| Hornets Ready To Sting The Competition Authored by Patrick J. Austin - July 9, 2006 - 7:31 pm
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On draft night, they selected two rugged big men to bolster their frontline in Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons. Armstrong will be able to step in and contribute immediately. Simmons is considered a “project” but with enormous upside.
Next, they were aggressive in the free agent market landing sharp-shooter, Peja Stojakovic, and talented combo guard, Bobby Jackson.
If that weren’t enough, they traded aging veteran big man, P.J. Brown, and disappointing swingman, J.R. Smith, to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the disappointing, but intriguing Tyson Chandler.
All of this movement is somewhat surprising. It would have been so easy for not-so-beloved owner, George Shinn, to sit back and do nothing this summer. He had the perfect excuse – an organization in flux, still unable to return home needs to conserve its financial flexibility in order to survive. Instead, the franchise decided to go for it and sign Stojakovic for an estimated $64 million dollars and take on the remaining $50 million dollars of Tyson Chandler’s contract. This is proof positive that the franchise is serious about being competitive, even through all the off-court travails.
Have all these moves made the Hornets a lock for the playoffs next season? I wouldn’t say it’s a lock, especially with the depth and quality of competition in the Western Conference, but they’ve dramatically improved their chances. With the addition of Armstrong, Simmons, and Chandler to compliment on-the-rise power forward, David West, the Hornets now have one of the youngest and most talented frontcourts in the league. Chandler is coming off a poor season (averaged only 5ppg & 9rpg) but I think a change of scenery will do wonders for his career. Playing in the spotlight of Chicago, a franchise so rich in tradition – and expectations – is tough for any player, let alone someone straight out of high school as Chandler was. Everyone in Chicago wanted him to be the next Kevin Garnett, but it’s become clear he isn’t that type of do-all player. A more apt comparison would be someone like Marcus Camby or even the now-departed P.J. Brown. With the Hornets, Chandler will be in an environment where he won’t have to worry about producing superstar numbers night in and night out. He’ll have the opportunity to be that defensive specialist and rebounder we all know he’s capable of becoming.
Stojakovic, like Chandler, is coming off a disappointing – and injury plagued – season. Many analysts were surprised the Hornets opened up the bank and gave him $64 million dollars over 5 years. But if Peja can stay healthy and return to ’04-05 form (20ppg/40% from beyond the arc) then he’ll be worth every penny. When Peja’s feeling it, he’s arguably the best shooter in the league.
Bobby Jackson’s veteran experience and versatility should provide a nice contrast to that of franchise star, Chris Paul, in the backcourt. Jackson has developed the reputation as being a fantastic sixth man; a game changer. His energy and hustle should be reminiscent of departed backup guard, Speedy Claxton, but with a much better shooting range.
As stated earlier, all of these trades, signings, etc. haven’t made New Orleans a lock for the playoffs, but it’s a big step in the right direction. They have pieces in place that most teams would kill for (e.g. a true point guard, talented big men, a great shooter, etc.). All that’s needed now is for this core to gel and develop some chemistry. When that happens, the Hornets will be a force to be reckoned with out West. |
