SB Nation - Morris Peterson

3 In The Key - Toronto Raptors Game Day Preview vs. New Orleans

Raptors HQ - Vicious D — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:30:13 -0000

Chris Paul almost got a well deserved triple double. Heck, he almost finished with a 30 and 20 night against the Nuggets. Will CP3 get that elusive triple double against the Raptors today?

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In a rematch where Chris Paul will play the team that injured him, the Raptors will face one of the league's most dynamic point guards. Of course, Mo Pete will be the talk of the town as Vicious D takes a look at the Hornets.

This is all Morris Peterson's fault.

Well, not really, but let's look at how Mo Pete left.

Back in the wonderous 2006-2007 season, the Raptors decided to start benching Mo Pete after years of loyal service. The Raptors had a new guy in Jorge Garbajosa who was a tough Spaniard who wasn't going to take guff from anyone. He was going to be our defensive stopper who just played hard in every game and who could defend bigger people while using his crafty mind to take out the smaller small forwards in the league. Mo Pete was benched and his minutes severely reduced. When Garbajosa went down with his Raptors Career-ending injury, the team picked Joey Graham to start over Mo Pete.

Thus ended Mo Pete's career in Toronto.

Getting snubbed once for a veteran player like Garbajosa was nothing to be ashamed about, but getting snubbed for the likes of Joey Graham was probably the straw that broke the camel's back. Since then, we have been without any real stoppers at the small forward position in Toronto. And yes, that includes the recently end-of-bencher Antoine Wright.

But good news:

Mo Pete is back in Toronto.

With the Hornets.

Doing not much of anything.

As part of their 15 years anniversary, the Raptors will be celebrating Mo Pete's service to the Raptors and the Raptors' community. Without a doubt, Peterson was a man who just got to become Mr. Raptor by being a subtle part of some very good teams. He was the Ironman of the Raptors and gave us some very important years with some good defense, some better shooting, and some miraculous plays.

He'll be a Raptor whom I'll definitely stand up and applaud from my condo.

Up next though, the Raptors still have a game to play and against the New Orleans Hornets, they will have it out a lot tougher than the Nets. That's why today's game will be a much better measuring stick for this Raptors team:

1) Protect Your "Glass Jaw"
The Raptors are simply bad when they have to do anything tough, but more than that, it seems as though whenever teams start trading baskets with the Raptors, they will fold. In boxing, a glass jaw boxer is a guy with a weak chin who will go down for the count whenever their opposition tags them on the chin. With these Raptors, their "chin" seems to be their paint and the Raptors get hit there way too often. It all eventually changes the game to their opposition's favour. It happened in the Nets game, albeit only in the second half after they built a sizable lead, and it's happened in just about every game where they've been blown out. We're going to keep mentioning it until the Raptors change their ways, but the fact is, this team's best defensive unit is probably Jarrett Jack, Marco Belinelli, Sonny Weems, Chris Bosh, and Amir Johnson.

That's four bench players with Chris Bosh. With Chris Paul almost dropping a triple double the last game against the Nuggets, the Raptors have to keep protecting their paint otherwise this game will get ugly real quick.

2) Stick and Jab
The Raptors on the other hand, have to keep going inside against the Hornets. New Orleans just doesn't have a very strong front court despite having one of the most overrated centers in the league in Emeka Okafor. Chris Paul as well, has a propensity to being exposed by opposing point guards, so the Raptors should keep slashing and slashing in the paint like there's no tomorrow. Attacking them with two points here and there will keep New Orleans on their toes until you find yourself for open threes. Which leads us to...

3) Power Punches
The Raptors have not been shooting the 3-pointer very well lately. However, a lot of that has to do with who is taking those threes. DeMar DeRozan, Antoine Wright, and the recently cold Italian Duo are all people that should be careful about shooting too many threes. But if the Raptors start by hitting the Hornets with lots of jabs, they'll expose them for open looks on the perimeter. The Raptors are a team that needs those open looks and they'll have to stick them as it's a major part of what makes the Raptors a dangerous offensive team. It's how the Raptors pulled out a win in New Orleans earlier this year after all. However it's all got to start from the inside out. The best boxers establish themselves with their jab and then unleashes hooks and uppercuts when need be. The Raptors will need to do the same.

Coach of the Year? You're Fired!

Zorgon — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:16:06 -0000

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP

Me? Fired?

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As all of you know, Byron Scott has recently been fired by the New Orleans Hornets. This should come as no surprise if you've followed the Hornets in the past. George Shinn is a guy who can assemble winning teams, but in all cases, profit comes before winning. In this case, he's gotten rid of a successful coach, so he can hire Tim Floyd to ghost coach as an assistant, while Jeff Bower serves as a puppet so Tim Floyd doesn't get as much money.

But, that's not the point of this article. The point of this article is to point out the drastically bad luck recent coaches of the year have had when it comes to keeping their jobs. Lets just go on down the list, shall we?

2003-2004: Hubie Brown, Memphis Grizzlies

He got this win after providing a 22 win turnaround to propel the Grizzlies to a 50 win season and the playoffs. They got swept out of the first round by San Antonio, but it was probably the best season in Grizzlies history up to that point. The next season, he started 5-7, had some, "Health Issues" and walked out the door. The team went on to make the playoffs again under Mike Fratello. Granted, this isn't a matter of bad coaching or anything, but all curses have to start somewhere, right?

The obligatory totally awesome Mike D'Antoni picture.

