From what I’ve seen, there are four prospects the Hornets have zeroed in on before the workouts have occurred: Cole Aldrich, Patrick Patterson, Paul George, and Xavier Henry.  Since it’s possible we’ll see one of these players next year, I decided to spend a little more time on each one.  Today, I’ll address the two […]

And it looks like the Hornets’ coaching search is over.  ESPN is reporting that the Hornets and Portland assistant coach Monty Williams have come to an agreement now that Tom Thibodeau appears to have chosen Chicago over the Big Easy.  From the very beginning, it was reported that the Hornets wanted Thibodeau, but would be […]

Need some feedback, folks. ESPN The Magazine compiles their Ultimate Standings: Fan Satisfaction Rankings each year, comparing 122 pro sports teams from the four major American leagues. Last year, the Hornets slipped from #3 to #12 on the list, ranking first overall in bang-for-buck and 11th in affordability. The Hornets had improved with their stadium […]

It’s time for my annual “Value of a Draft Pick” post, where I attempt to lower expectations, dash dreams and crush hopes with cold, hard numbers – right before I spend the next couple weeks desperately hoping for something amazing out of the draft. As always, I’ll start by explaining my methodology and ranking system, […]

So the other day I was poking around the Hornets season stats, and noticed just how amazing Thornton had been this season with his turnover rate. I dug a little longer and found out that he had the lowest rate of any qualified guard in the entire league.  Considering the amount of time he’s moving […]

It’s still the time of year where hope springs eternal.  The draft isn’t done.  Free Agency looms with great promise.  Teams stuck on the playoff bubble are deciding whether to blow it up and start over – or to give it one more year.  Enter the Philadelphia 76ers: Chad Ford is reporting over at ESPN.com […]

The Hornets received the 11th pick in the Draft tonight, which was the most likely outcome, of course.  Now that we are armed with that bit of information, we know exactly what sort of assets the Hornets will have for the upcoming off-season. The 11th pick of the draft, in general, is just outside of […]

There’s a sense of urgency in Cleveland this year.  The city knows this is the best chance they’ve had at a title in a looooong time.  Coach Mike Brown, who has taken a tremendous amount of criticism, needs a title to validate his career.  General Manager Danny Ferry needs to win this year because his […]

Okay, maybe saying he can’t get no respect is a bit over the top.  He was the 6th leading vote getter among rookies.  Still, he deserved to be on the first team, and his whole season has been a bit ridiculous considering his talent. The season started with him sliding all the way to the […]

A funny thing happened this weekend.  And no, it wasn’t “funny ha-ha“, it was “funny disturbing“, because I found myself rooting for the Lakers.  Now, for any of you who have read this blog, you know I’m not a fan of the Lakers.  In fact, on my four-team list of teams I can’t stand, the […]

All of the news coming out about New Orleans these days points to one thing: The Hornets are gunning for a big name coach.  There are reports they have contacted Avery Johnson, Jeff Van Gundy, and Doug Collins in order to gauge their interest in returning to the coaching game.  Hugh Weber was quoted as […]

The Associated Press is reporting that “sale talks between George Shinn and minority owner Gary Chouest have reached an “impasse,” and that Shinn now wants to speak with other possible buyers.” I don’t have a lot to say.  The sale was so promising and smooth-seeming, the cynic in me tells me I should have known […]

I was watching The Basketball Jones vidcast this morning, like I do every morning, and good ol’ J.E. Skeets said something that made me grumble.  While lauding the gorgeous 25 and 17 that Tim Duncan put up against the Mavericks, he suggested that Rick Carlisle should have considered Hack-A-Duncan tactics, since Tim Duncan was only […]

At some point during the next 12 months, I think all Hornets nation understands that Peja Stojakovic will be moving on.  He’s in the final year of his contract, his production has slipped drastically, and his $15 million dollar contract makes him enticing to teams wishing to start their roster over after next season.  That […]

On April 12th, I wrote a review of the new book Stumbling on Wins, and then put up a trivia game with a copy of the book as the prize.  Not surprisingly (to me at least) those of you who tried out the new contest didn’t do that well, and I have to confess I […]

Tonight’s game was enjoyable but hardly compelling as the only tough defense being played out there was Jared Jeffries earnestly humping David West in the post.  Happily, all that did was make him score more and shout “And One!” a half dozen times, making Hornets drinking games that much more entertaining and inebriating. Otherwise, most […]

A couple weeks ago, we ran a giveaway for Dave Berri and Martin Schmidt’s new book, Stumbling on Wins.  NOEngineer won that giveaway, but today, you’ll get another crack at the prize, as I am producing both a review and once again, giving away a copy of Stumbling on Wins.  If you don’t want to […]

It now appears to be a near certainty that Gary Chouest will purchase a controlling interest(and probably the entire interest) in the New Orleans Hornets in the very near future.  With that, an era will end.  George Shinn has owned the controlling interest in the Hornets for the entire existence of the team, having rebuffed […]

((First, let me get out this disclaimer:  This piece is entirely speculation.  I don’t have any special source with the Hornets that lends any special credence to what I’m about to write. It’s purely my thoughts, based on how I’ve seen the team act in the past, and on what I think that means for […]

So the results of the Stumbling on a Contest Contest are in.  Some of you did well, while some of you . . . well, didn’t.  The one who answered the most questions right was Corndeaux, who managed to nail every single one of them.  Good on ya. Unfortunately for Corndeaux, the contest wasn’t about […]