Lots and lots of lovely randomness. Enjoy…

• Interesting article on the gap between the salaries of D-Leaguers and their NBA counterparts. The average NBA player apparently makes $5m a year, compared to somewhere between $12,000 and $24,000 a year for players in the D-League. Not what you'd call glamorous.

  Former Hornet Eddie Robinson gets a mention in that story, too. He's not exactly penny-pinching in Idaho after that contract he signed with the Bulls way back when.

• Someone by the name of Saunak left a link to this article on tanking in the comments yesterday. Bill Simmons basically tries to justify rooting for your team to lose to improve their draft chances, and he does a good job of it, too.

  I'm not so sure this applies to the Hornets though, as they still have a legitimate chance to make the Playoffs, and may even do some damage should they get there.

  Wait, wait. Before you die laughing at that last bit, just consider that Peja could well be healthy by mid-April, and remember teams like the '94 Nuggets and the '99 Knicks.

  The '07 Hornets still have a chance to be special.

• As the trade deadline looms, Clark Matthews over at HornetsCentral.com suggests some deals that, by his own admission, will never happen. That deadline is February 22nd, btw.
• I'm sorry, but the Nuggets' Steve Blake is just weird looking. Especially here. And here. I was thinking there had to be a good "separated at birth" for him, but couldn't quite place it. Fortunately, the WizzNutzz already did.
• Finally, we get a proper look at the Hornets' red Valentine's day jerseys over at the Official. I'm not feeling them at all, and yet I still want one, big fashion whore that I am.

  If you want one, too, you could always enter this competition. Win and you get the added bonus of a date with a Honeybee, although they don't say which Honeybee. I imagine they'll just line them all up, have the winner pick one and then drag her off the court, caveman style.

• That crafty Fartman has done it again, dropping a funky throwback wallpaper over on his Hornets Report thread.
• SLAM magazine's Lang Whitaker talks about how fantastic and awesome and super-cool Chris Paul is in a recent blog. We know, Lang. We know.
• JR Smith has followed in the bizarre footsteps of Gilbert Arenas, opting to toss his jersey into the stands after each game. As noted in today's Denver Post, "each jersey costs about $200, so his total outlay for the regular season will run him around $12,800."

  $12,800 down the drain. Let's hope the D-Leaguers don't hear about this.