And yes, somehow I manage to mention Rudy Gay. And donkey balls. I think you had to be there.

Give us a call to sound off! 504-322-3333.

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1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Nerlens Noel, F/C, Kentucky

Small forward is Cleveland’s biggest need, but Noel is a much better prospect than Otto Porter at this point, so Cleveland will take him. A couple years after LeBron left, the Cavs have a nice trio to build around and tons of picks, cap room, and flexibility. All they need now is the Suns training staff.

2. Orlando Magic – Trey Burke, PG, Michigan

The Magic have a lot of good, young pieces but no young floor general to get all these guys the ball. Jameer Nelson can hold down the fort for now, but the future face of this franchise will be Trey Burke.

3. Washington Wizards – Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown

Is there a better fit in this draft? Porter, who attended Georgetown right down the road, fills the small forward spot for Washington and gives them a devastating perimeter trio of Wall-Beal-Porter. Not bad. Plus they have Trevor Ariza to help guide him for a year!

4. Charlotte Hornets – Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas

The Bobcats Hornets fell two spots today, but they might still get the player that fits their needs best anyway in McLemore. A wing duo of him and MKG gives you tons of athleticism, shooting, and incredible upside.

5. Phoenix Suns – Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana

The Suns are in dire need of some perimeter defense and athleticism to play their style of basketball. Not to mention, they have a huge hole at shooting guard. Oladipo solves all their problems.

6. New Orleans Pelicans – Dario Saric, SF, Croatia

If the draft falls like this, Dell will likely be choosing between Saric, Alex Len, Michael Carter-Williams, and trading the pick. I would say that trading the pick is the most likely outcome at this point, but if the Pelicans do keep the pick I think they take Saric and groom him to be the small forward of the future for this franchise. They would have some options with Saric, as they could either bring him along slowly next year and let him play sparingly, or they can choose to let him play in Europe, then bring him over when he is a little more polished. Either way, small forward is obviously the biggest position of need and Dell has been scouting Saric for a few years now, so it could be a perfect fit.

Other Notes and Observations

- I will say two things about this pick

1. Somebody is going to fall. Every year, we think we know who the top five will be and all of a sudden guys rise and guys fall. Last year, I had Andre Drummond going #2 in my mock draft, for instance. On the flip side, I didn’t have Dion Waiters in my top 14. So it is very fluid and the guys to watch here are Alex Len and Anthony Bennett. If one or both of those guys intrigue GM’s ahead of us, one of the better players ahead of us could fall. The problem with that, however, is that both guys just had surgery and won’t be able to wow coaches and GM’s in personal workouts. If someone were to fall, my guess is that it would be Otto Porter. Washington could easily take Anthony Bennet and if that happens, Porter could fall right into our laps.

2. The Pelicans will look hard to move this pick. Eric Bledsoe, Chandler Parsons, and Demar Derozen. Guys like this will be targeted by Dell and if he can add a young veteran who can help the team short term and long term, I think he moves the pick.

- The salary cap hit for the 6th pick is approximately 2.6 million. If the Pelicans keep the pick, they are looking at approximately $14-$16 million in cap room this summer depending on what they set the cap at this summer.

- Did you notce that Monty made it a point to mention Austin Rivers when the reporter spoke to him prior to the picks being announced. I am paraphrasing, but she said something like, “You got the #1 pick and Anthony Davis last year. How great would it be if you won the lottery again tonight?” and he said, “Yes, we were incredibly luck to get Anthony AND Austin Rivers last year, so another top pick would be a blessing.” She didnt say anything about Rivers. He did. I just took it as even more evidence that they still believe Rivers is a big part of the future, and if that is the case, I don’t think they will be looking to add a guard with this pick.

- Leave your mock in the comments and get ready for the Sixth Pick Tournament coming this way later this week!

The Pelicans draft odds are below. Sign up for Livefyre and leave your predictions below as to what pick you think we will get and who you think we will take with that pick. Anybody who guesses both will be in the running for a very special prize!

And prior to the draft, hear about all the Pelicans possibilities by watching our Live Google Chat from last night and catching up on our Missing Piece series from this season.

Pelicans Draft Odds

1^st – 8.8%

2^nd - 9.7%

3^rd  – 10.7%

4th – 0%

5^th – 26.1%

6^th – 36%

7^th – 8.4%

8^th – 0.4%

Remember, leave your predictions below.

Our house it has a crowd
There’s always something happening
And it’s usually quite loud
Our mum she’s so house-proud
Nothing ever slows her down
And a mess is not allowed
Our house, in the middle of our street

– Madness, Our House

News

The New Orleans Pelicans gave a tour of the under-construction Pelicans Practice Facility they are constructing near the current location of the Saints Practice Facility. This has been a long time coming, and it should benefit the team . . . just not in the ways that many are touting.

Also, the Bensons celebrated the reopening of Harrell Stadium at 8600 South Claiborne Avenue. The NFL Foundation, NORD, Chevron, and more contributed to the renovations of the facilities at Harrell and other locations. At Harrell, the changes included improved basketball courts and installation of the turf from Super Bowl XLVII.

Around the Site

On In the NO, a Milwaukee writer joins the podcast to discuss Brandon Jennings.

Mike treated us to a review of each day of the Combine (1, 2), and a Missing Piece that looks at 5 plans the Pelicans can follow this offseason.

Also, we are throwing a watch party at Tracey’s for the Lottery, which start at 7:30. We’ll be there early to take advantage of the specials on wings and drinks.

Don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook by clicking here.

`Voices’ of the People

The beauty of the pelicans offseason is that they have sooo many different things they can explore to make this team better! We can all agree to that!! WE disagree with players to get BUT WE can all AGREE that their is NOTHING better that PELICANS Basketball!!

– KingJewelz

The new facility has to help attract players most because it signifies stability with an owner that is investing in the team. Stability and ownership had to be a concern of players. Now that the state-of-the-art facility is being completed (everyone likes shiny and new), it will obviously have some bells and whistles that other training facilities lack (at the moment). Plus its connected to the Saints training facility which is unique because no other team is owned by the same owner of the pro football team in that city. Who do athletes admire more other than rappers/musicians? Other athletes. It’s unique in the sense that it will create one big “Benson bond” with the football players, the basketball players and the administration all in one place bumping into each other constantly. After all iron sharpens iron. I believe it is a drawing card.

– LaNative

Am I wrong to feel like Bledsoe could be just as good, if not better than even the 3 players we want in the draft? Also, something I like about Bledsoe is because he probably won’t be amazing scorer it’s possible his contract won’t be as high as maybe it should be.

– JayDogon

42 Sense

With the lottery coming up (remember the party!), I wanted to go remind people of some mythbusting we’ve done around here regarding the lottery and the draft and some basic facts.

First, the drafts are independent. The Hornets winning last season has nothing at all to do with the Pelicans winning or not this season except through the record the team finished with.

Second, there is no evidence of tampering of any kind in the Lottery. It might sound cute and all to say how Benson bought the pick or Stern hooked whoever up, but it’s really all nonsense.

Third, there really isn’t any evidence that picking early in the draft helps a team win a title. Rather, the title teams collect talent from those teams who draft it. So, more focus on building a culture of winning and less hoping for the dice to come in.

If the team does well in the lottery, fine. If not, fine.

Plan A – Going All-in on Chris Paul

The Strategy: Trade Robin Lopez to Jazz for the 21st pick, draft Jeff Withey. Draft Shabazz Muhammad with own pick. Trade Greivis Vasquez for Lance Stephenson and 2014 1st rounder. Sign Chris Paul to 4 year/79.6 million dollar deal. Sign Earl Clark with exemption.

Depth Chart:

CP3/Rivers/Roberts

EG/Stephenson

Clark/Muhammad/Miller

Ryno/Smith

AD/Withey

In recent days I have become more skeptical of this scenario than I was when I wrote this article, mostly due to some information that is being passed around NBA circles. Long story short, multiple doctors have given a timetable of 1-2 years before Chris Paul’s knee is completely shot. Not only would this worry the Pelicans, but it probably worries Chris Paul’s agent, and all of a sudden that 5th year that only the Clippers can give him seems a lot more enticing. My theory has always been that since there is only a $6 million dollar difference in the first 4 years of the max contract the Clippers can give him (compared to the Pelicans), that money wouldn’t be an issue. But if the doctors are right, this might be CP3′s last major contract, and in that case he has to take the extra year.

But CP3, like most athletes, believes he is the exception rather than the rule, so it is possible that he believes he will be able to stay at an elite level regardless of wear and tear on his body. If that is the case, the Pelicans can lure him back to a city he loves to play for a coach he respects and a roster that can take the pressure off him so he doesn’t have to do everything. Muhammad is a perfect fit with CP3, as he does most of his scoring coming off of screens and pin downs. A guy like Earl Clark could be a D and Three wing who holds down the position until Muhammad is ready and Lance Stephenson gives the Pelicans some toughness off the bench that can spot start if/when Eric Gordon gets injured.

Plan B – Go Big and Don’t Go Home (Early in the Playoffs)

The Strategy: Use the majority of free agent monty on an upgrade at Center to put next to Anthony Davis. Then use other assets (GV, Lopez, pick, exemptions) to upgrade the wings and/or point guard position.

Depth Chart

Bledsoe(or Jennings)/ Roberts

Gordon/Rivers

Budinger/Aminu/Miller

AD/Ryno

Pekovic (or Jefferson)/Smith

Monty has remained firm in his philosophy that Davis is best suited to play the power forward position at this stage of his career. While Robin Lopez outperformed his contract last year, he was horrible in pick and roll defense and his post offense is average at best. Putting a top-10 center like Pekovic or Jefferson next to Davis could take the defensive focus off of him and allow him to roam free. Lopez’s inability to rebound on the defensive end also put too much pressure on Davis the other end, and both Pekovic and Jefferson provide significant upgrades.

