Welcome to the first edition of Hornets Beat, a complete and utter knockoff of ESPN’s 5-on-5. The format is simple. We take five people who know about the Hornets, be they writers, musicians, comedians, superfans, or whatever, and we ask them five questions. This week we start things off with a bang as potential owner Morris Bart joins us, along with Harvey from Hornets Report, James Grayson from Swarm and Sting, mW from Hornets Hype, and our very own 42.
You can look forward to this feature every Monday morning around 6am central time, and if you can think of any specific questions you want to see tackled, just leave your thoughts in the comment section. Check out ESPN’s 5-on-5 today, as well.
1. Will David West be a Hornet next year?
Morris Bart: I don’t know. Putting a team together is like putting a puzzle together. Fortunately, we have a master at putting puzzles together by the name of Dell Demps.
Harvey, Hornets Report: No…with an asterisk. West has played his entire career in New Orleans. He has been patient, but that patience has run out. He has quietly desired a fresh start. David is getting older and feels the need to try something new. Asterisk? If the Hornets severely over pay, maybe he comes back.
James Grayson, Swarm and Sting: Yes, based on three things. One, we can give him the contract. Two, we can give him the minutes. And three, we can loosely promise him a winning program over competing teams like Indiana and New Jersey.
42, Hornets247: Yes. David West is the highest profile stated target of the Hive Mind. There are not many upgrades over West that the Hornets could net, and he clearly fits the scheme and budget. Also, none of the projected teams that could land West are markedly better on the court than the Hornets in the near-term.
mW, Hornets Hype: Yes. West’s contract made it impractical for him to pick up this season or to extend, but this system is geared toward his strengths, and any team with Chris Paul can win big.
2. Will Carl Landry be a Hornet next year?
Morris Bart: See answer one.
Harvey, Hornets Report: 50/50. The Hornets certainly want him back…but don’t think we’re the only franchise that will be trying to sign him. With West likely gone, the Hornets can offer Carl a chance to start…and will probably have some extra money to throw at him. That’s likely an attractive situation…unless someone brings more minutes and/or money to the table.
James Grayson, Swarm and Sting: I’d like to say yes, but it’s a no. Some team will overpay for him, maybe even Indiana. Carl will go where the money is no matter the CBA situation. Keeping both is Dell’s priority, but it will be tough.
42, Hornets247: No. “Carl Landry” does not flow well over the “length” beats emanating from basketball operations’ drum. The Hornets will spend money on length, and West will cost a couple million more this year than last. Between those costs and the minutes given to the higher-paid West and a longer acquisition, Carl will find other pastures to be greener.
mW, Hornets Hype: No, but he should.  Someone will overpay for Landry and Demps won’t match.  If Landry realizes he is a non-starter, who can dominate second units, he would understand, though, that this is the perfect situation for him.
3. Gary Chouest will (a) be the majority owners before 12/31/2011, (b) be the majority owners before 12/31/2012, or (c) never be the majority owner.
Morris Bart: I believe Gary Chouest is genuinely interested in purchasing the Hornets. However, from a business stand point – as opposed to a “I love basketball†stand point – the decision to purchase becomes a very difficult and risky one.
Harvey, Hornets Report: Gary Chouest will become the majority owner when the CBA is finalized.
James Grayson, Swarm and Sting: B. It’s likely that there will be a lockout for a large portion of the season and once that’s done there are still a lot of things to be worked out with this franchise. He needs to see a financial framework that will work for his investment because he can’t get a refund as easily as season ticket holders.
42, Hornets247: (c). Mr. Chouest, a long-time billionaire, could have bought the team from the by-NBA-standards cash-strapped Mr. Shinn with a snap of his wealthy fingers at any moment, but he never did, even knowing the silver linings in the cloudy financial books. No CBA will fix what kept him away from majority ownership for years.
mW, Hornets Hype: I can’t give a date, but I expect the announcement that Chouest will buy the team to shortly follow word the lockout is over.
4. Chris Paul is…(pick one or two words to describe him)
Morris Bart: Chris Paul is essential. Essential to the team, essential to the image of the Hornets, and essential to the community of New Orleans.
Harvey, Hornets Report: “Frustrated warrior.” Chris is an absolute warrior on the floor….a guy who plays with more heart and passion than anyone else. Winning drives him…it’s his drug. Chris is another guy who has spent his entire career with this organization…and he is certainly frustrated.  Chris’s desire to win goes far beyond being a low playoff seed and a 1st or 2nd round out.
