is pointless.
Rivers over Vasquez?
Maybe in a couple of years but not right away…
No smith? He is too good and has progressed so far not to continue to get 20min a game…
Rivers has the quickness and play making ability that Vasquez doesn’t. That’s why he starts. As far as Jason Smith, he doesn’t have an identity. When asked if he wanted to play center he said that he would rather be a PF. Lopez knows his position. He’s a CENTER, A 7 FOOT CENTER!!! If you’re a 7 ft. PF like Smith, you have to do more than pick and pop, and that about his only offensive skill at this time.
One more thing to consider. Davis got drafted because he’s the best player in the draft. Rivers got drafted because we need firepower, a player who can get his own shot when Monty limits the number of possessions. Eric Gordon was the only player before the draft who could do this. Now Rivers can. His challenge will be to incorporate Anderson and Davis and spread the floor.
Davis would match up in our division with Dirk, Duncan and Randolph among others. He will need help to be a threat with the ball. At this point, he can board and block, and that is needed if Rivers and Gordon will force shots and Anderson shoots 39% from 3pt.
I think I won this one by rule of public opinion!
if they dont start Anderson n Davis together, i would start Warrick @ sf. which is an upgrade for Aminu. n i still say Davis @ sf is better then Anderson. Anderson is 2 slow to guard sf’s in this league. Davis is quick, can dibble n shoot. My 5 again…..
Vasquez
Gordon
Davis
Anderson
Lopez
Ps keep in mind that at least one of the scorers davis rivers and gordon will be on the floor at any given time. You gotta keep the offense moving. Monty’s job will depend on how well he can keep up the rotation being that all three of our scorers have been injured in the past.
I don’t see Lopez starting over Jason Smith. I think it will be:
Vasquez, EG, Aminu, Anderson, J Smith
AD will play an awful lot, but I think he will come off the bench as well as Lopez.
This will change mid year.
Lopez makes 5 mil, J Smith makes 2 mil. Lopez will start whether you like it or not. The bottom line is we’ll take our lumps this year while everyone learns their role on the team. We’ll have about 30 something wins. Next year, we’ll have another lottery pick and add another piece to the puzzle. If we get another #1, it will be Nerlens in Nawlins. We’ll see how the draft class of 2013 shakes out.
Warrick, Henry and Smith (all have team options or buyouts) come off the books and so maybe Ibaka or another defensive big comes in. Then we get back to the playoffs.
Correction, Lopez may not start, but he’ll play more than J Smith. Damn, if we would have kept Ayon, him along with Vasquez and Lopez would have made a great promotional night for Latin Heritage Month. Los Hornets!
Los hornets! No ticket or green card necessary to be admitted to the game! Lol
or…..
Rivers/vasquez
Gordon/henry
Anderson/aminu
Davis/warrick
Lopez/smith
Lopez, Davis n Anderson have 2 all start together. it makes the most sense n it makes us big. it also makes up for havin a 6’3 shooting guard.
Our main advantage in our division is that we are younger and quicker. Plus there’s no way 1st round picks especially on a team that won 21 games won’t start.
Gentry is not(and I Repeat) is not a Coach! He has no legit philosophy and his players never develope under his coaching! Think about those players drafted under his staff. Where are they career wise?
Cont.
Not saying that Lopez will turn into a double double Center, but we should see improvement! After all he’s a 7’0, 24yr old Center with 6 fouls….he should make something happen defensively like a “Roy Hibbert space eating” type mode!
Gentry doesn’t develop players. He just lets them play, which is why the players like him but they won’t win. The easiest job a coach can have is have a PG that makes plays on the floor. Dragic and Marshall will do that for him. They just don’t care about the development of bigs there. Some teams aren’t built to develop big men. Phoenix, Golden State, Milwaukee, I could go on. Basically the coaches run plays around their big men and they become trash collectors around the rim. Think David Lee, Channing Frye, Gortat, Biedrins, Mbah a Moute. Ilyasova has some game but that came from being a wing player in Europe.
Sorry I forgot Detroit.
Is there still an sign and trade with Carl Landry going to the Bobcats and could Henry be part of that trade for cap relief?