Jefferson is an unrestricted free agent and the Pelicans can sign him outright, though there should be several suitors for his services. Pekovic is a restricted free agent, but the Timberwolves might prefer Lopez at $5 million to Pekovic at $13 million seeing that they are paying Love and will have to pay Rubio big money soon. In either case, money and assets will still be available to upgrade at point guard and small forward.

Plan C – Wings, Wings, Wings

The Strategy: The Pelicans allow Lopez and Vasquez to hold down the point guard and center positions for one more year, with the idea that Rivers and Davis can take over those positions full-time in 2014. In the meantime, they load up on wings in the offseason and maintain flexibility and some cap space for next summer.

Depth Chart

Vasquez/Rivers/Roberts

Gordon/Oladipo

Webster/Brewer/Miller

AD/Ryno

Lopez/Smith

Perimeter play was a nightmare for New Orleans last season, and one way or another this has to be addressed this summer. The only elite wing player on the market in Andre Iguodala, but he will probably get a contract in the $14-$16 million range. Instead, the Pelicans address their perimeter needs by going after multiple players with unique skill sets that could make their offensive and defensive attacks versatile. Shooting is sorely needed, so Martell Webster, Kyle Korver, and Chase Budinger should all be targets this summer. Also, Monty and Dell will want a wing defender who can cover multiple positions, so Corey Brewer and Gerald Henderson will be intriguing in free agency and Victor Oladipo or Ben McLemore could be fits in the draft.

This plan allows the Pelicans to be competative now while simoultaneously assessing players like Vasquez, Gordon, Lopez, and Rivers to see if they are long term pieces to the puzzle.

Plan D – Ryno and Lopez Part II

The Strategy: Dell targets guys this summer who are undervalued around the league, adding assets to set up a future blockbuster trade for a star.

Depth Chart

Vasquez/Rivers/Roberts

Gordon/Gerald Henderson

Chase Budinger/Devin Ebanks/Miller

AD/Ryno/Bennett

Lopez/Brandan Wright/Smith

Gerald Henderson is the player I would bet on becoming the biggest value of this free agent class if I had to pick just one guy. He has been stuck in Charlotte his whole career and has steadily improved every aspect of his game since coming into the league. Give the guy a steady foundation with one coach that he can learn from (as opposed to a revolving door) and he can take off. Dell can add Henderson, Chase Budinger, and PER All-Star Brandan Wright for the same price that it would cost to land one major fish. All three guys will be 25 years old next season and still have considerable room to grow. Throw in Devin Ebanks, a guy who has shown flashes in his brief NBA career, and Dell has quite a collection of assets.

Armed with a roster that goes 14 deep, Dell could be patient and wait for the right deal to present itself. The beauty of having a roster this deep and flexible is that Dell could make a 3 for 1 or even a 4 for 1 trade and still have enough bodies left standing to surround a star studded core.

Plan E – Waiting for 2014

The Strategy: If Dell misses out on all his main targets, he would be foolish to pull a Joe Dumars. Instead, he could just fill the roster with some quality vets who can help the locker room and allow Monty to give major minutes to young guys for one more year.

Depth Chart

Vasquez/Rivers/Roberts

Gordon/Oladipo/Mason

Dorrell Wright/Aminu/Miller

AD/Ryno

Lopez/Smith/Amundson

Most Pelicans fans would be hugely disappointed if the roster looked like this on opening day, but it beats throwing huge deals at average players. While this team won’t compete for playoff spots, it has a couple of built in advantages. For starters, it would be nearly $10 million dollars below the salary cap, which would put the Pelicans in prime position to take on a contract that another team wants to shed and be compensated with draft picks for their troubles. This is what the Cleveland Cavaliers have been doing for two years now, and their war chest is completely stocked.

It also puts them in prime position to land a marquee free agent in 2014. If Anthony Davis goes out and has an All-NBA season, New Orleans could become a prime destination for NBA players. Patience isn’t sexy, but it beats desperation if all else fails. And worse case scenario, the Pelicans are bad for one more year and secure a top pick in the most loaded draft since 2003.

The Curveball – Eric Gordon Gets Traded

The Strategy: It would be a miracle to get a young player on a quality contract for Gordon, and that miracle will likely not be answered this offseason. If the Pelicans do get offers for Gordon, they will likely be deals that look like pennies on the dollar on the surface, but if Dell wants to rid himself of the headache, he just might take whatever he can get.

Depth Chart A

Jennings/Rivers/Roberts

G. Henderson/Oladipo

Deng/Aminu/Miller

AD/Ryno

Lopez/Smith

In this scenario, Eric Gordon goes to the Bulls straight up for Luol Deng. It’s big risk, big reward for the Bulls, as they pair Derrick Rose with his AAU teammate and friend Eric Gordon. Now they have two guards with injury issues, but if they can ever get them both healthy, they would have the best backcourt in the NBA by a mile and a team that could legitimately defeat the Heat. The Pelicans, meanwhile, shed Eric Gordon and give themselves a quasi All-Star who is great in the locker room. After the trade, they reinforce the perimeter by sending Vasquez to Milwaukee in a sign and trade for Jennings, drafting Oladipo and signing Gerald Henderson. And in the event they don’t see Deng as a long term piece, the Pelicans could re-sign Aminu, who could learn under Deng for a year before Deng hits the market and the Pelicans have another $15 million to spend on the FA class of 2014.

Depth Chart B

Bledsoe/Rivers/Roberts

K. Martin/Oladipo

Brewer/Aminu/Miller

AD/Ryno

Jordan/Smith

This scenario involves the Gordon and Lopez for Jordan and Bledsoe blockbuster that has been rumored to been discussed amongst Clippers FO personnel. After the trade, the Pelicans draft Oladipo to be the future at the two and/or the three and then sign Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer to help jump start the perimeter attack. This lineup has enough length and quickness to turn the Pelicans into an elite defensive team, and plenty of upside on the offensive end as well.

The Missing Piece is a weekly feature that can be found every Saturday only on BourbonStShots.com. Past issues in the series can be found by clicking here. 

Cody Zeller is more David Lee than Andrew Bogut

As much as Zeller hurt his stock yesterday by measuring poorly, he helped himself today with athletic testing. There is no way he can be a traditional center in the NBA, but he tested very similar to David Lee coming out of college, so he can be an athletic power forward and an occasional small ball center. Remember, David Lee was very raw coming out of college and took time to develop his face up game. Zeller is further along at this point, so it is not crazy to think that he can become a fringe All-Star in a league that values offense, but don’t expect him to change the game on defense.

All that being said, David Lee put up those numbers and had a similar season production wise at UF and still went 30th overall. Zeller definitely helped himself, but he didn’t play as athletic as the numbers he posted today, so GM’s will take that into account. At the end of the day he might not fall out of the top 20 (I thought that was a real possibility after yesterday), but I don’t expect him to be the top-10 pick that seemed like a lock two months ago either. He should fall somewhere in between.

Steven Adams Will Fool Somebody

Adams followed up his great day yesterday with another good one today, and some GM will get sucked in. The guy did NOTHING at Pittsburgh, despite being a legit 7-footer in a conference that lacked size last year. He averaged 7 and 6, but even those numbers were inflated. He only scored in double digits five times in the regular season. His opponents? Deleware, Deleware State, Bethune-Cookman, Fordham, and Cincinnati. Only four games with double digit rebounds, and three of them came against scrub teams as well. One team will talk itself into taking Adams way too high, justifying it by saying Andre Drummond didn’t do much in college either, but Drummond was a freak athlete. Adams is not that.

Trey Burke finished in the Middle of a Very Impressive Point Guard Class

The point guard class this year is one for the ages, at least athletically. While Trey Burke had the best year out of all of them on the court, he was only so-so when it came to the physical testing today. He had a solid standing vertical of 29.5″, but his lane agility time was below average and as I pointed out in last week’s Missing Piece, that was going to be huge for him. You look at his main competitor for the #1 point guard spot Michael Carter-Williams, and MCW just blew him away. I looked over all the participants in the last ten years and when you factor in the measurables and the athletic testing, the closest comparison for Burke is Chris Quinn while the closest comparison for MCW is Jrue Holiday. Now, on the court still matters more, but remember that teams are drafting for the long term, not tomorrow. Tyreke Evans was far better than Holiday in their rookie seasons, but Holiday is the All-Star now. Just something to keep in mind. In fact, according to one Hoopsworld reporter who spoke with GM’s, he found at least four teams that said they would take MCW over Burke right now. Burke had the better season, MCW had the better combine. Individual workouts will decide this battle.

Other News and Notes

- Yesterday, I said Gobert could move into the #2 center spot if he ran a decent time in the agility drill. He finished dead last among centers at 12.85. That is similar to guys like Brooke Lopez and Jared Sullinger. His vert and sprint numbers were also poor. When a guy has a reach of 9’7″, he doesn’t have to be an elite athlete to protect the rim, but now that the NBA is so much pick and roll/pick and pop, he can be exposed on defense. On a positive note, Gobert was actually 2nd amongst bigs in the spot-up shooting portion, so he has some serious potential there.

- Victor Oladipo tested better than Dwayne Wade in the athletic drills. He is actually very similar to Iman Shumpert coming out, and I think Shumpert is a great comparison defensively. Shumpert on defense and Wilson Chandler on offense is Oladipo’s floor, while I still believe Dwayne Wade is his ceiling. Can’t imagine Dell passing on this guy if he is still on the board when the Pelicans pick.