James Grayson, Swarm and Sting: Chris Paul is… Audacious. No matter what happens Paul will be an exemplar for fearlessness and a crazed vision for winning. Whether that’s in New Orleans or not we cannot deny that CP is dauntless in his vision for a championship.
42, Hornets247: Nonessential. The Hornets franchise has to shape itself into one that would interest most superstars. In that case, they will choose among the superstars to be had. If we do not change the franchise so, then no superstar, Mr. Paul included, will be part of the team longer than is financially wise given the CBA, bird rights, etc.
mW, Hornets Hype: The savior of basketball in New Orleans.
5. How many season ticket holders will the Hornets start the season with. The goal is 10,000.
Morris Bart: 10,000 season ticket holders! Why? Because two years ago we had 10,000 season ticket holders and were ranked number 19 out of the 30 NBA teams in our number of season ticket holders. The “I’m in†campaign is brilliant, and that combined with a couple of good trades, will get us back to 10,000.
Harvey, Hornets Report: They will eclipse the 10K number. When the new CBA is done, Chouest will emerge as the owner, confidence in the franchise’s long term future in New Orleans will be established and the fans will buy tickets.. Chouest will buy when the CBA is done…then the tickets will come…interim benchmarks be damned.
James Grayson, Swarm and Sting: 9200. Asking for 10,000, in a lockout, with no owner, five (six including Belinelli) players on their roster, a super star with one foot out the door, is a big request from Jac Sperling and the NBA. However, I think that fans should be proud of their current mark of just under 8500. I don’t think we get too much more, but 9200 is something to be proud of.
42, Hornets247: 10,000. The lockout will stifle interest in the team here, if the CBA is resolved only for next season, sales will not be a problem. If the CBA is resolved this season, I expect businesses that have been sitting idle to dump money into the team. The team and the Hornets Business Council will be driving this effort.
mW, Hornets Hype: The team says it’s already at 8400 season ticket holders, but I don’t see them topping 9500. Although kudos to the Hornets for developing a marketing scheme (“I’m In”) around celebrity fans, Â knowing that the lockout will (and now does) preclude using player images.
24 responses to “The Hornets Beat: First Edition”
Loving the new article format, Joe. Look forward to it next week. Great to see you keeping the site fresh and intersesting, in these times which are anything but.
Thanks, Aussie, and everyone else. Seems like a good weekly column, so I’m going to stick with it.
We do our best, and if there’s ever anything better we can do, let us know and we’ll give it a shot.
Yah, I saw articles about carl landry likely leaving and him eyeing teams likee the pacers and the bucks(swarm and sting and bleacherreport). I dnt understand why he wants to go. Does we truly beleev we’re gonna resign dwest. So Carl landry is gone. On the 70 percent chance we dnt resign dwest, we need to get Jeff green, thaddeous young, or trade okafor for like a Michael beasley or Derrick Williams. (beasley jus gt ticketed bt he’s still tallented. All the PF I listed are under sized, so okafor has to go. If we can trade okafor and get a scorer and a reliable taller center(ala Tyson Chandler&Monta Ellis or Danny granger&Greg Oden maybe even Monta&Andris Biedrins.) maybe even jr smith. Bt Ion think dwest likes jr. So idk where we go from here. We might just go Magic Johnson and blow the frontcourt up. IDK
Great stuff. Really like the article format.
Agreed with Will, really good stuff, especially during the down time we are currently experiencing thanks to this lockout.
Alright heres my idea. Trade Okafor and Jack and a second rounder for monta ellis and andris biedrrins. Warriors do this because they get a talented big man and jack can play backup point and next to stephen curry at times. Plus they get rid of biedrins’ contract. That leaves us with 13 mil. Thadeous Young’s qualifying offer is 3.99 mil/year. Gonna have to over pay to 5.99 mil. That leaves us 7 mil. Deandre jordan’s qualifying offer is a little over 1 mil. Pay him 3 mil and keep matching. Sign Patrick Mills 2 mil. Pay Jason SMith 1.75 mil. go over the cap to bring back willie green cuzz we need a player like him to fill the roster spot.
Cp3/Patrick Mills/Wille Green
Monta Ellis/Marco/willie Green
Ariza/Pondexter/Patrick Ewing
Thaddeous Young/Jason Smith/Patrick Ewing
Deandre Jordan/Andris Biedrins/Jason Smith
If we can get this team together before traing camp, this is a great team.(This is if dwest doesnt resign.)