2004-2005: Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix Suns

Mike D'Antoni and his fast break offense had done endless positives for the Suns, especially after their trying to find an identity Post-Jason Kidd. He took a roster of aging players like Anfernee Hardaway, Stephon Marbury, Tom Gugliotta, Howard Eisley, and Antonio McDyess and made success with a completely new roster, featuring players like Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson, and Amare Stoudemire. It was quite the accomplishment. But after two seasons of Semi-Finals losses, a Conference Finals loss, and a loss in the first round after Shaq was brought to town against D'Antoni's wishes, the Suns kicked him out the door. Now, how many times does that happen? Now he coaches the tanking New York Knicks. Talk about bad luck, and the start of a trend.

Things Avery Johnson don't lack are energy, tenacity, or a big mouth.

2005-2006: Avery Johnson, Dallas Mavericks

Avery Johnson won this award after inheriting an under achieving Don Nelson team. He forced them to play regular basketball, and as a result, they became one of the best teams in the NBA. But, after an embarrassing loss in the Finals after being up 2-0 on the Heat, an embarrassing (albeit totally awesome) loss to his predecessor's Golden State Warriors in the first round, and an understandable loss in the first round to the Hornets after a bad move for Jason Kidd, he was out on the street, and hasn't found another coaching job since. That's even worse luck.

2006-2007: Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

The Raptors weren't extremely impressive under him, but getting the Raptors to the playoffs is, in itself, an accomplishment. The even bigger accomplishment was taking a international roster with many players who spoke entirely different languages, and making them work as one, cohesive unit. The future looked bright for him next season, but he lost Morris Peterson, an integral part of the teams success. He finished 6 wins lower at 41-41, and was booted out of the first round. Next season, it got even worse. He got an injury-prone Jermaine O'Neal, and lost a lot of his international talent, leading to a lack of team unity. After a 8-9 start, he was out of a job. His successor, Jay Triano, processed to poop the team into oblivion with a 25-40 record. This year, they look to be pretty good with the additions of players like Hedo Turkoglu, Demar DeRozan, Jarrett Jack, and Amir Johnson. Sam Mitchell hasn't found a job since, and has to be licking his chops at what he could have had. Bad luck strikes again.

2007-2008: Byron Scott, New Orleans Hornets

Byron Scott is the latest victim of this curse. He won the award after battling through two injury-laden seasons in Oklahoma City to finally become a playoff contender in New Orleans. He was gifted with Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic, and Morris Peterson, while lucking into surprise stars in David West and Tyson Chandler. Unfortunately, his luck would turn sour as Morris Peterson, Peja Stojakovic, and Tyson Chandler suffered long injuries. As a result, the team finished 7 wins below last season at 49. They were promptly kicked out of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. Yet, I didn't feel that his job was on the line. But after a 3-6 start with Emeka Okafor in place of Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic starting to show his age, Byron Scott was given the good 'ol pink slip. I'd hire him as my team's coach any day, but for right now, he's probably stuck as jobless until next year.

The Future:

Could Mike Brown be on the street, selling his stylish glasses for food?

2008-2009: Mike Brown, Cleveland Cavaliers

Will the curse continue? I say yes. Shaq promised to retire after this season, LeBron James is going to be a free agent, and without those two, the Cavaliers couldn't possibly be worth more than a low playoff seed at best. Which could lead to Mike Brown bringing the unluckiness streak to 6, and having people around the league start to believe that the award really is cursed.

One could point out that the award is given to coaches that are just the hot commodity at the time and not to stable, long term coaches, but that would ruin the fun! Plus, guys like Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Don Nelson, Larry Brown, and Phil Jackson have all won the award. So quiet, doubters! The new Madden Curse is upon us! I pity the man who receives the next Coach of the Year Award!

Lets hope that Scott Brooks never gets it.

Poll

Do you see Mike Brown following the curse any time soon?

Definitely, especially after next off-seasons departure of Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James.

72 votes

Possibly, it could happen.

37 votes

Not likely. LeBron will stay in Cleveland, and as long as he's there, Mike Brown can do no wrong.

23 votes

132 votes | Poll has closed

For His Next Trick, Byron To Start Devin Brown

atthehive — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:10:12 -0000

Yep. Yep yep yep.

I've made clear who I want starting at the 2, despite his struggles. Honestly though, I don't have anything against trying out a committee and seeing who performs. I'm just dubious when that committee includes Devin Brown.

A fifth starter who plays with Chris Paul, David West, and Emeka Okafor needs to be able to shoot and not take over offensive plays with those three guys on. Devin Brown does not fit this bill at all. He really has no range to speak of, as he shot 29% from three last season and 30% the year before. The unfortunate thing is Brown seems to think he's good at shooting- he attempted almost 100 last year after 146 the year before. Byron Scott, for whatever reason, has allowed him to indulge this fantasy. Moving him into the starting lineup into a role that has frequently been on the receiving end of kickouts for three does not, well, solve this issue. At all.

There is really just one positive to Brown's game, and that's his ability to get to the foul line on broken plays. On units that don't have much creativity, he can force himself to the hole and occasionally pick up some cheap points. Thing is, this skill set will not be needed with Paul/West/Okafor on the floor. In the slightest.

Baskeball Prospectus' defensive stats indicate that Brown is actually a pretty solid defender. That's the one area I could see this move sort of working. If he can do a good job over the next few games on some upcoming opponents, then who knows. Perhaps he wrests control of the job from Mo-Pete for good. He's already shown the inexplicable ability to completely avoid Byron's doghouse.

In sum, I see this failing pretty badly on offense, and maybe, maybe, yielding some defensive results. Either way, Byron has indicated that this is a "6 game tryout." Which means we can start the Marcus Thornton countdown- Thursday, November 19th vs. Phoenix.