- Otto Porter is starting to lose momentum and Ryan Schwan has pointed out several times on the podcast that there is always a guy who slides way down this time of year, and usually it is a productive wing who doesn’t exactly wow in the pre-draft tests and workouts. I don’t think that will happen to Porter this year, but I never thought Danny Granger or Kawhi Leonard would fall as far as they did. Porter’s weight is an issue, and his standing vertical and sprint time was unimpressive as well. He had one great year at Georgetown, but lost in the first round to a 15 seed and had a poor game in the tournament. I am not saying he will fall, but if you told me that one guy from the top six or seven in most mocks would fall down to the teens and made me guess who it was, I would pick Porter.

- On the flip side, as long time reader Eric Ingis emailed me, there are always guys projected to go mid to late 1st this time of year who shoot up into the lottery. If I had to guess who those guys could be this year, I would say CJ Leslie, Giannis Adetokoubo, and Allen Crabbe all have a chance to be ‘that guy’ this year. Also, Caldwell-Pope could go from a guy that is a fringe lottery pick to someone who goes in the top six, similar to what we saw from Waiters and Lillard last year.

- Supposedly the whispers are that the Jazz are obsessed with CJ McCollum. If the Pelicans fall to six or seven and don’t love anybody on the board, trading with the Jazz wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. The Jazz have picks 14 and 21 plus several nice young pieces on rookie contracts.

- People seem a little worried because Monty said that the Pelicans would draft for need this year over BPA. Personally, I disagree with that strategy 100 out of 100 times, but look again at what he really said. “We’re at a point now where we go by need and we’re trying to fulfill those needs as opposed to just taking best talent. Now if the need is gone, then you take the best player.”

Isn’t that the same as saying that if all things are equal, he will take the player at a position they need? He says that if the need is gone, he will take BPA. So, it’s kind of a backwards way of saying the same thing everyone else says, at least that is the way I read it. Unless he literally means that they will only draft a player at a position of strength if every single draft eligible player at a position of need is off the board. The bigger question is what do the Pelicans think their needs are. Small forward, obviously. But do they think center is a need? How about point guard?  Better yet, if they anticipate moving Gordon eventually, is shooting guard a need? I think you can at least argue that every position other than power forward could be considered a need, so it is a moot point anyway.

- Draft Lottery is Tuesday night, but before then you will have one more Missing Piece tomorrow and a Live Video Chat with the Bourbon Street Shots crew to get you ready for the big night that will kick off an incredible offseason.

Victor Oladipo is Dwayne Wade

Well, at least when it comes to measurables. It is kind of scary how close the two are when it comes to their measurements at the combine. Wade was a quarter of an inch taller and boasts an inch longer wingspan and standing reach, but Oladipo has slightly bigger hands and lower body fat while weighing in at one pound less than Wade. Tomorrow we will see Oladipo’s athleticism tested. For the record, Dwayne Wade had a max vert of 35 inches, was average in the agility drill (10.56 sec.), and absolute killed it in the 3/4 sprint (3.08 seconds). Production wise, Wade was a much better scorer in college and created more for others, while Oladipo was the better on-ball defender and perimeter shooter. The two are very similar in terms of rebounding and intangibles.

Oladipo probably won’t have the career that Wade has had, but there weren’t many who predicted this kind of career for Wade coming out of college. There were questions about his ability to knock down the perimeter shot and some thought he was extremely turnover prone as well. Wade slowly added a perimeter game to his repertoire and once teams had to respect that, he got into the lane at will. Once he could get into the lane at will, he lived at the free throw line. If reports of his work ethic are true, expect a similar progression in Oladipo’s offensive game.

Trey Burke Isn’t Who We Thought He Was!

There were whispers coming into this combine that Burke would measure under six feet. Wrong. In shoes, he came in just a tad over 6’1″ and he had a wingspan of 6’5.5″. Both were higher than Chris Paul’s measurements coming out of Wake Forest and he even weighed five pounds more than Paul. As I wrote in my Missing Piece last week, though, it will be all about tomorrow for Burke. He has enough size to be a Tony Parker/Lawson kind of point guard, but those guys had blazing speed and agility to make up for their lack of ideal size. If he tests well in those areas and has good individual workouts, he could be a top three pick, which is amazing when you consider he was projected around twenty just 2-3 months ago. And for the record, the New Orleans Pelicans were one of the teams to interview Burke.

Shabazz Had a Very Good Bad Day

Shabazz Muhammad was praised for being one of the only big names to participate in all the drills and he said all the right things in interviews. The problem came when teams actually watched him in those drills and got the results of his measurements. He defended fairly well in the drills, but he bricked shot after shot, and he measured more like a shooting guard than a small forward today. The guys over the last five years that Muhammad’s height and wingspan measurements are most similar to are Xavier Henry, Marquis Daniels, Caron Butler, Alec Burks, Brandon Rush, and Nick Young. If you notice, all of those guys (except for Butler) play primarily at shooting guard.

Muhammad could be a beast at shooting guard in the NBA for the right team because he should be able to post up 90% of the guys at that position in the league. The question is, however, whether he can stretch the floor as a two and whether he can defend shooting guard’s in the league. As of right now, the answer to the former is no, and we could get the answer to the later tomorrow when he does the agility drill. I have said in the past that he will be the small forward version of Eric Gordon – undersized, a solid scorer, but he won’t give you anything in the other categories. I was wrong. He won’t even be that good.

Other News and Notes

- Rudy Gobert killed it today. Last year, Meyers Leonard shot up 10-15 spots during the combine. Today, Gobert might have done the same thing as he had measurables unlike anything we have ever seen at the combine. He registered the second longest wingspan ever (7’8.5″) , the second highest standing reach ever (9’7″), and stood 7’2″ in shoes with very little body fat (4.4%). On top of that, he really moved well in defensive drills and was able to contest everything. This isn’t Hasheem Thabeet; this guy can move. It’s all about the agility drill for him tomorrow. If he can run anywhere between 12.00 and 12.50, he could shoot up into the top seven. He will definitely be a lottery pick, and he is now battling Alex Len for the #2 center spot after Nerlens Noel.

- Cody Zeller and Kelly Olynyk are bound to plummet down draft boards. They both had wingspans that were shorter than their height and scouts hate that. It severely limits their ability to protect the rim. Olynyk might be okay if he can show his range in workouts, as he can sell himself as Okur 2.0, but I just don’t know how Zeller sells himself to teams because he didn’t show a perimeter game in college this year. This would have sounded crazy two months ago, but as of today, I could easily Zeller being drafted after Jeff Withey, Steven Adams, and Gorgui Dieng.

- It’s not a huge concern, but Otto Porter weighed in at just 197 pounds. He had very similar measurements to Danny Granger with regard to height, wingspan, standing reach, etc. but was nearly 30 pounds lighter than Granger coming out of college. That is kind of a big deal. We saw Rivers struggle mightily because of how frail he was this year and Porter could have similar struggles early on. He is similar in size to Corey Brewer coming out of college and Brewer had difficulties early in his career despite being a terrific college player. Porter is more skilled than Brewer coming out of college, but the thin frame will worry some GM’s.

- As of today, I believe the Pelicans Big Board goes: Noel, McLemore, Oladipo, Porter, Len, Burke, Saric, Gobert. Barring somebody coming out of nowhere in individual workouts, it will be one of those guys or a trade. My money has been on Oladipo for over a month now. That could change, however, depending on the results of the lottery on Tuesday.

- Some guys were 1 inch bigger in shoes vs. w/o shoes. Others gained an inch and a half. What!?!?!

This year we’re hoping if we all gather in one place and force our collective will on David Stern, we’ll cause the exact same thing to happen again! Our friends over at Tracey’s in the Irish Channel have offered to host the official Bourbon Street Shots NBA Draft Lottery Party.

Details

What: The Official Bourbon Street Shots NBA Draft Lottery Party

Where: Tracey’s Bar & Restaurant. Located at Located on the corner of Magazine and Third St

When: Tuesday, May 21st. The lottery starts at 7:30 pm central but most writers will be there earlier to talk some hoops

Specials: Tracey’s has graciously offered us drink specials on Abita beer and Sailor Jerry rum. There will also be 50 cent wings!

It’s always fun to put a face to the username so come talk Pelicans basketball, watch the lottery and celebrate the anniversary of the franchise’s turning point! If you plan to attend, be sure to let us know on Facebook!

Added:

Who: People of all ages. The drink specials don’t mean the future of America can’t enjoy the future of the Pelicans.

Why: Because it’s about time people start publicly displaying their affection for the team . . . and wings . . . and Tracey’s is cool.

First, let’s get the basics over and done with. Much of this is available elsewhere, but we’ll repeat it for completeness.

• The facility will be around 50,000 sq. ft., consistent with original specification. This includes new construction and renovation of the old Voodoo facility. 
• The cost is closer to $15m than $10m. Ownership is contributing to the overage, just as they contributed to recent renovation of the Saints portions of the facility.
• It will house 2 courts complete with seating for an audience of media and fans, conference rooms, media rooms, locker rooms, and more.
• The on-site cafeteria shared by the organizations is a unique feature.
• Ownership sees significant benefit by having the organization in one location. The Saints improved as a franchise when they consolidated. This will be the first time this franchise (under any name or locale) will enjoy the benefit. (The “under one roof” phrase is not literal, but approximately true.)
• The new office space, as previously reported, is fully operational with only minor cosmetic work ongoing.

For those who don’t know, the facility is located at the `Saints’ facility on Airline Drive near Zephyr field (5800 Airline Dr Metairie, LA 70003). Use your favorite map software to orient you if need be, then check here to see where the facilities are. I apologize for my horrid markups.

Also, here is a before picture, looking at the new facility site (looking east):

And after:

And here are some images from inside.

In the old Voodoo Facility:

Between the old Voodoo Facility and the courts:

The courts:

The best overall set I’ve seen are here.