If Dwest does resign for 9 mil, sign wilson chandler for 4-5 mil. i have a three way trade the we give up ariza and okafor to sacrament, sacramento gives a first rounder fransico Garcia, and jason thompson to the clippers and the clippers give us the t wolves first round pick, chris kaman, and ryan gomes. That leaves us with 12 mil in cap space. We can sign shannon brown for 3.75 mil and sign al thornton for 4.5 mil (solid perimeter defender). Sign Jason Smith for 2mil. Sign joel pryzbilla or aaron gray for a little over 1.5 mil.
Cps/Jack/Shannon Brown
Bellinelli/Sannon Brown/Q pom
Wilson Chandler/Al Thornton/Q pon
Dwest/Jason Smith/Patrick Ewing
Chris Kaman/Aaron gray(please)/Jason Smith
I like the way you think about that one. If I was to choose out of the roster you put together, I would’ve chosen the roster with D-West on the team. I’ve been saying that we should go and try to grab ME8 for the longest ever since his rookie year with them I’ve been a ME8 fan, but we need to think about a champion contender, and adding D-West,CP3,Wil-Chan and Kaman on the same team is genius. plus you’ve put together on salary and how to get them. that’s the genius part. where does ryan gomes go at in your roster?
Thanks. I forgot about Ryan we cups buy him out or trade him for a second rounder or smthn
Yeah. And the best part of my second team is tht it’s realistic. Tht trade I did addressed needs for Sacramento and the clippers. We dnt if we can give up two ok starters and get Chris kaman and a high draft pick and sign wilson, who wuldnt take it. What d west is looking for is a high salary, a bunch load of minutes a lot of winning. I even gt us a bench with jj Shannon brown al Thornton jsmith and Aaron gray. The only whole in my team is tht if the season starts on time(which is unlikely) d west wuld miss like the first like 3 weeks. Nt to be cocky bt I pray the hornets are thinking of trades and signings like this.
Did Morris Bart actually answer a question?
Yes.
Also, keep in mind that he is involved in this on a political level, so his answers may have to serve multiple purposes.
He took time to help us out, that is more than many potential minority owners (ten-millionaire, active lawyer) would do for any team in any sport.
Finally, most people often fail to really answer questions, but give informative and acceptable responses.
“Would you like a drink?”
“A coke.”
That’s an answer, but “yes” is actually more correct. Not complaining, but answering is harder than it appears.
Wow, can’t believe people would actually complain about that? That “general” information from Mo-Bart is better information than anyone associated with any blog could give to us. Someone who is actually involved in the negotiating processes regarding Chouest actually gave us confirmation that Chouest still is interested in the team, especially if the NBA can help our city make them financially viable via CBA.
Can’t please some people 42. Eff em.
Will Van, I was thinking the same! I was looking for more insight from Morris Bart, I guess. I could answer questions like that!
Everyone else … great answers!
L_REAZY
I like this post but its obvious that any questions we have won’t really be answered until the new CBA is formed, and we finally get a rich owner(S).
I’m really, really lookin’ forward to more of these.
Question for nextweek.
Which of the Following is more likely.
1. Lockout wipes out entire season, CP3 walks in 2012 and Hornets left with nothing.
2. CBA deal made. Season 2011-2012 goes ahead, Hornets under new ownership. CP3 signs extension after Demps makes roster moves.
3. CBA deal made. season 2011-2012 goes ahead, Hornets under new ownership. Demps struggles to acquire FA and Hornets in Rebuild mode by the Trade Dealine
Deadline*
1. this season is done
Wait if thereis a lockout, contracts can still expire next year. All thought cp3 and all the expiring would have to wait till 2013
Contracts will be expiring after this non-season if they would have should the recent had stayed in effect.
Think of the contracts as expiring in a date, and the payment part only happens if there is a CBA, similar to the “in bed” fortune cookie game.
I’m not sure CP3 can opt out if there’s no CBA done by 6/30/12 . . .
Will someone smart figure that out?
Same for all those player option folks.
The next CBA could hvve a special provision for dealing with those folks.
It’s important because it changes the amount of space the team has under the cap etc. and changes the player market… There will be a larger class and more teams with tons of space.
I think the players have to actively opt-out, which is hard when you can’t contact teams etc.
who’s morris bart?
A local lawyer who is a sponsor and fan of the team.
He’s an unofficial mouthpiece for the prospective local ownership group. He will likely be a ~10% owner if it comes to pass.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=6756jyt I think this is a trade dell demps should think it would make chris a happy person.