12 more days, people.

Mo-Pete Hops in the Delorean

atthehive — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:46:40 -0000

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

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Morris Peterson has always been the definition of a fringe starter. There are reasons to sit him, but there are also some reasons to start him. And perhaps chief among those is the way he fits into most any offense. Nobody wants an invisible player on the court, but nobody wants the 5th man to stick out any either. For much of his career, Mo struck that balance well.

Five miserable performances into the 09-10 season, is his time in that role over?

A trip down memory lane may be in order to predict his future.

For starters, the precipitous decline in PER over the past 5 years is ominous.

2006: 15.3
2007: 13.2
2008: 11.2
2009: 10.7
2010: 7.2 (5 Games)

It's not entirely unexpected either; wings in the mold of Mo-Pete tend to fade and fade hard as they hit their 30's. Two of Mo's most comparable players are George McCloud and Jaren Jackson... which is never a good thing. But while PER can be useful for comparing high value players, it often needs additional corroboration in its measure low value players who exist in different playing systems.

For example, in Toronto, Peterson's scoring role was far more pronounced. He averaged more than 3 FTA/36. In the long run, this seems pretty mediocre. Given Mo was averaged just around 10 FGA/game, though, it speaks to his more creative role. Upon his arrival in New Orleans, Peterson was transformed exclusively into a spot shooter. As much as people associate "Princeton offense" with Byron Scott (and others on that New Jersey staff, like Eddie Jordan), Peterson's role was hardly one characterized by off the ball cuts to the hoop. It was him hanging out on the corners or the wing, hoping for the kickout. It's only natural that his overall value would diminish in this system.

But how does one explain away Mo's decline with the Hornets? Changing system is one thing, but as we're all familiar with, the Hornets run virtually the same offense they did when Mo arrived.

The answer lies hidden in his floor percentages. Oddly enough, even as Mo's three point ability has remained stable, he's become a very poor two point shooter.

Year	2P%	3P%
2007	52.3	35.9
2008	44.5	39.4
2009	40.8	38.8

Clearly, his skills are in decline. He can hit the standstill three, but he can't do much else at all. Then again, the Hornets need Peterson to literally do only two things: (1) make open threes and (2) perimeter defense.

Mo has looked awful to start the year because both those things, arguably, haven't been there. In terms of defense, images of Rodrigue Beaubois blowing by him on four consecutive possessions still lingers in my mind. But in a relative sense, who else do we have defensively? James Posey has lost a step on the perimeter; leaving him on small forwards and power forwards is easily our best bet moving forward. I'm more than willing to give Peterson some more time to evaluate his defense. The three point shooting? He's been poor; however, it's 5 games, and it certainly looks like statistically insignificant.

In the 9 years prior this season, Mo's three point percentage has never deviated outside of the 30-40% range. It hasn't come close to the low end since a poor third season in the league. Basketball Prospectus' projection system has him very similar to last year. Basically, it's too early to say that Mo has lost his three point shot; in fact, all signs point to the contrary. It's the one aspect of his game he's kept as he ages, and the one aspect he's likely to keep for a while longer.

The moral of the story: Morris Peterson may be done as an average basketball player, but in the role the Hornets have created for him, he still has value. The numbers say his shot will recover, without much doubt. His contract runs till 2011, and the two aspects of his game we utilize most- shooting and perimeter defending- will remain until then. Off the bench, the value of both those things plummets. He no longer has Chris Paul to create threes for him, and his perimeter defense is inherently less valuable if he guards the opposition's bench.

I'm all for Marcus Thornton getting minutes (as Byron has alluded to recently). From a relative value added sense though, I think it makes more sense to bring Thornton off the bench. From what we've seen of him at LSU, he doesn't need Chris Paul as much as Mo does. And Mo is the far safer defensive bet at this point. Essentially, Thornton can (potentially) do things off the bench that Mo cannot; on the flip side, Thornton's creative ability is diminished as the fifth starter.

Projecting Mo's future is tough; defending his recent play is even tougher. For all his struggles though, there still isn't a better fifth starter option on this roster.

Mavericks at Hornets: Game 5 Preview

Phillip Baggett — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:16:37 -0000

The Mavericks will roll into New Orleans Arena tonight still riding high from the emotional come from behind win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. While the win over the Jazz was ugly for three quarters the last 8 minutes were simply amazing. Can the Mavs keep their 3 game winning streak going?

Point Guards:

Kidd: Kidds defense has been exceptional even when his shot has not been falling and he will need that defensive effort again tonight against the best the league has to offer. Jason broke out a little last night scoring a season high 19 points, it was good to see the "old man" knock them down. Jason's work in the two man game with Dirk last night was fabulous need to see more of it tonight.

Paul: What else can you say about this guy? He is the best point guard in the league in all facets. Even on an off night he causes serious problems for opposing teams. Look for the Hornets to try and get him going early to force the Mavs into the early double allowing Okafor and West to get open looks. Edge: Hornets

Shooting Guards:

Ross: Quinton suffered an injury early in last nights game and he did not return. If Quinton does not play tonight look for our old buddy Matt Carroll to get his first start of the season. Even if Ross starts it is probable that Carroll gets quite a few minutes tonight, due to his shooting ability and length.