Monty was clearly excited to get into the facility, but he also expressed deep thanks. He can see the facility in its final state based on his years in the industry and high-level knowledge of the specifics, and he believes it will help his players get better and get better faster. This is realistic. Having a place that they have control over, that isn’t shared with other events or organizations, allows the players to make it their own more completely. It’s harder to make yourself at home in your facility when you can’t go practice there due to a graduation, luncheon, tournament, or other affair. Not feeling at home adds a potential distraction. Having one fewer thing to worry about with each player should make Coach very thankful, indeed.

The party line about the facility is that it will help attract free agents because it is so nice. This defies logic. 29 of 30 teams have dedicated practice facilities of various quality. The Hornets were supposed to have one built at the State’s expense shortly after their arrival, but political delays, Katrina, then trading the promise for the attendance clause in the prior lease amendment all delayed this. Meanwhile, the Hornets were left as the only team in the NBA without a dedicated practice facility.

The Pelicans will never have this disadvantage. While the facility is not operational and will not be for the initial flurry of offseason activity, it will be clear to any prospective signee that the facility will be in order when it’s time to punch the clock. In fact, it being incomplete may leave some room for the signee to dream a little, see what he wants to see. Mostly, however, he’ll see a franchise that is less different from the pack in that one way.

Overall, however, the practice facility is a nonfactor, other than it removing a negative net factor from a decision calculation. Calling it a positive it like saying that filled in hole is a mountain, however. It get why the franchise is saying it. They need public buy-in since public money is continuously flowing through the franchise, and that is really the story here, boring as it sounds.

In an important coincidence of events, Benson was unveiling the product of a largely publicly financed practice facility being build on a largely publicly financed complex (the LSED owns the complex), while public money is renovating their performance-facility AT THE SAME TIME that the NBA Board of Governor’s (so Benson in some fashion) was deciding to keep the Kings in Sacramento, who ponied up money for a new largely publicly financed arena, in favor of Seattle who failed to do that same thing years ago, losing their beloved SuperSonics in the process. These displays, these expressions of gratitude, the opportunities for the fans to visit the facility to see the New Orleans Pelicans practice (as they do for the New Orleans Saints), and more, all fuel the engines necessary to keep the franchise both successful and local.

As the first year of Benson’s ownership comes to a close, the Pelican’s rather suddenly look a little more ordinary. Just a face in the crowd. This may sound like damnation, faint praise, or damning with faith praise. It’s not. It’s a sincere compliment for the fantastic accomplishment. Any slight is a statement about the hole the franchise was in. Major changes remain before the franchise takes its place among the elite, but given what the new ownership has done in year one, the NBA’s other teams need to keep an eye on New Orleans . . . and I mean keep. For a long time.

Then, we talk Eric Gordon’s injury. Sound off! 504-322-3333.

Enjoy the Podcast!

‘Cause you can’t, you won’t and you don’t stop
Oh, ’cause you can’t, you won’t and you don’t stop
Oh, but you can’t, you won’t and you don’t stop
Mike D, come and rock the sure shot

I’ve got the brand new doo-doo guaranteed
Like yoo hoo, I’m on like Dr. John, yeah Mr. Zu Zu
I’m a newly wed, and not a divorcee
And everything I do is funky like Lee Dorsey

– The Beastie Boys, Sure Shot, RIP MCA

News

This week, Eric Gordon underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle. His ankle bothered him during the season, and he played through it, and this procedure was described as a clean-up. He hasn’t seriously injured that ankle before in his NBA career, so it must be a lingering thing or something quite old that got aggravating factor. This should be a nonissue, but fans are justified in keeping an eye on this.

Like the second Death Star, the expanded office space at the Saints-Pelicans site is fully armed and operational despite needing some cosmetic touch-ups. The practice facility itself is well underway.

Practice Facility from the front:

Practice Facility from the front again:

Practice Facility from the side, right side of image:

Expanded Office Space:

Jason Smith and Brian Roberts represented the New Orleans Pelicans Players at Pelicans Night at Zephyr Field. Roberts threw out the first pitch (it was not a strike), and both signed autographs.

Asked if he could have thrown out the first pitch, he said, “I’m a long way from that. I’ve been doing light weights, lifting one pound, then progressing to three pounds.

“It’s coming along, but I probably won’t be able to do basketball stuff until training camp. But I’m wish I could be back with the young guys this summer.”

Smith also toured Baton Rouge, representing the Pelicans, with his visit centering around the annual HoopLA charity game.

Also, Hugo and the Honeybees hosted students with perfect attendance at an Emerge even in Audubon Park. Good job, kids, and keep it going, Hugo.

Here’s a story on Roger Mason’s musical talent, education, and business interests. He plays a little Richard Marx near the start.

Finally, the Advocate has a nice story about Davis, his mother Erainer, and his first year in New Orleans.

Around the Site

The site rebranded.

Mike took a look at the Combine, and Chris Trew rolled out the first annual Dohertys.

Henry Abbott joins In the NO to discuss Davis, Chris Paul, and more.

Comments

I’d love to trade down if we dont get one of the top 4 and pick Dennis Schroder. He looks like the exact type of point that Monty and Dell are looking for. 6’2 with a 6’8 wingspan with amazing speed and quickness. Great in transition, pass first, good jump shot, and a smothering defender. If we were to get those Jazz picks I think we should go with Schroder at 14 and then take a chance on potential with the 21st with either another international player or glenn rice

– Hank

This seems to go primarily to the risk side of the risk/reward equation. So I see the Pelicans moving Gordon this off season as even less likely. How much will this help or hurt the reward side? Time will tell, but I expect the Pelicans PR team to spin it as positive as time goes on.

– 504ever

I agree. As much as I dislike Griffin and the Clippers in general, as of now, they are a more talented team. By the time the Pels are championship contenders, I’d assume 3-4 years, CP3 will be entering his thirties and will likely be on the decline while AD and our other young guys will be entering their best years.

Also, one of the biggest problems we faced this year was lack of depth. If you blow the entire cap space this summer on Paul, you really limit your options in other areas. He’s incredibly talented and I realize I’ll probably be thumbed down but I agree with your idea of patience and savvy decision-making.

– Will

42 Sense

For those following the site’s twitter (@BourbonStShots), you know I’ve been watching a ton of playoff basketball, just like many of you are. It’s been a fascinating series, and of course while there are no Pelicans there, there are a number of former Hornets doing some major work for their teams.

These players that were not the answer here are part of an answer, if not the answer, at those theres.

This should say a few things to Pelicans fans.

First, they had a very talented coach on staff in Mike Malone. While they lost the services of Coach Malone, there are others out there.

Do not dismiss upgrades to the coaching staff just because it is not a rollover at the top.

Second, being able to attract key talent is not enough. You have to be able to hold the talent together though the rough times. Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, David West, and help were a good team. If the franchise could have withstood injury fears surrounding Chandler, New Orleans NBA history could be significantly different today.

Do not dismiss the upgrades to the aspects of the franchise outside of basketball operations that make this franchise more able to ride through the inevitable rough times.

Third, many Hornets left for better teams. While that may frustrate some (Why didn’t they do that here!), it goes to show that not only that the franchise is developing players, but that it is being broadcast. Players want to go to a place where they will be given a chance on their current contract and have a shot at the next one. That makes the franchise attractive to some players. The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.

Do not dismiss the success of recent former Hornets in the playoffs to act as a highly visible advertisement for the Pelicans as a destination for at least some free agents.

The 2013 draft class is not loaded with stars, but what it does have is a large number of fairly productive college players who have high floors and considerable upside. With the class so tightly bunched together, however, a player could theoretically jump to the top of the class or fall to the back with one great (or poor) combine appearance. There are a few guys, in particular, who will have  specific parts of their games analyzed and those results will determine whether they will be in consideration when the Pelicans pick in June. Without further adieu, let’s talk a look at the key players at the combine and what talent evaluators will be picking apart this week.

Otto Porter, F, Georgetown

Important Tests: Standing Vertical Jump and 3/4 Court Sprint

Why: Otto Porter is clearly the top small forward in this class and has shown a much improved jump shot to go with his high basketball IQ and defensive tenacity. But the question is whether he is more Jeff Green or more Scottie Pippen and the answer lies in just how athletic and explosive he truly is at this point. Georgetown’s runs the Princeton offense, so Porter very rarely had the ball in isolation or the pick and roll this year, so there haven’t been many opportunities to see if Porter can explode by defenders. They also don’t get out into transition much, so evaluators don’t have any idea how productive Porter can be in transition.

A fantastic athletic showing at the combine can push Porter into the conversation for the number one overall pick. A poor showing, by contrast, could see him fall the same way Danny Granger and Kawhi Leonard fell in their prospective drafts. A standing vertical of 32-35 inches is probably what is expected. Below that could raise some concerns and a standing vertical higher than 35 inches could do wonders for his draft stock. For the 3/4 sprint, expect something in high 3.2′s, but if he can get under 3.2 (like MKG and Barnes did last year), he will put himself into that #1 pick conversation.

Trey Burke

Important Tests: Lane Agility Drill and Height/Wingspan

Why: At this point, nobody questions whether Trey Burke can be an impact player on the offensive end in the NBA. He is one of the craftiest players to enter the draft in the past few years and he has range that extends beyond the NBA three-point line. The question with Burke is whether or not he will be a liability on the other end of the court. Burke is officially listed at 6’0″, with a reported wingspan of 6’5″. As crazy as it seems, an inch one way or the other could mean the difference between Burke being a top-3 pick and falling to the back of the lottery. Ty Lawson and TJ Ford measured just a tad over six feet in shoes, and became first round picks. Meanwhile, Isaiah Thomas slipped all the way to the final pick of the second round in large part because he measured just under 5’11″.

