Anthony Davis scored a career high 40 points and also collected 21 rebounds in the +New Orleans Pelicans' 121-120 OT win against the +Boston Celtics. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Be sure to stay tuned to SDH in the coming weeks as I will be recapping, reviewing and ranking the performances of all thirty teams in the Association in my Worst to First Countdown.
Showing posts with label New Orleans Hornets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Orleans Hornets. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2014
SDH Presents Anthony Davis Scoring a Career-High 40 Points in Win Over Celtics (3/16/2014)
Anthony Davis scored a career high 40 points and also collected 21 rebounds in the +New Orleans Pelicans' 121-120 OT win against the +Boston Celtics. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Be sure to stay tuned to SDH in the coming weeks as I will be recapping, reviewing and ranking the performances of all thirty teams in the Association in my Worst to First Countdown.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
SDH Presents Anthony Davis' Double-Double Leads the Pelicans Over the Grizzlies (1/20/2014)
Anthony Davis had 27 points and 10 boards in the +New Orleans Pelicans 105-103 win against the +Memphis Grizzlies. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up on all 30 +NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Be sure to stay tuned to SDH in the coming weeks as I will be recapping, reviewing and ranking the performances of all thirty teams in the Association in my Worst to First Countdown.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
SDH Presents Jrue Holiday's CLUTCH Layup And-One to Win It in 3OT for the Pelicans!
+Jrue Holiday laid it up and got the foul to hit the game-winner for the Pelicans with 2.6 seconds left in Triple OT thus giving the +New Orleans Pelicans the win on the road against the +Chicago Bulls 131-128. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Be sure to stay tuned to SDH in the coming weeks as I will be recapping, reviewing and ranking the performances of all thirty teams in the Association in my Worst to First Countdown for November.
SDH Presents Ryan Anderson Exploding for 36 Points in 3OT Win Over Bulls (12/2/2013)
Ryan Anderson had 36 points and 6 rebounds, including seven three-pointers, to help the +New Orleans Pelicans beat the +Chicago Bulls 131-128 in triple overtime. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Be sure to stay tuned to SDH in the coming weeks as I will be recapping, reviewing and ranking the performances of all thirty teams in the Association in my Worst to First Countdown for November.
SDH Presents Pelicans Topping Bulls in Triple OT Thriller (12/2/2013)
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
SDH Presents from Bball Breakdown: Interview w/ New Orleans Pelicans coach Monty Williams
In this episode of +BBALLBREAKDOWN , +Coach Nick has an interesting discussion with +New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams concerning his coaching philospohy. In the interview Monty talks about the importance of details and the virtue of patience. You can catch more of Nick and the breakdown right here on +Slap Dog Hoops.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
SDH Presents New Orleans Hornets Top 10 Plays 2013 NBA Season
They are now called the Pelicans, but to many they will always be the Hornets and here is a reminder of that. Check out all the best plays from New Orleans Hornets last season and be sure to stay tuned to +Slap Dog Hoops for all the latest +NBA news and highlights!
Monday, August 19, 2013
SDH Presents Austin Rivers Ready for a Breakout 2nd season in the NBA
As Austin Rivers prepares for his 2nd full season in the NBA he showed why he is ready for a BIG season by warming up at Summer League! Personally I think people are reading too much in Summer League play. Sure Austin looked good in the Summer League--who doesn't? Unless he can do that in the regular season, nothing else matters and it will certainly will be quite difficult as he has dropped lower down the depth chart thanks to his team signing another expensive shooting guard in Tyreke Evans to go along with another one in Eric Gordon. Nonetheless, anything would be better than that embarrassment of a rookie season he had.
So what do you think? Does Austin looks like he has what it takes to improved from his rookie season? Leave your comments below and be sure to stay tuned for more great basketball content right here on Slap Dog Hoops.
