SB Nation User Blog: atthehive

Southwest Division Previews

atthehive — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:04:38 -0000

Dallas Mavericks
Jake Kerr: Mavs Moneyball

Houston Rockets
grungedave and UofTOrange: The Dream Shake

Memphis Grizzlies
Joshua Coleman: 3 Shades of Blue

New Orleans Hornets
Rohan: At the Hive
ticktock6 & mW: Hornets Hype
Ryan Schwan & Ron Hitley: Hornets247.com

San Antonio Spurs
Graydon Gordian: 48 Minutes of Hell

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

The 30 Greatest Hornets of All-Time - #28 Kelly Tripucka

atthehive — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:16:03 -0000

Welcome to #28 of the 30 Greatest Hornets of All-Time. It is part of an ongoing series in the summer of '08 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Hornet franchise. Today's contribution by atthehive. Today's references: The Los Angeles Times (quotes), The Desert News (quotes). Enjoy!

Which player scored the first points in franchise history? If you answered Kelly Tripucka, have a cookie. If you didn't, here's your chance to learn some more about the 28th greatest Hornet of all time.

Tripucka joined Charlotte in its inaugural season, far and away the team's most accomplished player. He enjoyed success at virtually every level of his career- the "New Jersey High School Basketball Player of the Century," a four year starter with Notre Dame, four tourney appearances, and the team lead in scoring all four years- before coming to Charlotte in 1988. But his NBA career didn't go nearly as smoothly as his pre-professional one.

Drafted in 1981 with the twelfth overall pick by Detroit, Tripucka laid the foundation for a new Pistons era along with Isiah Thomas. But despite averaging 21.6 ppg his rookie year and 26.5 as a sophomore, Detroit decided to unload him in 1986. The year before he arrived, the team won 21 games; the year he left, they won 46 and would win the NBA Finals a mere two years later. Tripucka didn't get the chance to be a part of that, traded for fellow Fighting Irishman Adrian Dantley. Thus began a forgettable chapter of his pro career.

He arrived for the '86-'87 campaign in Salt Lake City, where another 70's doormat team was starting to come into its own- the Utah Jazz. 1986 was the third year of Stockton/Malone, and Coach Frank Layden- recently Coach of the Year- wasn't going to mess with that. Tripucka's minutes were slashed heavily, and his scoring average plummeted. "I was the last one to find out," Tripucka said of the trade. "I'd just finished playing in a charity golf tournament and I was in the locker room and some guys next to me were talking about the trade because they'd heard it on TV. I still don't know why they traded me. Detroit was the perfect place for me. I didn't expect to get traded. It was a nightmare situation."

Tripucka attempted to stay professional through the difficulties, mentioning "I've tried to be as diplomatic as possible. I don't want to burn any bridges." Had he wanted to, he certainly would have had a case. During the 1988 playoffs, he was benched in favor of a 5th round draft pick- Bart Kofoed- who had paid his way into training camp the year before. Coach Layden was slowly becoming a villified man in Salt Lake, engaging in such antics as publically ridiculing his own player for weight issues, and it culminated in a change at head coach. In 1989, Jerry Sloan became H.C., but it was too late. Tripucka had already lost two of the prime years of his career.

"You hope it's not happening, but this is reality. I wouldn't want anyone to go through it. I feel more embarrassed than anything else. You never adjust to it. I couldn't have written this script two years ago.

"This has been the most difficult two years of my life."

Then, in 1988, his luck finally changed. The Hornets joined the NBA that year. Utah left Tripucka unprotected in the expansion draft, and Charlotte, going for recognizable names, snatched him up. Nobody really expected much of the Hornets, who were drubbed 133-93 in the franchise opener. They finished 20-62 after losing 6 of their first 7. There were losing streaks of 9 and 10 games. And yet, the Hornets managed to be one of the NBA's biggest attractions. Charlotte Coliseum- the Hive- was always rocking no matter the score, and the Alexander Julian designed uniforms were considered among the snappiest in the league. ''A Hornets game is where it's at,'' explained a delighted Tripucka. ''If you're not there, or you haven't been to a game, or you don't talk about it, you'd better move out of town.''

He was having fun once more. Tripucka's game recovered, and he put in three solid campaigns with the Hornets. He got along with Hornets' coach Dick Harter, and for the first time since Detroit, he had some stability. There's the oft-told story about how he cried on court after being benched and booed mercilessly by Hornet fans. But I can't find it in myself to blame the guy after what he went through in Utah. Yes, his game dropped off a little bit. He had lost a step or two on defense. But he had been to basketball purgatory and back, a journey few are tested with.