Perhaps even more important, however, is the lane agility drill because it tests a defenders ability to stay in front of his man. It doesn’t matter how tall you are if your man continually blows past you. 11.15 seconds is average for a point guard, and the results of this drill have been a fairly good predictor of defensive success. Last year, Damian Lillard was exactly average, finishing in 11.15 seconds, while Kendall Marshall finished in 12.03 seconds. Lillard figures to be an average defender moving forward, while Marshall will likely always be a liability. For the record, Chris Paul ran an 11.09. Anything similar should bode well for Burke, but 11.25 or over, and teams might begin to worry.

Victor Oladipo

Important Test: Shooting Drill Results

Why: Even if he drills all of these shots, it is not going to completely eliminate concerns about his perimeter game, but it could take it out of the ‘weakness’ column and that could prove huge for Oladipo. But on the flip side, if Oladipo performs poorly in this drill, it will be a major red flag, seeing that good offensive players have either finished in the middle of the pack or higher ever since the combine has started this drill and released the results. Each player takes 25 spot-up NBA three’s, 25 spot-up college three’s, 18 shots off the dribble, and then have a times session where they get off as many 15-18 footers as possible.

Oladipo’s goal should be to shoot 65-70% on his spot-ups and at least 60% in the other two drills for GM’s to feel comfortable with him as a guy who is capable of having an impact in the half court offensively.

Shabazz Muhammad

Important Tests: Measureables and Bench Press

Why: GM’s need to figure out if Shabazz Muhammad can be a full-time small forward in the NBA. If he can, he will be much more sought after than if he is marginally athletic shooting guard with average perimeter shooting skills. Anything under 6’7″ in shoes will raise some concerns, but an exceptional reach can help offset some of their worries. According to the numbers, height and standing reach are the best predictors of how good of a defender a small forward will be. A standing reach of at least 8’6″ will be necessary to make GM’s feel comfortable about drafting him as a small forward.

Bench press sounds kind of arbitrary and pointless, but it is arguably quite important for Muhammad. Shabazz gets quite a bit of his points in the low post, and while he was able to push smaller defenders around in college, GM’s will have their doubts about him being able to do that in the pros. If he can show considerable strength to go along with solid measurables and athleticism, he can get himself back into that top-5 discussion now that Marcus Smart has pulled out of the draft and the big men are dropping like flies.

Cody Zeller

Important Tests: Wingspan and Lane Agility

Why: Cody’s brother, Tyler Zeller, started slipping right after the combine due in large part to his shorter than expected wingspan. Zeller’s wingspan was only 7’0″, which was actually a half an inch shorter than his height with shoes. That was more than six inches shorter than Andre Drummond and five inches shorter than Anthony Davis- two guys that measured in at similar heights. His seven foot wingspan was shorter than most power forwards as well, and was shorter than several small forwards like Quincy Miller, who had a 7’1.25″ wingspan. Teams are scared off by a big man with a short wingspan because it usually means that they are going to have a difficult time protecting the rim. The younger Zeller will need a bigger wingspan than his brother if he wants to get himself back into the discussion for a top-5 pick.

Lane agility will be important for Zeller as well, because he projects as more of a power forward in the NBA. He will have to show more in pick and rolls and defend stretch fours in the league, so he will be on the perimeter far more than he was in college. If he can show that he can be a smart, quick defender in the same way that Nick Collison has mastered that role in Oklahoma City, teams will feel more comfortable taking him high. If he has a short wingspan and can’t be one of the more agile bigs in this draft, he will fall in the same way that his brother did last year.

CJ McCollum

Important Tests: Everything

Why: McCollum hasn’t been seen on a basketball court since January, but reports are that he is 100% after surgery and rehab. Scouts and GM’s will be anxious to see him at the combine, and the fact that he is showing up will be enough to get him back in the discussion for the lottery. Prior to his injury, McCollum was arguably the best scorer in college basketball, and after watching Damian Lillard win Rookie of the Year and Stephen Curry dominate the postseason, McCollum will become a hot name yet again if he shows that he is all the way back on Thursday and Friday.

Other News and Notes

- Nelens Noel (ACL) , Anthony Bennett (Rotator Cuff) , and Alex Len (Ankle) will not be participating in any drills because they are all recovering from surgeries. None of them will be able to participate in individual workouts, either, or play in the Summer League. Basically, a team has to take these guys based on what they see from their college tape. All three of these young men are immensely talented, but bigs have the hardest transition from the college game to the pros, and GM’s need to use every means possible to evaluate their skill set, their work ethic, and their ability to compete. The last one is the most important in my opinion, because the big men in this league who fail often fail because they don’t have the love of the game or the ability to dig deep when the game gets physical. In individual workouts, teams love to pit these guys against each other and see how they respond in certain situations. They won’t get that opportunity now. Oh, and the other reason bigs usually bust? Injuries.

- Cody Zeller could see his stock rise now that these three bigs are unavailable to work out. If he dominates in drills and in workouts against less polished big men, he could become a hot prospect again. But then again, if he gets outplayed in workouts by second rounders, that would be much more detrimental for him than losing an individual workout to Alex Len or Nerlens Noel, so I suppose it could go the other way too.

- People often ask me who I think Dell would target if the Pelicans trade down or acquire another pick, and I think the answer is simple: Jamaal Franklin. There is nobody in this draft that fits what Dell and Monty like more than Franklin, with the possible exception of Victor Oladipo. Oladipo often gets compared to Tony Allen, but if I had to bet on one guy in this draft becoming the next Tony Allen, it would be Franklin. He is the shooting guard version of Kenneth Faried – non-stop energy and hustle, fantastic rebounding and athleticism, and remarkable toughness for a guy who is just around 200 pounds. His lack of offense keeps him from being considered at 5 or 6, but if the Pelicans move back or acquire a pick between 13 and 20, I think Franklin could be the pick.

- Ever since Chad Ford mentioned that the Pelicans have shown some interest in Dario Saric, I have been flooded with questions about him on Twitter. I covered him a bit earlier this year, and Chad Ford went all out hyperbole a couple of weeks ago in comparing him to Magic Johnson. Most mock drafts have him going in the teens, so picking him at 5 or 6 would be a stretch, but I have said for a month now that if the ‘Big Four’ were off the board, then don’t be surprised by anything the Pelicans do. Perhaps a trade down with Utah could work. Utah has picks 14 and 21, plus a young guy in Alec Burks that would be a great backup two. Saric might not be around at 14, but that would be a possibility. Saric at 14 and Franklin at 21 would be a home run for Dell and Monty.

Then again, if Saric can show a more consistent stroke in offseason workouts, or if the Pelicans like the idea of stashing a guy for a year, then maybe Saric could be the pick at 6. If they can stash him, that opens about $3 million in additional cap room and it allows Monty to focus his attention on developing Davis, Miller, and Rivers without having to dedicate extra time to another 19 year old. Bring in some young vets, win next year, then bring Saric over in 2014 after he has had another year of seasoning. Now he just has to be a small piece on a team that is already good, rather than a big piece on a bad team. That’s the way the Spurs do it, and they have been fairly successful I would say.

- Speaking of foreign prospects, most of the foreigners expected to go in the first round will not participate in the combine for a variety of reasons. The only ones who will be there are Rudy Gobert and Dennis Schroeder. Schroeder is one of the hottest prospects in the draft right now after killing it at the Nike Hoop Summit and Gobert is a 20 year old who will likely have the longest wingspan at the combine (7’9″). Both are currently projected to go in the middle of the first round currently, but who knows how high they could climb with impressive showings this week.

The Missing Piece is a weekly feature that you can find every Saturday only on Bourbon Street Shots. For previous articles in this series, click here. 

We’ll tell you what you need to do with links, etc. below, but for now, just read and enjoy.

As our readers know, we were on the name change situation from before the start of the Benson era. As our readers may not know, we started bandying names about immediately, already having the short list of team names (Pelicans was on it). After a year of deliberation, we wound up here.

Some will love the name, some not, many won’t care, but here’s some background if you care. Early on, we got some advice to not include the team name in the title. This gives brand independence that cuts both ways . . . it’s clear we are not a part of the team and not treading on their intellectual property, but it may not be clear that we are dedicated to covering the New Orleans Pelicans. Well, the content makes that clear to readers and search engines, so that sort of solves the issue. Also, there were a number of names that were preferable. Some of them cost $50,000 or more, though. Getting a new, complete brand is tough (people pay BIG bucks for that). Trust us, we know. (More on this at SLAM).

Regardless, this is where we are, and this is where we will stay.

With the rebrand here, much will stay familiar. All the writers are still here. All the articles are still here. All your bookmarks will work. Old links to your favorite stories, they’ll just redirect. (Still, you should update your bookmarks, etc. in case we ever let the old domain lapse.) The twitter has updated to @BourbonStShots, so if you were following before, then all is well. If not, go ahead and follow. We’ll still provide all the posts you love and all the posts of mine, too.

Just like we got better over the last year with the site redesign and adding writers and reader-submitted posts, we’ll continue to add quality to this community in ways that you can probably guess and in some ways you almost certainly can’t.

We’re very excited.

Thanks for sticking with us, giving us a chance, and giving us all of those second chances we’ve needed along the way.

We’ll be tweaking things this weekend (and maybe past that), so please excuse our progress.

Now, how about them Pelicans?!?!

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that guard Eric Gordon underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure yesterday in his left ankle to alleviate pain caused by particles of scar tissue. The procedure was performed by Dr. Richard Ferkel of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles, CA.

Gordon is currently recovering from the procedure and will begin rehabilitation immediately while returning to basketball activities later in the summer.

What follows are very brief reactions and opinions from Jason and I.