Peterson: Morris is a big combo guard-forward. While he is not likely to pour in a bunch of points, he does a lot of the little things that coach Scott likes. However he is only averaging about 15 minutes per so expect to see a ton of Peja. Edge: Mavs

Small Forwards:

Marion: Shawn is continuing to grow on this team and looks to be a 15 and 8 guy. I would like to see Shawn (and the rest of the team for that matter) have more off the ball movement to allow Kidd to get him the ball in better scoring situations. Shawn continues to play excellent defense and is a key reason the Mavs are #2 in the league.

Wright: The 2007 first round selection from Kansas has not had much playing time in his short NBA career until now. He is a very talented player with a large upside, but he is young and this maybe the opportunity the Mavs have needed to get Marion going. Edge: Mavs

Power Forwards:

Nowitzki: I think he might have found his touch last night what do you think? 29 points in 8 minutes would suggest such a thing, and thank goodness he took the summer off because I am sure he is feeling the effects of the intense game last night. Dirk will be ready come 8:30 tonight though and more than his offense his defense will be very much needed tonight against David West.

West: Other than Dirk one of my favorite forwards in the league right now, teamed with Paul he can be down right deadly. Dirk will have his hands full with West tonight should be a great battle. Edge: Mavs

Centers:

Dampier: As much as we all have gotten on Erick over the years I must say that when the guy wants to play he can be... well good. Erick has been that way all year so far and let's hope it continues tonight in New Orleans.

Okafor: Okafor was all alone in Charlotte but now in New Orleans he is surrounded by a qaulity team, this could spell trouble for the rest of the league once he and Paul get on the same page. In the Hornets last game against the Knicks it appeared that the two got a little closer, as Okafor poured in 24 points on 69% shooting. The Mavs must keep him under wraps. Edge: Hornets

Prediction: The second game of these back to backs is always tough but even tougher the night after having to expend as much energy as they did last night. However I think the Mavs are just too strong for these Hornets right now. Look for Marion to get some good looks tonight to ease the work load on Dirk.

Mavericks - 105

Hornets - 97

Sorry for missing the preview last night, I will try to do better. GO MAVS

Thunder Gameday: Oklahoma City Thunder at New Orleans Hornets

Mr Pappagiorgio — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:30:22 -0000

The first thing you need to know about tonight's second pre-season game is that it isn't "tonight's" game at all, its actually an EARLY afternoon game, which tips off at 1pm Local time. Once again, the game won't be televised, and you're only chance to watch this one is going to be listening to WWLS, The Sports Animal, on FM 98.1 / AM 640 in the Oklahoma City area, or on 97.1 FM in the Tulsa Area. Again if there is anyone out there with a little bit of pull or power that wants to push for all the pre-season games to be televised next season, we'd certainly appreciate it, and I think just by me watching the game it'll have better ratings that "Matlock" and "In the Heat of the Night" which apparently was more important for KSBI to broadcast than showing a Thunder pre-season game. So if you can get that taken care of for us, I'm sure all us die hard Thunder fans would appreciate it.

As the Oklahoman points out in this article, essentially four players are battling for one roster spot. Those guys are Ryan Bowen, Mike Harris, Tre Kelley, and local boy Michael Ruffin. In the Thunder's first pre-season game the other night against the Memphis Grizzlies, Ryan Bowen got a nice chunk of playing time to show what he could do, while the other 3 guys watched from the bench. Bowen got 21 minutes of playing time which he used to take just 2 shots, both of which he missed (1 of which was a 3 point attempt), grab 3 rebounds (1 offensive), block 1 shot, and turned the ball over just once. All in all, just looking at the stat-line its hard to judge his performance, especially when we didn't get to see the game since it wasn't televised, but he didn't have too bad of a game, considering he's making an attempt at being the last guy on the bench, so to speak. From the article linked above, it was his hustle that really stood out, and I think one thing all Thunder fans love, and me especially (which is why I love Nick Collison so much), is hustle. Today's game should give one of the other three an opportunity to prove what they can do. Click the jump link to hear some more about today's game and what we are hoping to see.

The first thing I'm looking for in today's game is Russell Westbrook, and whether that 10 assist effort the other night was a fluke, or if he's improved his style of play so much this off-season that he's already going to be one of the leagues better point guards this season. He took just 4 shots, and racked up assist after assist to go along with 4 rebounds and only turned the ball over twice. Sure, we're used to RW0 racking up at least double digits in points, but with the addition of James Harden to the mix, perhaps that pressure for him to score upwards of 20 points per game is being lessened, significantly. If that's the case, imagine how many double doubles the kid is going to have this season, seriously! If he can keep up distributing the ball like this he'll be pushing the double digit assist mark all season, and I think we can pretty much bet that he'll be at least double digit in score on a nightly basis as well, and that's not even mentioning his rebounding which can sometimes pop up there into double digits as well.

The next thing I'm looking for is Jeff Green, and a much a improved outing for him. In Wednesdays game he had probably his work game, at least statwise that I can ever really remember seeing from him. Again, its hard to know what else he was doing on the court just from listening to the game, but, in 26 minutes of play, he managed just 6 points on 3-10 shooting to go with only 2 rebounds and 2 steals. This is not the Uncle Jeff we know and love, and this is not the guy we expect to see on a nightly basis this coming season. So it'll be interesting to see how he responds today and what kind of game he has. I'm banking on a 16-20 point performance with 5-7 boards today for Jeff Green. Let's see if he can do it.