That first points in Hornet history question is a great piece of trivia. For Kelly Tripucka, it was much more than that. It was a matter of personal redemption.

Teal Tallies: 15th in Points (3379), 12th in Points Per Game (14.9), 22nd in 3PM (83), 4th in FT% (87.9), Total Salary of $2,700,000 from the Hornets

Hollinger: Chris Paul will be Better

atthehive — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:23:08 -0000

Hollinger: Chris Paul will be Better

John Hollinger's player projection rankings are out, where he projects the 2008-2009 PER for every player in the NBA. And while he may not have shown much love for the Hornets in general, he predicts that Chris Paul will be the best player in the league.

I did a double take when I saw the figure he's projecting- 30.13. Seriously, 30.13. LeBron James led the league in PER last year with a 29.3 figure. The only players to hit 30 in NBA history: Tracy McGrady (his mind-boggling 2002), Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Michael Jordan.

The closest a point gaurd has ever come to the 30 PER plateau: Chris Paul last year with a 28.3 figure.

New Orleans Hornets 2008-2009 Season Preview

atthehive — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:00:46 -0000

Last Years Record: 56-26
Key Losses: Bonzi Wells, Jannero Pargo
Key Additions: James Posey, Devin Brown

1. What significant moves were made during the offseason?

The most talked about addition was James Posey, and for good reason. In my mind, New Orleans definitely overpaid for him. But Posey gives the Hornets something they sorely lacked last year: a legitimate defensive stopper. He probably won't start, but I envision him getting big minutes against premier scorers in the Kobe/TMac/Carmelo ilk. Throw in that he's among the best rebounders at his size and his three point ability, and it's a great addition.

Three less talked about moves may end up being just as important though: the addition of Devin Brown, the renewal of CP3's contract, and the decision to let Jannero Pargo walk.

Brown figures to see a lot of minutes at the off guard, a position sorely lacking in production for the Hornets last year. Furthermore, he offers some insurance behind backup point guard Mike James. Theoretically, this should reduce the defensive workload on Chris Paul. Since Byron Scott often played the Pargo-Paul backcourt last season, CP was left guarding taller, stronger off guards (notably Benjamin Gordon and Richard Hamilton). With Brown in the mix, that's less likely to occur.

Christopher Paul's extension, obviously, was the biggest goal for the Hornets this summer. The fact that he signed so quickly and then declared that he never considered leaving New Orleans for a second is just gravy.

Finally, the Jannero Pargo departure is often portrayed as a negative; however, statistically speaking, it was a brilliant move by GM Jeff Bower not to seek Pargo's services. Mike James will get those highly inefficient minutes played, and should turn them into slightly inefficient minutes.

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

Point guard. Duh. Chris Paul has a great complement of talent around him- great finisher in Chandler, great individual scoring option in David West, great shooters in Peja and Mo-Pete. But at the end of the day, this team is all about Chris Paul.

Digging a little deeper though, I think the defense of the second unit will be something to watch for. With Posey being the vaunted defender he is and Julian Wright hoping to build on his terrific D as a rookie, the bench could end up playing some very good defense.

And finally, the secret to the Hornets' defense: not fouling. They were last in the league in opponent FT/FG last year; expect a similar result again.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs. Back up bigs.

Back up bigs. Behind Tyson Chandler, New Orleans literally has nobody. Third year player Hilton Armstrong was toeing the line between abysmal and I've-seen-high-schoolers-better-than-this-guy last season. Melvin Ely was pretty shabby himself. If an opponent can get Chandler in early foul trouble, the entire Hornets' team will be thrown off kilter. It happened repeatedly last year, and there's no reason to think anything has changed this season.

The flip side of FT/FG also haunts the Hornets; they simply cannot and do not get to the free throw line enough. It's not because they don't get "respect" from the refs or anything like that. Other than CP, West, and Chandler, the Hornets don't take the ball to the hoop strong enough and get too large a proportion of their inside shots blocked.

Back-up point guard could potentially be a weak spot. However, I see Mike James returning to semi-respectable form as he gets consistent minutes.

4. What are the goals for this team?

Finals. There's no reason a 55-60 win team should be thinking anything less. Posey has around 2, maybe 3, good years left. Peja's on the wrong side of 30. David West is in the prime of his career, as is Tyson Chandler. The goal needs to be the Finals, starting this year, and for the next few years.