Mason Ginsberg: I’m still not sure how to feel about this. On one hand, this injury helps to explain Gordon’s lackluster 2012-13 season. On the other hand, add this procedure to the list of Eric Gordon maladies. It’s certainly nice to see the team’s most expensive player toughing out games despite the ankle pain, and hopefully him being allowed to play means doing so wouldn’t make the injury worse. It will be interesting to see how, if the team looks to move him this summer, other teams react to the injury. Do they respect Gordon’s drive to play even with this lingering issue? Or does it scare teams away even more as a result of his prior injury history? Only time will tell.

Jason Calmes: While Eric Gordon has taken inordinately long to recover from arthroscopic surgery on his knee, I am, perhaps incorrectly, not too worried about this injury to his left ankle. We had some information about this earlier, as tweeted out by his family, yet he continued to play and to play well. He even upped his output level (slightly) we he played in his first back-to-back in over a year near the season’s end. Plus, he has not injured either ankle in his professional career, so this should not aggravated some linger condition or residual damage, though the team did say that it was to remove scar tissue, so something may be smoldering. It does raise more questions about his overall durability.

Overall, this seems to be handled much better than the last . . . matter . . . and it seems less serious. Time will, of course, tell.

About The Dohertys
The new annual awards show honoring moments and characters from each season. Named after the founder of Hornets247, Niall Doherty.

Without further ado…The Dohertys!

The Sweet Boy Award: LANCE THOMAS

Photo from Lyons Yellin

We’re not sure what Lance Thomas did for his boo on Valentine’s Day, but we know what he did for Hornets fans who showed up to the McDonalds on Canal Street between 7:00 and 8:00p with a ticket stub from the previous night’s game. He purchased them each a bag of french fries (17% of your daily fat allowance) after he “ruined” the “Free Fries when the Hornets score 100 points” promotion the night before. The game was over (one of the Hornets’ 27 victories), but the fans reacted quite negatively to the whole “gotta buy your own fries” thing. Lance felt bad and well, he purchased everyone fries. That’s a sweet boy move right there.

Runner-up: Robin Lopez (because of this)

The Road Dog Award: AL-FAROUQ AMINU

What do you value most in a road trip partner? Intelligent conversation (What do you think happens when you die?), playful chatter (Which finger would you assign the most strength to if you had 15 units of strength to distribute and no finger could have more than 5 units?) or complete silence? Most here in the Hornets247 office prefer the latter so the runaway winner for The Road Dog Award is the “backup small forward of the future”. Or “future San Antonio All-Star”. Or “the better Julian Wright”. Guess it depends on who you ask. Just don’t ask him.

Runner-up: Robin Lopez (you can ask him questions about twins and since he’s from Stanford he’ll probably be pretty polite)

The Smith-Birdman Memorial Award: CHRIS PAUL

Which former Hornet had the most annoying season? Easy, that’s the former savior of Crescent City Hoops, Chris Paul. But good news, optimists, he’ll have the most amazing season next year when he comes back to the Big Easy. We won’t tell him he won this award though, just like we won’t tell him how most of us are still on the Memphis bandwagon.

Runner-up: Jannero Pargo (because he’s still in the league)

Performance of the Year RYAN ANDERSON – November 23rd, 2012

The team added a loss to their statsheet but Ryno was good for 34 points, including 8 from downtown.

Runner-up: Robin Lopez (29 points, ten shots, one turnover – according to Mason Ginsberg, no center has done that since Tim Duncan in 2001)

Chime in on the comments below – what do you think was the Performance of the Year?

Runner-Up of the Year: ROBIN LOPEZ

It’s the least we could do, Robin. Love your instagram.

Runner-up: Robin Lopez

The Dohertys were compiled and edited by staff columnist Chris Trew with input from the Hornets247 staff. Follow Chris on Twitter here and Hornets247 here.

Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide, the chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon for the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’.

– Bob Dylan, The Times, They Are A-Changin’

News

In players news, the NCAA investigation into Lance Thomas’ troubles with a jeweler found no evidence of wrong-doing, such as inappropriate benefits. The issue between Thomas and the jeweler was settled in September.

The NBA’s Summer League will be held in Las Vegas from July 12 – 22 and will feature a single elimination tournament with a champion crowned after 5 preliminary games. The Pelicans will be there with a yet-to-be-determined roster that will likely include any draftees.

The bigger news come from the team’s conference call earlier this week. The first New Orleans Pelicans Fan Conference Call was a success with Monty Williams, Dell Demps, and Dennis Lauscha answering questions quite openly.

The highlights are that the team is looking for

Veterans
Speed
Naming Rights

and not looking for

a D-League team

Around the Site

The Season In Review player review conclude:

Al-Farouq Aminu
Roger Mason
Eric Gordon
Greivis Vasquez
Darius Miller
Xavier Henry
Lance Thomas

On In the NO this week, Gerry V discusses scouting, draft prospects, Davis, Rivers, and Jason Collins.

We also had some things to say about Jason Collins’ decision to become known as the America’s first openly homosexual professional athlete in a major team sport.

Also, Mike’s Missing Piece this week focus on the piece that left: Chris Paul. He details why the point guard may want to return to New Orleans.

`Voices’ of the People

If only he played every night with hustle and intensity. I saw him at times and he had some really bright moments. But for most of the season, it was disappointing. If we can get rid of him and get value-awesome. But if we can get him to come back and buy into the system, even better.
I think Gerry V said on a podcast a few months back that Gordon could really thrive if he was with a solid veteran who was a great leader. In other words, he could be a good Robin but maybe not a good Batman. His story will no doubt be a hot topic going forward.

– Jared

I have the same great feeling that I had last year about our team. Great things are in our future and kudos to the Benson’s and all of the Pelicans staff. I think we will be able to attract veteran free agents with the quality of our organization and the direction of our team. Throughout the season, our team has shown that they are prepared and play hard. Hopefully, for some, that will enough to get them in here and become the pillars along with Davis, Rivers, Gordon and Anderson.

– LaNative

I want to drink from the Kool-Aid … I do … and this would be GREAT and instantly catapult us into Western Conference contention, but I’m too cynical about NBA players to think CP3 will make a decision that is remotely based upon competitive instincts. I worry he’ll stay in LA – in the limelight – just because it is LA and is not Louisiana. I wish he was old-school like I once thought he was, but I’ve lost hope.

It sure would be nice to get that hope back, though.

– andregurov

42 Sense

Sometimes when large, exciting storylines being to swirl, important details can be lost in the shuffle.

This offseason was set to be huge with two major free agents in Dwight Howard and Chris Paul and the balance of the recent CBA taking effect, and even larger for the New Orleans Pelicans given their cap space and contracted talent.

The injury to Kobe Bryant, looming clear books, recent struggles, and change of ownership of the Lakers along with the regression of the Clippers heightens things.

The fact that those franchise hold the two key free agents mentioned above spices things up even more.

That’s all well and good, but what does this have to do with the Pelicans?

Mike has already addressed why Chris Paul may want to join the Pelicans. That leaves what other teams will have to let go in order to acquire Paul, Dwight, or both.

Today, we focus on the Atlanta Hawks. I, personally, think that Atlanta’s ownership is so bad that they will not be able to attract top talent (history supports this, as well), but we’ll look at what it would take.

Atlanta’s books get relatively clean starting this offseason, which brings up the idea that they can land both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. They have $18,583,800 committed to Center Al Horford ($12m in each of the next 3 seasons), Shooting Guard Lou Williams ($5.225m this season with a $0.225m raise the following season), to Shooting Guard John Jenkins ($1,258,800 this season with options going forward), and $100,000 to Center Jeremy Tyler who was waived with partially guaranteed contract for 2013-2014.

The other major pieces of data are the salaries that Paul and Howard can command and the projected salary cap, which is expected to be around $60m. Under normal circumstances, their 8 and 9 years of experience in the NBA would set their max salary at 30% of the salary cap, or around $18m, but unless the cap is rises about twice as much as projected, then their max salaries will be 105% of their previous salaries. This means that Chris Paul can command a $18,668,431 salary and Dwight Howard $20,513,178 for Dwight Howard, or a total of $39,109,609.

A quick calculation involving these salaries alone indicates that Atlanta could sign both players outright, but the CBA complicates matters. First, Atlanta would have to release their rights to a number of key players to do this, including Josh Smith, Devin Harris, Kyle Korver, Zaza Pachulia, Jeff Teague, and Ivan Johnson, so that their cap holds actually free up the cap space to allow for the signing of free agents. All are assets they would likely be unable to retain if the free agent deal worked out. Atlanta may not care about that, but such is the case. Second, the Hawks have two first round picks this year, their own and one from Houston, which are slotted at 17 and 18. This leaves a $2,629,000 total cap hold that can only be commuted by trading the picks away, or partially so by trading one. Third, there is roster charge that chew up more cap space to the tune of a rookie minimum salary for each roster spot not accounted for signed player or cap hold or some type. Given the 5 slots accounted for (3 guarantees, 2 first round draft picks (seconds don’t count)), they have 7 roster charges at $490,180 for a total of $3,431,260. This leaves the Hawks $3,825,669 shy of offering both the maximum salary. If each leaves around $2m on the table, this will cost them about $8m over the life of the deal, each. The Heat key free agents did this, so such a move is not unprecedented.

So, following this route, the Hawks have Chris Paul and Dwight Howard at under their maximum salaries, two first round draft picks, Al Horford, Lou Williams, and John Jenkins. They would be left with only the ability to make trades, the minimum salary exception, and the room exception worth $2.652m next season with which to build. They have all draft picks going forward. This roster would almost certainly require Horford playing at power forward until more roster moves could be made. This is a formidable team, but perhaps not the best option for Chris and Dwight, with the trading of draft picks and Horford only clear mechanisms for improvement.