Thirdly, is that even a word? I guess so since spell-check didn't change it, anyway, we're going with it. Thirdly, I want to see more of the young guys, Serge Ibaka, James Harden, D.J. White, and Kyle Weaver. I want to see what Ibaka can do with 20-30 minutes if he was able to score 4 points (2-2 shooting) and grab 2 rebounds in just 4 minutes of playing time. I want to see if D.J. White can continue to perform at such a high level in back to back games, and against good competition. Perhaps throw DJ out there early in the first quarter to get him some time against Nola's starters and see what he can do. Of course to do that, you'd likely have to cut into Jeff Greens time early, but hey its pre-season, why not start D.J. and throw Green out there late in the first and let him work the remainder of the 1st and most of the 2nd before bringing D.J. back in with the rest of the starters to clean up the end of the half? Look at me trying to be coach here. Anyway, I'm just intrigued by the way D.J. played on Wednesday and want to see what the kid can really do, as I'm sure Uncle Jeff's performance was just a fluke, we all know what he's capable of.

Finally, I'm just interested to see what Brooks plans on doing today. Is he going to give starters 25 minutes of playing time again? Is he gonna play with the rotations more? Work some of the young guys in with the starters to see how they will work with our premier players and against better competition? What's he gonna do? How is he going to continue to get this team prepped for the season opener which is already less than 3 weeks away! Can you believe that? just 18 more days until live regular season Thunder basketball! Man I'm excited, so turn that radio (come on guys, its the Hornets!) on at 1pm today and Thunder UP!

Oklahoma City Thunder Roster

	#	Pos.	DOB	W	H	College
Ryan Bowen	40	F	11.20.75	218	6-9	Iowa
Nick Collison	4	C	10.26.80	255	6-10	Kansas
Kevin Durant	35	F	9.29.88	215	6-9	Texas
Jeff Green	22	F	8.28.86	235	6-9	Georgetown
James Harden	13	G	8.26.87	220	6-5	Arizona State
Mike Harris	-	F	6.15.83	240	6-6	Rice
Serge Ibaka	9	F	9.18.89	220	6-10	None
Tre Kelley	6	G	1.23.85	188	6-0	South Carolina
Nenad Krstic	12	C	7.25.83	240	7-0	None
Shaun Livingston	14	G	9.11.85	185	6-7	Peoria Central HS
Byron Mullens	23	C	2.14.89	260	7-1	Ohio State
Kevin Ollie	7	G	12.27.72	195	6-2	Connecticut
Malik Rose	9	F	11.23.74	255	6-7	Drexel
Michael Ruffin	51	F	1.21.77	248	6-8	Tulsa
Thabo Sefolosha	2	G	5.2.84	215	6-7	None
Etan Thomas	36	C	4.1.78	260	6-10	Syracuse
Kyle Weaver	5	G	2.18.86	201	6-6	Washington State
Russell Westbrook	-	G	11.12.88	187	6-3	U-C-L-A
D.J. White	3	F	8.31.86	251	6-9	Indiana

New Orleans Hornets Roster

	#	Pos.	DOB	W	H	College
Hilton Armstrong	12	C	11.11.84	235	6-11	Connecticut
Earl Barron	55	C	8.14.81	268	7-0	Memphis
Bobby Brown	6	G	9.24.84	175	6-2	Cal State Fullerton
Devin Brown	23	G	12.30.78	210	6-5	Texas-San Antonio
Darren Collison	2	G	8.23.87	160	6-0	U-C-L-A
Ike Diogu	1	F	9.11.83	250	6-9	Arizona State
Sean Marks	4	C	8.23.75	250	6-10	California
Emeka Okafor	50	C	9.28.82	255	6-10	Connecticut
Larry Owens	25	F	1.8.83	210	6-7	Oral Roberts
Chris Paul	3	G	5.6.85	175	6-0	Wake Forest
Morris Peterson	9	G	8.26.77	220	6-7	Michigan State
James Posey	41	F	1.13.77	217	6-8	Xavier
Darius Songaila	9	F	2.14.78	248	6-9	Wake Forest
Peja Stojakovic	16	F	6.9.77	229	6-10	None
Marcus Thornton	5	G	6.5.87	205	6-4	L-S-U
David West	30	F	8.29.80	240	6-9	Xavier
Julian Wright	32	F	5.20.87	225	6-8	Kansas

Mo-Pete Will Start, Folks

atthehive — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:36:03 -0000

Morris Peterson has started the first two preseason games at shooting guard, scoring 16 points on 13 shots, including 5 for 9 on threes. Now, granted the preseason means absolutely nothing... but the rest of the Hornets' presumed starters (minus the injured Okafor) all started. So I assumed that Mo being out there was just a confirmation of his starting role.

The Times-Pic didn't portray it in as certain a light today, with their article "Mo-Pete Fighting To Retain Starting Spot."

The overall premise is that with Peja Stojakovic's move to the SG position, it's a three horse race between Mo, Peja, and Marcus Thornton.

Now I'm all for job competition and all that... but let's be honest here. Are Peja or Marcus going to guard Kobe Bryant? Tracy McGrady? Manu Ginobili? Kevin Martin? Dwayne Wade?

It's not official, but it's kinda official.

NBA Previews- The Hornets

atthehive — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:23:30 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

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As part of CelticsBlog's annual round of previews, it's the Hornets' turn.

Team Name: New Orleans Hornets

Last Year's Record: 49-33

Key Losses: Tyson Chandler, Rasual Butler, Antonio Daniels, Ryan Bowen, Melvin Ely

Key Additions: Emeka Okafor, Darren Collison, Marcus Thornton, Ike Diogu, Morris Peterson, Darius Songaila

1. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?