No room to sign him unless he wants a $2mish salary. If he does and wants to be in Charlotte, but Charlotte wants to dump salary, and we’ll take it, then there could be one, but that will likely not end in any relief.
The evidence points against a ST happening, but it could.
For those folks who talk about AD playing SF, why would you take him away from the basket? He needs to be in or around the paint to take advantage of his shot blocking skills, not guarding someone out on the wing.
IMO you won’t be able to play Anderson and Lopez together very much. Neither guy has quick feet or can guard the rim. I’m also dubious about Anderson playing much 3 on the defensive end unless AD has his back in the paint.
Anderson, AD, Smith, and Lopez will take all of the minutes at the 4 and 5 positions.
MM, usually enjoy your stuff, not today. Frolo’s per 36 stats about 14 & 8, plus he put 21 & 7 on us & looked good doing it. Nobody here thinks he’s all star material, but we’re glad to have him. Let us be.
I read ” temper our optimism ” as raining on our parade.
Oh, that bit about you ” not being fully versed in unconventional logic “. Guess that means we are. Don’t even know what to say about that other than I hope your tampon supply is sufficient to your needs.
Dell Demps
GM of the year
Screw GM of the year, Im voting for Dell for president
Although Okefor, Landry, Jack, Belinelli, Ariza were all nba caliper players, none of them were championship caliper talents. Davis and Gordon might be. We could be one player away from having three. Then we might be able to compete against elite teams!
Sideshow Rob
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sideshow+bob&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1786&bih=895&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnso&tbnid=1O-RdnOiEpkloM:&imgrefurl=http://hollywoodhatesme.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/sideshow-bob-vs-killer-bob/&docid=24usBguwD5RyqM&imgurl=http://hollywoodhatesme.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/sideshow-bob.jpg&w=500&h=378&ei=JJMTULLsOqXM0AGR5YHYBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=958&vpy=170&dur=1809&hovh=195&hovw=258&tx=145&ty=127&sig=107974359781692460167&page=1&tbnh=105&tbnw=139&start=0&ndsp=56&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0,i:162
Davis will start, he is already our best defensive player. Anderson will start at center uunless we are matched up against a big c. He will take opposing centers out of the lane with his jumper. Lopez is a bench center for now but he will have some run for sure. Hakima can play SF and pf he’s just too skinny to play pf ALL THE time. Jason smith will come off the benchas our c or pf. We are extremely versatile. If rivers learns to passwatch out
Anthony Davis is big enough to play PF & C all the time but Hakim Warrick is not not? Also do you think he can play on the wing, because I dont
Who said Davis is ready to play C and PF all the time? It is all about match ups. He can definitely play C against Marcus Camby but can he play against a C like Howard. Hakim Warrick is not big enough to bang with the likes of Duncan. its just matchups. The Heat went through 10 different starting lineups throughout the playoffs until something worked. That is the beauty of their players, LeBron could play C against the Pacers because Hibbert is slow and only has a hook shot. Davis is our best defensive player protecting the rim with his instincts. I would not pull him too far away from the basket as a SF
Anthony Davis = Kwame Brown
I would have to respectfully disagree with you. Davis is far better skilled that JKw3ame Brown ever was. just remember he was just a 6’2″point guard in his freshman year in high school before he shot up 9 inches. I think he will not be ready to start right away because I still think he is still trying to get used to his body and although he has wealth, he does not look that he has the strength to battle down low in the NBA game.
Yes, I agree that AD has some skills which most bigs don’t have. Before he had his growth spurt, only one school in the country—Cleveland State, was recruiting him. So, it’s not as if he was an elite player before his growth spurt. He wasn’t.
Mike D,
Just like how Michael Jordan didn’t make his highschool team one year as well, but turned out to be the best player ever.
i think Lopez will have a rather decent season in NOH. He will certainly provide some toughness and strength on the defensive end. He wont be anywhere near his brother, Brook, but he will still be exciting to watch. Robin will probably be mentioned as in the running for the NBA most improved player award.
I’m trying to keep an open mind about Robin. He’s priced a little high for a backup, but if he can spell Davis and we can flip him in the 2013-2014 season then he was a fine rental. If he can become half a Tyson, we win.