5. Will the Hornets' selling of their draft pick come back to haunt them?

My initial impression was yes. Guys like Billy Walker, CDR, or JRG would have provided some terribly needed depth at off guard. A big man, any big man, could have provided the hope that Armstrong and Ely do not. The more I think about it, though, the less likely it seems that any of those guys could help that much this year. Maybe a few years down the road, CDR will be the next Scottie Pippen. But for the immediate future, the Hornets did what was right. They saved up the money, and turned it into an extra year (and the clinching incentive) for James Posey. Thinking short term over long term is often a recipe for disaster, but when you have your sights on a championship, you gotta roll the dice.

Predicted Record: 57-25

Other Hornets Previews: Hornets247, HornetsHype, Hometown Hornets

NBA Blogger Previews: The Atlantic

atthehive — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:03:35 -0000

CelticsBlog is hosting season previews from various NBA bloggers once again. Today, the Atlantic Divison is previewed by a plethora of writers, including SBNation's own Green Bandwagon and Posting and Toasting. Our season preview should be this Thursday.

Boston Celtics
Jeff Clark: CelticsBlog.com
Jim Weeks: Green Bandwagon
FLCeltsFan: LOY's Place
John Karalis: Red's Army
Dustin Chapman: Celtics 24/7

New Jersey Nets
Dennis Velasco: About Basketball

New York Knicks
Joey: Straight Bangin'
Seth Rosenthal: Posting and Toasting

Philadelphia 76ers
Dannie & Pete: Recliner GM
Jon Burkett: Passion and Pride

Toronto Raptors
Franchise: RaptorsHQ.com
Ryan McNeill: Hoops Addict
Cuzzy: Cuzoogle

Chandler sprains right ankle in preseason opener

atthehive — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:22:37 -0000

Chandler sprains right ankle in preseason opener

Uh oh

David West Works Hard and Doesn't Play

atthehive — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 02:52:24 -0000

David West's Footlocker House of Hoops thing that SLAM does in every issue. Here are the scans from the lastest SLAM, featuring Fluffy Bunny... with hair! Click images for larger.

That first picture is sick.

Who Is Courtney Sims?

atthehive — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:53:05 -0000

New Orleans invited former Pacer and D-Leaguer Courtney Sims to training camp last week. Does he have what it takes to stick? Where can he help us out? I talked to SBNation's resident D-League expert Matt Moore (also of AOL Fanhouse and Hardwood Paroxysm fame) to get a feel for Sims.

@tH: For starters, how do you compare talent and statistics between the D-League and the NBA? Is this a Single-A-Major Leagues difference? Could a really great D-League team defeat a really bad NBA team? How about the D-League versus the NCAA's?

MM: A stastical model is something we're working on, but it's hard to do because there's just not enough of a stable model. Guys will get called up and spend no time on the floor (Lance Allred) and some guys will get called up and spend significant time on the floor and do well. Others will get thrown on the floor for too much time and get murdered (the Heat last year). The gap is wider between the D-League and the NBA because there hasn't been enough of a relationship developed. The first few years of the league was spent just trying to stabilize the franchises. Under the new management of President Reed, that's all been taken care of. There are only one or two teams that I think are risks to fold. And as the assignment process gains value with what people saw with people like Ramon Sessions and what they're likely to see from several sophomores this year, the gap will close and the formal relationship will become more solid. In the 2011 CBA restructuring, there's likely to be new provisions for roster spots and having them not count against the cap if they're not called up, and the ability to send players down to rehab injury. And that will boost a lot.

I will tell you this. There is a lot of bad basketball in the D-League. If you're down there, you're down there for a reason. But the teams that have strong affiliate support, along with good coaching and personnel support? I will take either of the D-League finalists in a seven game series against last year's Sonics, Timberwolves, or Heat without D-Wade and Matrix. I'd also take them to beat any NCAA team from last season outside of Memphis and Kansas, and even then it's close. The D-League is fascinating because it shows you what happens when you put rookies into the game in long stretches without people to defer to. Seasoned vets in the D-League absolutely KILL them. It shows those guys what it takes and shows you how much work their body needs. These guys can play. The big thing with D-League players is to give them enough time to get into rhythm, but not enough to hang themselves. Anyone needs time to warm up. It's hard to go into a game cold, play for two minutes, and show anything of value, especially with nerves. But if you integrate them and put them in the best situations, these guys are still some of the best basketball players on the planet, and they have a ton more motivation than your average NBA player because their money isn't guaranteed.

@tH: On to Mr. Sims. Judging from my advanced analysis of his ESPN headshot, I'd say he is a banger down low who'd be too weak to bang in the NBA, is a below average rebounder for his size, but can throw it down (big man!, throw it down!). How woefully wrong am I?