New Orleans did its fair share of wheeling and dealing. Tyson Chandler for Emeka Okafor was the headliner, with the Hornets swapping out a defensive ace with injury questions. Okafor enters the season nursing his own injury, but the hope is he can offer more consistent minutes than Chandler did in '09. The Hornets also saved money by offloading Rasual Butler and Antonio Daniels. Via the draft, Chris Paul's new backup- Darren Collison- joined the team, as did Marcus Thornton, a potential scoring threat off the bench. Toss Darius Songaila into the forward mix, and the Hornets enter 2009-2010 with a significantly different look and feel- three new players will step into the starting roles (Peterson, Julian Wright, Okafor), and a plethora of backcourt and frontcourt minutes should go to Collison and Diogu.

2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?

The point guard position. Obviously, that's been the strength since 2005; however, the Hornets seem to have the backup PG position locked down for the first time in a while. The organization has shown continual confidence in UCLA's Darren Collison. On draft night, they took him over a variety of front court options. They unloaded incumbent 2nd string PG Daniels relatively early in the offseason. And instead of bringing in a veteran 3rd string standby, they decided to roll the dice on Minnesota's Bobby Brown. If things go according to plan, not only will Chris Paul be awesome, his backup will allow him a couple more minutes of rest a game.

3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?

One of New Orleans' biggest issues last year was an utter lack of offensive rebounding ability. Only 5 teams went one and done more often last year (now, granted 2 of those were Orlando and San Antonio... but they made up for it in many other areas). Granted, a lot of the problems had to do with severe injury issues. However, neither Okafor nor Ike Diogu is an o-rebounder in the ilk of a healthy Chandler, so that weakness could persist.

On that same note, front court depth was another huge issue. While the addition of Diogu should help, Sean Marks and Hilton Armstrong still figure to get decent minutes off the bench. That shouldn't need much elaboration. The bench sucked in general last year, but more on that under Question 5.

Finally, the team still lacks a creative scorer outside of West and Paul. Obviously, having three marquee scorers on one team might be a little too much to ask for, but having a creative wing would help snap the stagnant stretches the offense is prone to fall into. Some have hyped Thornton into the role. I'm not saying a 6'0" shooting guard can't get that job done; there are a few examples across the league. But I'll believe it when I see it.

4. What are the goals for this team?

Hard to say. From a media perspective, the Hornets certainly won't have too much expected of them after last year's disastrous ending. From a player perspective, I'm sure a few guys are feeling some pressure. David West will be 29 next year. Chris Paul's only 24, but his chances at a title have taken a step back from 2007. From a fan perspective, I feel like a first round series win would satiate the majority of New Orleans appetites. Realistic goals will only become clear at least a couple weeks into November. Between Okafor, Wright's starting job, Collison, and Diogu, there are simply too many new pieces to say for sure.

5. Will the bench suck as badly this year?

The second unit was arguably the Hornets' biggest shortcoming last year. Antonio Daniels is the only guy I can possibly defend. Julian Wright, serious step back. James Posey, mediocre. Morris Peterson, invisible. Sean Marks, eh. Melvin Ely, bleh. And that's without even getting to the unmentionables, Hilton and Devin. Speaking of which, we should combine them into one player this year. Delton Browstrong. Okay, that sounds way cooler than this combo player possibly deserves to. Helvin Brownarms. There we go. Helvin Brownarms.

The overall point is that the bench can't possibly be this bad again. I mean... it could. But it can't.

Darren Collison is a respectable player by all accounts. Ike Diogu can be rock solid if healthy. Peja Stojakovic could have a rebound year and keep his back healthy, coming off the pine. Of course, Marks, Armstrong, and the rest are going to pick up some minutes. But a second unit of Collison/Thornton/Peja/Posey/Diogu with light servings of Bobby Brown and some Kiwi sprinkles should easily outperform last year's. It simply has to.

So to answer the question, no the bench will not suck as badly.

Projected Finish: 53 wins
Projected Finish Rationale: None whatsoever

Spoiler Alert: New Orleans Hornets Preview

djturtleface — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:05:20 -0000

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP

Keep flexing Chris, maybe one of these days somebody will notice that you're the most important player in the NBA. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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If the Cavaliers didn't have LeBron James, they probably wouldn't be very good. If the Lakers didn't have Kobe Bryant, they would still be passable. Without Carmelo Anthony the Nuggets would still make things work, though they definitely wouldn't be contenders.

Can you imagine the Heat without Dwayne Wade? Nope. They would be horrendous. And there is one player in the NBA that is more important to his team then Wade. His name is Chris Paul, and he is the New Orleans Hornets franchise.

Preview

But what about David West? West is an All-Star, yes, but he wouldn't carry the Hornets within a sniff of the playoffs without Chris Paul around. Other Hornets like Peja Stojakovic, Julian Wright, James Posey, and Morris Peterson can contribute at times, but are generally somewhere between ineffective and unreliable. They certainly aren't an average playoff roster in the always stacked Western Conference.

The Hornets were once considered an up-and-coming title contender, way back one season ago. Back then their team seemed well-rounded. West seemed to have unlimited potential. Tyson Chandler appeared to be a reliable double-double. And Peja hit every open shot that Paul created for him. Some thought that adding Posey would put them over the top.

Turns out that David West pretty much is what he is--a jump-shooting power forward who doesn't rebound quite as well as you'd like. Tyson Chandler and Peja couldn't stay on the floor, and looked increasingly like liabilities when they were out there. James Posey's impact was minimal.

"On a recent episode of antique roadshow, Peja and Mo Pete were valued well under their cost of $20 million."