What other alternatives are there to this brute force method?

The Hawks could try to acquire one or both of the players in sign-and-trades, using their first round draft picks, 3 guaranteed contracts, and players whose rights they have. The Lakers may end up over the tax apron, meaning they would have to receive players already under contract, so such a deal would center around Horford (pun intended). The are possibilities here, as well, since unloading Horford and Williams would allow them to try to land Paul, Howard, and Smith. This would almost certainly require cooperation from the Lakers, possibly the Clippers, and it’s not clear that this can be leveraged. Not only would all of the players have to be on-board, but at least one team would have to be convinced that that these are the best options for them and that their free agents are willing to walk somewhere, not necessarily to Atlanta. Going back to the Heat’s assembling of talent, they had the cap room straight away to sign all 3 free agents to deals the players convinced the teams they would find acceptable, so the teams agreed to the trades and received some first round draft picks for their trouble. If they Hawks can manage to acquire both Paul and Howard in trade rather than using cap space, they can retain the rights to the free agents, allowing the team to grow using Bird Rights, more trades, and the Mid-Level Exception. This will, again, require both the Clippers and Lakers at a minimum to cooperate with this plan.

Other teams could get involved to clear space from Hawks, like when Minnesota took Beasley off of the Heats’ hot hands when they signed James, Bosh, and Wade. Williams may be a desirable piece for many teams, and losing his salary would allow the Hawks to sign Howard and Paul to their maximum salaries. Whether this would actually be a plus or minus for the free agents remains to be seen.

What about the Pelicans? In nearly all of these cases, Teague becomes available. All reports are that Atlanta will make Teague a restricted free agent by extending a $3,469,568 qualifying offer to him, but his cap hold will be $6,082,692, far more than Lou Williams’ salary if they manage to dump it. So, unless they can work out all of the trades, Teague will almost certainly have to be cut loose to make it work, since that cap hold can not be renounced and simultaneously keep him restricted. In another case, the Hawks could dump him to a team for a future pick to avoid losing him for nothing, but that is a more delicate situation. Other teams would likely be competing for Teague’s services, but the Hawks’ control over him would no longer be an issue.

So, the Hawks success, or even attempt at success, could lead to an opportunity for the Pelicans, and the Hawks’ approach to Teague could give insight into their appraisal of their success in landing top free agents. To this point, reports are that the Hawks intend to make Teague a restricted free agent, but will wait a while longer to maintain flexibility.

If any ownership group can totally Jets their situation, besides that of the Jets, it’s the Atlanta Spirit, the owners of the Hawks. Denny Ferry could, admittedly, mitigate some of their many problems.

Seriously – if you will only ever listen to In the NO once, listen to this one.

Will CP3 return? Sound off! 504-322-3333.

Enjoy the Podcast!

So how did he end up as a rotational NBA player despite large obstacles in his way?

I like to think that the aspiring professional sportsman can take note of Lance Thomas. His work ethic, personality and coach-ability all factored in securing a roster spot. The New Orleans Pelicans really love players like this, so don’t be surprised if they go for character over talent in acquisitions.

For the 2012-13 season Lance Thomas did what the coaching staff asked of him. Whether it was guarding the opponent’s best player, setting off-ball screens or crashing the boards Thomas did everything necessary for gaining time.

What he did well

It’s very difficult to judge quantitatively which areas Lance Thomas excelled in due to a relatively low sample size. This season he saw his minutes per game decline from 15 to 10.9. As such his opportunities to display his game were limited.

What we do know is that Thomas brings three things to the table. He brings energy, effort and defense. That’s right, on a team that was horrific on defense he actually stood out.

Lance held his opponent at the SF position to a PER of 11.7, comparable to defenders like Paul George (12), Luol Deng (11.2), Lebron James (12.7) and Chandler Parsons (13.9).

As well when Lance stepped off the floor the Hornets gave up 4.5 points extra per 100 possessions. When Greivis Vasquez was off the floor the Hornets gave up 4.1 points less per 100 possessions.

While it’s tough to argue vigourously for Lance’s defensive capabilities through statistics the trained eye will notice his value on that end of the floor. He did a decent job against Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and Paul Pierce when given the opportunity.

Aspects that was not as good

We all remember the situation. Needing a couple of free-throws to earn some McDonald fries Lance Thomas stepped up to be a hero to the expanding waste-line of the greater New Orleans area.

And then he missed; it was not so good.

However, as we’ve discussed before Lance Thomas showed his true character by offering to purchase fries for any fans in attendance the next day. This is what makes him the best locker room guy in my opinion (and Andrew Smith’s, probably un-McDonald related).

Talking about his on the court play, Lance wasn’t terrific offensively. He rarely had chances to display his game due to the sets being run as well as the restricted minutes. He worked very hard on his jumper and you could tell it had improved somewhat (hit 50% of shots 16-30ft).

The problem is that his limited talent cannot be maximised on the court. As a small-forward he needs to be able to stretch the floor or be an athletic freak. He is neither which results in a rather pedantic game.

One of the most telling statistics is that Lance player 11.7 minutes per-game in losses as opposed to 9.3 minutes in wins. This is quite concerning for a couple of reasons.

1. For a defensive coach it seemed Monty played guys who could give more on the offensive end from time-to-time.
2. The Hornets were more interested in developing other players

The Future

It’s tough to be an optimist for Lance Thomas’ prospects as an NBA pro. The thing is we know the commodity we have on the roster. He’s a work-horse who is willing to learn from the best (as cited in his Team USA experience).

I really hope for the sake of the organisation that Lance sticks around as an end of bench the player. He has more leadership than many give credit as he really is the true definition of a professional. If he can build on that to work more closely on his craft and channel it towards the NBA game then perhaps his role can increase.

My assessment is a bit bleaker due to the obvious limitations on the offensive end. Lance might need more sets to display an improved jump-shot. Alternatively he might need to focus on offensive rebounds.

If Lance is to find a place elsewhere to play then all Pelican fans will wish him the best. Finding other challenges can sometimes be the best thing for a player. However, I believe that under the right circumstances that he could have more of an impact. As we saw with Brian Roberts players can seize opportunities given the chance.

One thing is for sure and that is that regardless of what happens in the future, Lance Thomas truly is a reflection of the better side of the NBA.

You can follow James on Twitter at (@jsgrayson) to discuss all Pelican related matters. 

In January of 2012, Dell Demps slipped into a trade being completed between the 76ers and Grizzlies, using a little of his cap space to pry away the former number 12 pick of the 2010 draft, Xavier Henry. The cost was a 2013 second round pick – explaining the Hornets lack of pick in the second round this year. Since then, Xavier has had his chances on a team starving for competent swingmen, but he has never been able to produce reliably. Dell, never one to give in to sentiment, declined Xavier’s rookie option for his fourth season, making Henry a free agent for this coming market. As of right now, it is unlikely he will return.

Where He Started

After three seasons deep on the bench, most have forgotten what a phenomenal prospect Xavier used to be. He was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for his 2009 high school class – holding the 2nd or third best ranking as a shooting guard prospect. He had some big moments at Kansas, including setting a debut record for the Jayhawks when he scored 27 points in his first game.

Xavier’s size, strength and shooting in college made him a major prospect hitting the NBA. Most pundits – including me – assumed that even if the rest of his game didn’t come together, he’d parlay strong shooting numbers into a role as a shooter in the NBA.

Some things just don’t work out the way you’d expect.

2012-13 Advanced Stats

First, a simple chart that shows how Xavier Henry fared compared to the 2012-13 NBA average for Guards who played at least 10 games and 10 minutes per game in the NBA(courtesy of Hoopdata.com).

Not good.

2012-13 Season Strengths

Free Throw Rate

Xavier showed across his career that he was going to attack the basket off the dribble with abandon. If the guy guarding him wasn’t napping twenty feet away, Henry was going to eschew the long-range shot and drive. This resulted in a free throw rate of 0.46 – or a free throw on every other shot. That number is excellent and ranked 5th in the league among guards – beating out many players known for their ability to draw free throws like Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade – and even our own Eric Gordon, who earned a free throw rate of 0.33.

Rebounding

Xavier Henry had the knack of leveraging his powerful frame into rebounds, ranking in the top 20 on both sides of the floor among all guards and swingmen.

Three point stroke

When Henry actually took three pointers, he was a decent shooter. This season, he hit 36.4% of his shots from deep – almost exactly average for guards, while last season he managed to hit 41%, indicating this was a replicable ability going forward.

2012-13 Season Weaknesses

Shot Selection

Despite Henry’s assault on the basket, he had one major issue that made him infinitely less effective as a floor spacer: His shot form made it nearly impossible to take the corner three. When Henry sets his feet, he takes a step forward. With the limited real estate in the corner, that inevitably made him turn an open three into an open two. The result was him shooting fully 18% of his shots from the wing mid-range shot – and only 4.8% of his shots from the corner three. In general, more than a third of Xavier’s shots came from the dumb zone. 6% came from three, negating any shooting talent he may have brought to the table. Taking 50% of his shots at the rim, helped, but not enough.

Poor free throw shooting 

Henry’s strength is getting to the line. This could be a major asset – if he wasn’t the 12th worst free throw shooting guard in the league, hitting 61.4% of his free throws compared to the league guard average of 80.0%. Another strength negated.

Defense 

Yes, the team as a whole was poor defensively. That doesn’t negate the fact that Henry was going up against second-tier players and getting torched. He ranked 330th in the league at stopping players who iso’d against him. He ranked 145th (his best number) at limiting spot-up shooting over him. According to synergy sports, he allowed 1.01 points per possession where he was the primary defender. That ranks 426th overall. Again, going against second tier guys. That’s brutal.