MM: You're actually pretty much spot on. There's a reason the D-League employs a special strength and conditioning coach. Most of the big men are tall and long, but dont' have the upper body mass to bang in the NBA. He's got killer length, that's why people have taken long looks at him. And he's actually got nice touch. But he just doesn't focus enough on rebounding. And that's going to get him KILLED in camp. I talk to D-League coaches and players, and the one thing they always tell me is this. NBA coaches aren't bringing these guys in to score 20 points a game. They have guys to do that. They don't need stars. They need guys to come in and if they're big men, to rebound and play defense. He's also got a low basketball IQ when it comes to blocks, which is normal for his age being in the D-League. It also means he's got the capacity to improve. He's got the physical tools, he just has to show he can put it together. ONe thing that might help him is running in the Hornets' offense in camp. It could do wonders for his development.

@tH: Are there other D-Leaguers right now, similar in playing style to Sims, that you'd say are better than Sims? Or a better fit for New Orleans?

MM: Oh, man. Yes. The short answer yes. The first one I'd probably tell you is Rod Benson. Benson's a rare case where he's noticable because of his blogging, but everybody glosses over the fact that in a D-League game last year, Benson grabbed 28 rebounds. I'll say that again. He got 28 rebounds. He gets a rap as being soft, but if you put him in at a power forward spot, he can muscle up with anyone, and he can get out and run. He's got insanely high floor IQ and doesn't go for the big shot block as much as he used to. Elton Brown is, in my opinion, the best D-League big man from last season. He's in camp with the Bulls, but he's got killer work ethic and honestly, he's just a bully on the floor. You want toughness? That guy's tough. Another guy that I think would be a great fit is Chris Alexander. He's a shot blocking machine, has some more muscle, and plays really well in the kind of system the Hornets run. He's in camp with the Thunder. The thing is, though, Sims is a project-type guy and the NBA has not had a really good system for developing those guys until now. If he's put the time in over the summer, he could very well make the jump. Another option is to sign him and assign him. You guys don't exactly have a deep roster anyway, why not develop some talent? Also, your affiliate has a brand new coach and is getting heavy influence from the Rockets, so they're further ahead of the curve than you'd think for their market.

@tH: Do you see any other training camp invitee D-leaguers making an NBA roster this October?

MM: I think Desmon Farmer has a great shot with the Spurs. They need scoring guard depth and Farmer can hit from pretty much anywhere on the floor. His big knock has been defensive intensity and coachability, but he's matured in both those areas and when I saw him in Vegas, he's actually added more muscle. He's a basketball powderkeg. You can't coach natural scoring ability, and Farmer has it. I would have said Elton Brown would be a lock, but he went with Chicago. I'm worried they'll feel they have too many bigs on roster. If the Wolves ask Blake Ahearn to be a shooter and not run point, he could definitely make the Wolves roster. He's like the anti-Wolves guard. Less athleticism and flash, more pure shooting and work ethic. The guy has a ton of focus on defense and has the leadership qualities you want in a point, so he can run backup, too. If Nick Fazekas has added the upper body muscle he needs to, I can see the Nuggets taking a flyer on him. He's got pretty much everything you look for in a big man, except for upper body strength. Fazekas is one of those guys who's not going to go away for long. He's got a great attitude and too much natural talent.

I can tell you that an assistant coach on the Sixers is very big on Corey Underwood, and that the Wolves have a very close relationship with Nate Tibbets, who coached Chris Richard last year. Richard showed up for Summer League in tremendous shape.

@tH: The biggest reason to bring him aboard and the biggest to stay put?

MM: Raw strength is not a necessary attribute in a backup in Scott's system. You guys tend to lean towards long athletic types, and Sims fits that mold. On the other hand, you need some smarts to work in a system with Chris Paul. And he's being brought in to rebound. If he doesn't dramatically improve in that aspect, I can't see him sticking around.

@tH: And the million dollar question: he has to be better than Hilton Armstrong... right?

MM: You'd think that, wouldn't you? There are certainly D-Leaguers I'd take over Hilton Armstrong. I don't know if I'd take Sims, just because Armstrong at least has some muscle and knows the pro game. The jump is big, and for a team that's competing for a championship NOW, the devil you know is better.

Thanks to Matt for the insight, much appreciated. Perhaps Sims can serve as some redemption for losing Bobby Brown (argh, how awesome would it be to have him battling with James right now and D. Brown playing his natural position? Stupid Kings.)

Hollinger: Hornets will be 6 games worse

atthehive — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:33:58 -0000

Hollinger: Hornets will be 6 games worse

ESPN's John Hollinger predicts the Hornets will go 50-32 this year. His main reasons: lack of front court depth and an average age of 31 for Peja/Posey/Peterson.