This season Tyson Chandler was flipped for Emeka Okafor, who won't be slamming the 'oop quite like Chandler could, but is arguably a bit more reliable and gifted offensively. Lots of Peja's minutes are probably going to be taken by Julian Wright, who will need to prove that his talents can translate into effectiveness. They've finally secured a backup for West in Ike Diogu, and have a couple jitterbugs in Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton.

How much does that matter? Maybe a whole lot, maybe not much. A true blue superstar like Chris Paul can only bring a team so far. His surrounding cast needs to do the rest. And this might just be the year that the Hornets rally around their young leader.

Fantasy Preview

Breakout: Emeka Okafor- Free from the anemic Bobcats, Emeka Okafor is going to absolutely flourish. David West occasionally draws a double-team, and will move the ball around until the big man is found right under the hoop. If I told you that Emeka Okafor could score over 15 points per game, block almost 2 shots, and grab about 10 rebounds, all while playing over 70 games, where would you draft him? Probably well before 72, which is where ESPN has him ranked.

Bust: Small Forwards- Julian Wright, Peja, and James Posey will all kill each other's value. Take note and don't draft any of them, not even as 3-point specialists, which is the only place they have value.

Useful: Chris Paul, David West- If I have the #1 pick, I'm taking LeBron for the first time this season. But if I have the #2 pick I'm taking Chris Paul without a thought. David West is a bit overrated at #22. He'll see less minutes this season, and I think his scoring average dips below 20 points per game. Still useful for his FT% if you're a guard-dominant team, but you're probably in bad shape if he's your third best player.

Predictions

My Prediction: 51-31 (ESPN: 47-35) Chris Paul is the most valuable player in the NBA. He is the best basketball player in the NBA. With a new, younger supporting cast, Paul is going to make the Hornets look like a top team again, but don't get any big dreams. As long as this team is saddled by the enormous Peja Stojakovic contract, they just won't have the cap-space to add enough talent to make championship waves.

Check out 'At the Hive' for more Hornets coverage.

Poll

How many games will the Hornets win?

Over 51 wins.

6 votes

Under 51 wins.

15 votes

21 votes | Poll has closed

RaptorsHQ Talks with Jerome "Junkyard Dog" Williams - Part I

RaptorsHQ - Franchise — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:01:04 -0000

JYD never took a night off as a member of the Raptors...

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Jerome Williams has been a Raptor fan-favorite for quite some time. From his tireless work as a key member of the 2001 playoff team that took an Allen Iverson-led 76ers to seven games in the Eastern Conference Semi-Final, to his equally tireless work off the court for children, Williams has been a class act in his adopted home. After his retirement from the NBA in 2005, the Junk Yard Dog has begun a new life centered on charity work and a love of helping others. Raptors HQ's Ray Bala recently caught up with JYD to find out exactly what he has been up to since he retired and what he thought about his time in Toronto.

RaptorsHQ: I'm just gonna say come out and say it: I'm a huge Georgetown Hoyas fan and I've been following you since your days there in college. I remember you guys, (Allen) Iverson, Othella (Harrington), Don Reid, you all came down to play Memphis State here in Toronto and I missed the game. I had to get a report handed in and I missed my one chance to see all you guys! I heard the game was crazy though.

Jerome Williams: Wow that game was crazy! (Laughing) Coach Thompson got us an extra .2 seconds on the clock and it goes down in Toronto history as the last game to shut down Maple Leaf Gardens. Georgetown with the victory!

HQ: For some of our younger readers, can you tell us who gave you the nickname JYD?

JYD: When I was with the Pistons, former bad boy Rick Mahorn gave me that name and it's stuck with me.

HQ: Now why did he give you that nickname?

JYD: Just from my hustle and hard work. He said I was going to be his rookie. When I first got to the Pistons he said I had to beat him in there every day. And Rick was always there first so I would usually be there about three hours before practice just to beat Rick. At the same time, it was my work ethic. My work ethic was never questioned by administration, by the players, by anybody. When he named me the JYD because of my work, everybody accepted it because a) Rick Mahorn works hard and he would never give someone a work hard name if it wasn't true. And b) he was there to stamp it because he's the one who told me to beat him in there every day and that was just a part of the rookie's transition. You did everything that a veteran told you to do, bring donuts, coffee, whatever. SO...that's how I got my nickname. After he left, I could have let it go but by that time I had people barking for me, I had a dog pound, it was like where's this going to go? I can't do anything with this. JYD, that's who I am.

HQ: That nickname alone is now synonymous with not only hard work on the court, but community service and helping the people. It's taken its own personality and identity.

HQ: Now from the reports I've read, after your trade from Detroit, you jumped into your truck and drove up to Toronto. How excited were you to come here?

JYD: I was really excited to come to Toronto. That was my first trade so you have those hurtful feelings of being traded but I've been in the league for four, four and half years, so when it happens you're in a surreal moment. You have mixed emotions and you ask a bunch of questions like, "where am I going," "what do I do with all my friends here (in Detroit)," "how does it all work?" SO I immediately channeled all my energy into a city that was excited to have the Junkyard Dog. I thought about that and I said to myself "this is a great opportunity for me." This team is on the rise, I had been and played in Toronto when I was in college and I loved it so I have college roots there. Man, I shut down Maple leaf gardens with Allen Iverson! So I had a different level of respect for the city and the people and the passion. I was excited so that excitement was real so of course that's why that story lives ‘cause it's a true story. And then to have to battle through a snow storm, now that was unexpected cause it wasn't snowing when I left. Got out there on that Snow Belt it got serious but I made it there.

HQ: What do you think made Toronto special when you finally got here?