Everything Else

No reason to keep going here. X shot poorly from everywhere inside the three point line. He never passed, turned the ball over more often then he should, fouled a ton, and got blocked on 13% of his shots – only 5 guards were blocked more frequently. (Yes, Austin is one of them. Sigh.)

The Future

No way for me to sugar-coat this one. Xavier hasn’t really improved from his rookie season. He hasn’t gained Monty’s trust in any meaningful way. He tries hard, seems like a good guy – but his game can’t even be described as “having holes”.  It can barely be called game at all.

If Henry comes back next year, I’ll be shocked.

Check out the entire Season in Review series here at Hornets247.com.

Does that automatically mean that he should return to New Orleans? I am not saying that, but they are in the conversation. And it is imperative that Dell and Monty go all-in if there is even just a 5 percent chance. This is a superstar-less draft. It is a superstar-less free agent class outside of Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, and Dwight won’t even entertain a trip to the Big Easy. In a league where 29 out of 30 teams are going to end the season disappointed, you have to swing for the home run whenever you have the chance. If you fail, oh well. There will be another Brandon Jennings next year, another Eric Bledsoe to gamble on down the line. Solid singles and doubles will always be there. The home run comes maybe once in a General Manager’s tenure, and if you don’t at least swing, you will live to regret it.

Dell can easily get into position to offer Chris Paul a max contract without losing anybody from his core, so cap space is not an issue. There are some hurdles, however, and Dell will have to overcome those hurdles to sell CP3 on a return to New Orleans. So, let’s take a look at some questions Chris will have for Dell and how Dell should answer them.

If I want to win, why in the world would I join a team that won just 27 games last year rather than stay in LA?

Great question, Chris. Let me answer that by telling you a little story about the New Jersey Nets that happened just a little over a decade ago. In 2001, the Nets finished the season 26-56, struggling to win close games because they had a lot of young talent but no true leader. That offseason, they got a high draft pick and selected Kenyon Martin, then traded Stephon Marbury for Jason Kidd. Ten months later they were in the NBA Finals and they returned again one year later. Massive moves weren’t made, unless you call signing Todd MacCulloch a massive move. The young Nets just added a veteran guard who knows how to win to an already talented, but young, nucleus.

Why am I telling you this? Because history can repeat itself here and we can go even further. Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson are two of the most efficient big men in the league, and that was WITHOUT you. Eric Gordon would give you the best wing player you have ever played with and Austin Rivers, Brian Roberts, Jason Smith, Robin Lopez, and the guy we just drafted give us tremendous depth. Compare that to what you would have in LA if you went back, and it goes without saying that this roster gives you the best chance to win, and win big, long term. Add that to the fact that you have a stable organization with a great owner (not a racist penny pincher), a GM and a coach that you respect who are locked into new long term contracts (as opposed to an intern GM and a lame duck coach) and the choice is clear, Chris.

Why not just go to Miami or New York?

Great question yet again, Chris. While there is no doubt that you might be able to take a shortcut to a title by hitching a ride on LeBron or Melo’s train, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that this would cost you tens of millions of dollars. We are prepared to offer you 4 years and $79.6 million. The most that either of those teams can offer you over the next 4 years is $13 million. Not that it is all about the money, and I acknowledge that you could make about $6 million more over the next four years by staying in LA, there is a huge difference between leaving $6 million on the table and leaving $67 million on the table. Not to mention the fact that you would just be joining their team. You won’t be satisfied doing it that way. Come here and lead us, where we can give you the supporting cast you need and the money you deserve.

But the nickname, I hate it. How am I going to get around that?

Really? After all these good points I’ve made, you are going to let a nickname keep you from returning? That’s gonna be the straw that breaks the camel’s back? Remind me, Chris, what is a Clipper again? Or how about this, when was the last time you were terrified by or in awe of a Knickerbocker? And you were in LA for a couple of years, right? How many lakes did you see in your time there? C’mon, we aren’t really talking about this are we? Moving on.

Okay, no New York and no LA. But why should I choose you over all the other teams?

Well Chris, we have already addressed money. We can give you the max, and only a few other teams can say that. When you also factor in teams that can do that AND maintain quality pieces around you, there are only a few teams that remain: Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and Detroit. We acknowledge that a core of you, Harden, Parsons, and Asik would be solid, but I don’t know if that roster meshes with what you do best. Detroit is an up and coming team that can use a point guard, but our front court is more versatile, and Eric Gordon trumps anything they have on the wings by quite a bit. Dallas has an all-time great in Dirk Nowitzki, but his time is coming to an end and they don’t have the flexibility to add a third quality player next to you too. And a core of you, Josh Smith, and Al Horford admittedly looks solid on paper, but the rest of the roster would have to be made up of minimum players, and our roster has more depth.

On top of all that, think about your legacy. Most of the greats played for just one franchise, two tops. Whether that should matter is irrelevant, perception is reality. You do not want to be perceived as a mercenary or a quitter that just runs from a challenge. Come back here and we’ll tell the public that you wanted to finish what you started or that this is where your kids grew up, where you bought your first home. People will eat it up. They’ll applaud your renewed sense of loyalty and your desire to help return this franchise to prominence. You can’t sell that angle in Atlanta or Houston or Dallas, only here. It’s Los Angeles or New Orleans; go anywhere else and you will be viewed as a heartless mercenary. It has to be one of those two, and we have already discussed why we are better for you than LA, so what are we waiting for? Let’s get that contract signed!

More Notes and Observations

- There are two questions to ask that are completely different. Question #1: Will Chris Paul really consider signing with us? Question #2: Should Dell Demps pursue Chris Paul? Two totally different questions, remember that. One Dell can control, one he can’t. Internal locus and external locus of control. He can’t control what CP3 will do, but he can control whether or not he pursues him. I have no idea what the question is to #1, but the answer to #2 is a clear ‘yes’.

- To offer him the max that any team other than LA can give him, the Pelicans need to be $18.6 under the salary cap. Gordon, Davis, Ryno, Vasquez, Smith, Rivers, Roberts, Miller, and cap holds (including rookie cap hold) bring them to about $46 million and the cap figures to be somewhere around $60 million. In order to offer Paul the max, they would likely have to either decline the option on Lopez or trade him. Or maybe they can move Vasquez, the first round pick, and/or Jason Smith. Point is, there are numerous options and it is easy to do without breaking up the core. Dallas, meanwhile, would have far more trouble getting to a point where they can add both CP3 and Dwight. Actually, that’s not true. It would be impossible for Dallas to do that, unless they move Dirk. Houston can give CP3 a max deal if they dump a few small contracts or find a taker for Jeremy Lin. Atlanta is the big wild card. Theoretically, they can pair CP3, Smith, and Dwight by either giving Horford to LA in a sign and trade or finding a team with cap space to trade for Horford, and then just signing all three outright.

- I know nobody asked for my plan on how to entice CP3 and give him an offer he can’t refuse, but I am the Godfather in this scenario and here is my plan. My #1 objective is to get Chandler Parsons, and I would give up Lopez, Vasquez, AND our pick to get him if it came to that. Not saying Houston is specifically interested in all those assets, but I find out which ones they like, then I move the others to another team to get an asset Houston does like. If I move all those assets, I shed another $9 million (the difference between their salaries and Parsons). I target Parsons because of his insanely good contract and his budding reputation around the league. Otto Porter might one day be as good or better than Parsons, but CP3 wants a few guys who can help him win now, not a bunch of 20 year olds.

Now, I can entice Paul with a starting lineup of him, Gordon, Parsons, Ryno, and Davis. A bench of Roberts, Rivers, and Smith. Plus about $5 million in cap room to get a backup big like Samuel Dalembert and two salary cap exemptions to increase our depth on the wings. Target guys like Earl Clark and Anthony Morrow. There’s a team that is 11 deep, under the luxury tax, would be very good from day one, and every single one of those guys, with the exception of Dalembert, still have room to grow.

- Random thought here, but if the Clippers are afraid that New Orleans is their main competition for Paul, why not offer Eric Bledsoe up to the Pelicans for a reduced price before the draft, with the hopes that they take CP3 off their wish list? Or make them take back a contract that makes it impossible for them to offer CP3 the max. Clippers can do this by offering Bledsoe and Caron Butler for Vasquez and a future protected 1st rounder. Dell would have to jump on the sure thing, wouldn’t he?

- For all those people tempted to type, “I’ve moved on from Chris Paul, I don’t want him,” or something like that – no disrespect, but save it. There isn’t one fan who wouldn’t take him back if he wanted to return. The truth is that people don’t think it is likely, so they put on this act. Thankfully GM’s aren’t jaded teenage lovers. Dell’s job is to make this a championship team. The past is the past, it doesn’t matter. If Dell has a shot at any top-10 player, he is going to pursue it until it is no longer a possibility. If he loses out on him, so be it, but he is not going to not go after Paul because Paul wanted out two years ago or because it is unlikely.

- On a personal level, I still really like Chris Paul as a person and a player, but if he re-signs with the Clippers, I will lose some respect for him because it will mean one of two things:

1.) Winning is not his top priority. Actually, that doesn’t bother me in and of itself. It’s just a game. He should care about his family more than he does winning, but don’t tell me that winning is priority #1 and then go back to LA. Sign that contract and then in your press conference, say money and the exposure of that market was more important. I will respect that, but don’t sign and tell me that you did so because this  was your best chance to win a title.

2.) It could also mean that CP3 really believes that LA is the best place for him to win titles. If that is the case, I will lose respect for his ability to evaluate talent and understand fundamental logic. Either way, I lose a little bit of respect if he resigns. Not that he would care, nor should he.

- Free agency begins July 1st. Can’t wait!

The Missing Piece is a weekly feature that you can find every Saturday only on Hornets247.com. For past issues in the series, click here.