It’s a good calculated risk for the team. I’m absolutely fine with the move, but I’ll let time tell me the story.
It is exciting, and he was cheaper than keeping Kaman.
Compared to last year’s CP3, Shinn/NBA ownership fiasco, it’s amazing the difference 1 year makes. All of this speculation about who will play where and analyzing Demps’ wizardry or lack thereof is FUN, pure and simple. It’s great to be a Hornets fan again. The one thing I’d like to offer about the line up issue (which this discussion demonstrates is very murky given the various talent the Hornets now have among players 6′ 8″ and taller) is that starting line-ups in the NBA are important, but are becoming less and less important as the years go by. Assuming the roster is now set (which is a big “if” with Demps in charge) I can’t imagine having Davis and Lopez on the roster and not starting them at the 4 and 5. But much more important than starting lineups are minutes and matchups. I do think because of their speed and athleticism Davis and Warrick (and to a much lesser extent Darius Miller) will all play some minutes at SF this year. And Jason Smith is going to do exactly what he did last year, which is to play a lot of backup minutes both at C and PF. And don’t be surprised to occasionally even see this lineup on the court this season: Gordon at PG, Anderson at the 2, Warrick at SF, Smith at PF and Davis at C. Of course this would never be a starting lineup, but we’re going to see a lot of strange lineups coming off the bench this season, especially while these players develop and gel as a team and while Monty is learning their strengths and weaknesses.
I was beginning to wonder why the lineup was important… Last season’s starting 2 and 3 were Belinelli and Ariza.. And in the majority of games where they were the starters we immediately got behind within 3 minutes.. Then on occasions Belinelli would get got and so would Ariza…
Another thing that was noticable was Coach’s perpensity to rotate often… But we are very long causing matchup problems for other teams.. Let’s just say Davis is on the Olympic team and not starting.. The kid and the other kid, Davis and Rivers are one year out of high school now playing with men…
I think their preparation will put them on the floor… From what I say you earn your minutes and we don’t have to play certain players by default… We now have better players… Whereas last season we lost games throwing bricks and not having the talent nor matchups to close…
So Lopez wasn’t chosen to dominate at the position and what I have seen Jason Smith is no slouch plus he has a sweet outside shot… It’s up to him to determine whether he can be moved from whatever position he plays… We also have reduced our matchup probems and I remember Warrick from college… both needed new digs…
Lopez had problems in the rotation playing behind Gortat and Channing Frye… He is coming to a better situation with more money… now we can play faster and shoot better…. let’s not mention Eric Gordon….
Awesome. Do you think you guys could do a post with a timeline of trades and moves by demps and the guys since the CP3 trade and how each one allowed us to get the guys we have now?
In work already!
Seriously, starting with Oakfor-Ariza.
Great!
i think we are a 6 or 7 seed! i hope we pick up Mason or Redd
Do we have the cap space flexibility to sign veterans SGs like either Redd or Mason without having to release any current players on the roster? If so do you give up on the X. Henry experiment?
We have a little over $2m to offer. Dumping X does not help since we are using an exception and losing him won’t get us under the cap.
More in a bit.
anderson, davis n smith will all start 2gether. we also need a solid back up sg since e.g. is so injury prone. a solid back up pg is needed also. if vasquez is in foul trouble or hurt we are in trouble. what do u think my hornet fans?
Sorry….Anderson, Davis n Lopez will start.
Dell Demps said that the Hornets are close to finishing the roster up. Who do you think the Hornets are going after? Think it’d be a back up SG? I wouldn’t mind seeing Willie Green or Michael Redd. Heard we are interested in Mason too.
Adam Morrison? we need another shooter, did well in the summer league…
I know we need another player at the 3 or SF spot…how would a sign and trade deal work between the Hornets (Carl Landry) and Warriors (Brandon Rush)? Rush can play the 2 or 3 and is a good shooter and Warriors have shown interest in Landry so lets just swap players? Is that possible?
It would work if Carl would take around $2m in salary.
[…] Hornets were acquiring Robin Lopez in a 3-team trade from the Phoenix Suns (completing a deal that took about two days to become official). Nine months later, it is now time to review Robin Lopez’s first season as a member of the […]