JYD: That was a three and half, four hour drive so what made it special when I got there was the fans. The fans made it special. They were calling into the radio, I was listening to the radio, they were saying how excited they were to have a player of my caliber there (on the team) and I just felt like "Dang, this feels like home and I haven't even done anything yet." I think the connection with the fans was the first thing that set Toronto apart (from other cities) because usually you get (to a new city) and the fans have to get to know you. It seemed they knew me all that time, like they knew me better than some of the players on the team so I took that and ran with it.

HQ: As you mentioned, most players seem to need some time for fans to warm up to them. Why do you think the fans jumped at the JYD almost immediately when you arrived in Toronto?

JYD: I think it's because Toronto fans are hockey fans by nature. And in the game of hockey you're only going to be on the ice if you're working hard. It's like a struggle throughout the whole game with a lot of contact, you have a lot of emotion and a low score. If you're brought up in that game and now switching to basketball and you're trying to learn and figure out the game with a higher score and you kinda recognize the players and you have to learn how they work, you're going to gravitate to someone who is putting forth a certain amount of effort that appeals to you. So I think that's what happened to me.

HQ: And I must say that you did work sir. No one out-worked you when you were on the court. Now looking back on your time as a Raptor, who was your favorite teammate?

JYD: Morris Peterson.

HQ: Why Morris Peterson?

JYD: Mo Pete was drafted as a Raptor and he was a good teammate. Mo is an all-around teammate. He was always willing to work hard and next to me he was a fan favorite. He did everything he was asked to do and he never wanted to leave, like me. He was never on the bus talking about "I can't wait to leave Toronto".

HQ: What are your favorite memories as a Raptor both on the court and off the court?

JYD: Wow. On the court I would definitely have say dunking on Dikembe Mutombo in the game that sent us to game seven in Philadelphia (Eastern Conference playoffs).

HQ: Wow. Climbing Mt Mutombo and dunking on him is a big feat! How was that?

JYD: It a fun element of my career in Toronto because I had history with Dikembe with Georgetown, a lot of conversations, and he would take me to dinner. (In Mutombo's voice) "Never Jerome will you dunk on Mt Mutombo." All that mystique about the Georgetown centers and he's probably blocked hundreds of my shots between Georgetown and NBA. Hundreds. So that one time out of a hundred that I actually got ‘em, especially in a game with those kind of stakes! (See the 1:07 mark of this video.) And that was in the fourth quarter and that was an "and one." And you know how you get that "Well it really wasn't a dunk on me" talk. I got through all that. It was an "and one" and it was replayed over and over. On that play, we were down and we were never down again in that game after and we won.

HQ: That must be something you bring up in the alumni game often.

JYD: Naw, I don't bring it up too much but I bring it up every now and again but it just depends how much trash he starts talking. I got you, I got Alonzo but I never got Patrick. He's the only safe one.

HQ: So how about your favorite memory off the court?

JYD: Aw man, there are so memories off the court. I would definitely say the visit to Sick Kids Hospital.

HQ: Why is that?

JYD: You know, those kids always showed the most heart for me because they were in situations where they were sick, in the hospital, and didn't know when they were going to get out. And when we would visit them in the hospital, I'd show up there and their faces would light up. It was like they were dreaming to meet me and I would go and I would feel like, man, whatever I'm doing right now to help them feel special it was like it was God's greatest gift because that gave some of the kids what they needed to get through their ailments. And that's just a powerful thing to do, to help somebody so I'll never forget those moments. Off the court that's probably the pinnacle, and there's been a lot. Helping or assisting in any way is a serious gift from God.

HQ: Since you've left the Raptors as a player, are you currently still with the team?

JYD: I'm not currently with the team but I still do things with the team though because I'm an NBA community ambassador. So I still do work for the league like in player development in Las Vegas in the summer which keeps me close to the game. It keeps me fresh, it keeps me enjoying what I've loved doing for so many years.

HQ: Working with the players, do you miss the game? Playing every night?

JYD: (With a laugh) I don't miss playing every night but I miss playing like once a week! If I could do it like once a week I'd still be playing. Look I could maybe sign a 10 day with the Raptors. Tell Bryan Colangelo I'm good for a week! (with a laugh) Then I got to lay in a bucket of ice for a month!

HQ: Not playing for that long, how are your skills? Was there a decline in any area basketball wise?

JYD: You got to remember that most of the guys who stop playing, it's not by choice. If you take a poll, 95% of the guys are stopping because they have to stop. They can no longer do it, their bodies are done, they can't make a team, can't make the cut, I mean it's hard work to stay in the NBA for any length of time. But when you step away like I did, just by choice, it's a whole different ball game. I'm still playing, I'm still out here. I dunked on a couple of cats out here in LA. I still play, that's the beauty of it. I didn't have any major injuries that stopped me from playing. So where most guys got to stop, then after they stop it's a huge fall-off because they can't play even if they wanted to. But whereas I stopped, I wanted to spend time with my family, pursue other goals, maybe get into other things in the realm of basketball and the NBA and organizations, I had a different walk.

HQ: Now since you walked in your own terms relatively young, do you have any regrets leaving so early?

JYD: The only regret is never putting on that Raptor uniform again. IF I had one thing that I would have loved to do it would be to put on that number 13 one last time just for my fans. Because a lot of people don't really understand the game, I mean the organizational side. I was put in a trade that basically the Raptors were forced to do. They couldn't not do that trade. I didn't want to leave, they didn't want me to leave, but because of their situation with Antonio Davis, they didn't have a choice.

Stay tuned for part II tomorrow and check out JYD's site, the "JYD project"...