More gripes to follow, but for now: there is no way the front court backups could be worse than last year. Unless they fractured four legs between them or something. And that team won 56 games.

As far as the age issue, I don't see Posey taking a monumental step back just because he goes from 31 to 32. He's on the decline, sure. Nobody is debating that. But partially responsible for a 6 game drop?

Peja... I actually do see him regressing, injured or not. Much more to follow on that soon.

Armstrong, Ely and Marks

atthehive — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:41:51 -0000

Hilton, Melvin, and the Kiwi are no Zo, LJ, and Parish . Or even Elden Campbell, P.J. Brown, or Derrick Coleman. But how well the trio is used will be just as important as the play of most any individual.

At first glance, it seems that Sean Marks will be the odd man out. He's only played 300 minutes once in an eight year career. He's averaged 66 missed games a season. Hilton and Melvin are much more familiar with Byron Scott's system, and the Hornets will surely observe Hilton more closely in potentially his last year. Still, Coach Scott's proclivity for Ryan Bowen makes you reconsider that assumption.

Offensive Ability

Still, who offers the most in terms of post play and which pair should be on the court together? Offensive Ability One thing all three players have in common is the inability to finish at the rim. Hilton Armstrong's eFG% took a significant plummet (54% to 45%) last season primarily because he didn't take it up strong enough. We saw numerous dunk attempts blocked, and he often couldn't shake off fouls near the rim and finish. Melvin Ely was probably the most egregious lay-up misser on the team. And while I haven't seen Sean Marks play much, his Hot Spots indicate that he took most of his shots from close range, and he's a career 43% eFG% shooter.

Ely does have an advantage offensively in that he draws fouls at a 4.3 FTA/36 min rate, higher than Armstrong (3.6) or the Kiwi (0.9). Throw in his polished back to the basket game, and I think it's clear that Ely is the superlative offensive player.

Defensive Ability

Defensive Ability When Hilton was first drafted, I was most excited about the defender he could turn into. He was in possession of a 6’11," 240 pounds, and the full complement of Jay Bilas "long," "athletic," and "upside" comments. His rookie year, we saw flashes of that potential. But last year, he took a serious step back. The two biggest negatives: fouls per block attempt rose sharply, and he struggled to keep up his footwork with opposing post players. His fouls per 36 (6.4 last year) is at odds with the rest of the non-fouling Hornet defense, while Ely’s defense (4.3) fits in far more. And yet, I’d still peg Hilton as the better defender. Ely simply doesn’t have the length of Armstrong. Hilton’s slender frame makes him more versatile as a defender.

Sean Marks, surprisingly enough, may also be in this conversation. In 19 games, he registered a 5.0 BLK%. It’s probably worth seeing if he can replicate that.

Rebounding

Rebounding Believe it or not, rebounding was not one of the Hornets’ strong suits last year. Remove Tyson Chandler from the equation, and the rest of his teammates seriously underperformed on the boards.

The one aspect HA didn’t drop off in last year was rebounding. His offensive rates (10.2) and defensive rates (16.4) remained solid, and if nothing else, will assure him playing time. Sean Marks brings less offensive rebounding to the table (6.8), but more defensive (18.4). And Ely is somewhere in between at 8.3 and 15.6. Overall, Hilton is the best rebounder (13.2), with Marks second (12.6) and Ely third (11.8). Still, those three values are pretty close. This comes down to which rebounders work well together as opposed to an individual analysis. Do you want a good offensive/defensive look with Marks and Armstrong together? A more safe approach with Ely paired in there? How does having James Posey on the floor impact things? All good questions, and all difficult ones to answer without actually seeing the trio function on the floor.

The Best Pair?

Defensively, the Armstrong-Marks combination intrigues me. Both have block rates which would allow them to be great help defenders. Obviously, help defense is something the overall defense was predicated on last year. DX and TC did a terrific job covering for the small CP3/Pargo backcourt, and I expect James Posey to slide into a similar role this year.

The best offense-defense combination may still be Armstrong-Ely. Even though Sean Marks is the better defensive rebounder empirically, I have a hard time believing he can man up better than Hilton. Marks really doesn’t cover any of Ely’s or Armstrong’s deficiencies on the offensive end either.

As much as I’d like to see the Ceiling Fan Repair Man backed by The Kiwi, it doesn’t make much sense from any angle. Then you also have the chance of another Brandon Bass scenario with Hilton Armstrong. Not likely, but not rule-out-able.