Monday, August 12, 2013
SDH Presents BBALL BREAKDOWN: Austin Rivers One on One and the Secrets To His Crossover
It is with great pleasure that Slap Dog Hoops welcomes back Coach Nick and his YouTube program, Bball Breakdown after two year long hiatus mainly due to my personal vendetta with the pricks who now sponsor his show, SBNation. I have decided that it has been long enough that I held this grudge and it is not nick's fault that most of the blogger on SBN are a bunch of cry baby bitches that do not like an opinion outside theirs. Add the fact that most of them are a bunch of know nothing losers that regurgitate the same bull shit instead of having an actual opinion. Anyways, I have wasted enough time bashing those losers: ON TO THE SHOW!!!
In this episode, Coach Nick gets on the court with New Orleans Pelicans guard Austin Rivers to demonstrate a wicked crossover. Pay close attention to the footwork, it's a move you'll want to add to your arsenal. I'll certainly try it the next time I get on the court.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
SDH Present the 2013 End of Season NBA's Worst to First: 27. New Orleans "Pelicans"?
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record (At Season’s End): 27-55,
fifth place Southwest Division
|
26
|
At
Season’s End:
27
|
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Team
Statistics and League Rank (At Season’s End)
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Individual
Statistical Leaders (At Season’s End)
|
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Taking a Look back at the Season that Once Was . . .
|
SDH Player of the Year
Greivis Vasquez  In what can be considered as a rather flat and disappointing and flat season, Greivis Vasquez was the sole bright spot on a team that failed miserably to reignite interest despite winning the number one overall pick in the NBA draft. Vasquez was often over shadowed by his higher profile teammates, but his contributions dwarfed all of them. He finished the regular season third in the league in assists per game behind such notable players as the Clippers' Chris Paul who was at second place and the the Celtics' Rajon Rondo who reigned supreme in that category. And despite the team's poor showing, Vasquez kept the ball on his team's side off the court most of the time thanks to his three to one assists to turnover ratio which was ninth in the league behind such notables as San Antonio's Tony Parker (7th), New York's Jason Kidd (3rd) and LA's Chris Paul (1st). Add that along with his capabilities he also stands taller than most point guards at 6'6", Greivis Vasquez is a hidden gem and a coach's dream come true and if he were on any other team, he would have be given All Star recognition. |
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Analysis:
It was supposed to a be a season of revitalization and renewed hope for the Hornets who have struggled to gain a foothold in the league since moving to New Orleans. After a 2012 season that saw them win just 17 games, the Hornets set out to reinvent themselves which began when they won the number one overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft. They picked a player that was destined for greatness--a big man who at 6'11", could handle and pass like a point guard, shoot anywhere from the perimeter, while at the same time could post up, score in the paint, crash the boards and swat shots as good as any big man. Heading into his senior season in high school, Anthony Davis was 6'4" point guard headed to little known Cleveland State once he graduated; however, out of the blue, he grew seven inches turning him not only into a freak of nature, but also into the most touted high school prospect. He then ditched the idea of going to Cleveland State as he was swiftly recruited by University of Kentucky's John Calapari and not only win the NCAA Championship in his freshman season, but also became the projected top overall pick in the NBA Draft. Anthony Davis was a virtual godsend for the New Orleans Hornets--a team that had hit rock bottom after being forced to trade away their star player of six years, Chris Paul. He would be the chosen savior to pull the Hornets out of the wreckage of the past and lead the team a bright and prosperous future. To compliment their new found hero, the Hornets went on to gather together an exceptional supporting cast that included last season's Most Improved Player of the year Ryan Anderson along with last year big free agent pickup in Eric Gordon, who returned healthy after spending most of the previous season in street clothes because of injury. They also added another young big man who showed signs of potential, but never really able to find a niche on his old team in Robin Lopez, otherwise known as the less successful twin of Brook Lopez. Altogether with their second year coach Monty Williams, who gained plenty of respect in the league for making the Hornets one of the toughest defensive teams in the league despite winning just 17 games, New Orleans looked to really make some noise in the upcoming regular season as it began its journey of resurrection and ascension into the NBA spotlight. Unfortunately that did not happen as the much hyped and eagerly anticipated regular season turned out to fall flat as the Hornets failed to capture that magic in a bottle that had them and their fans beaming with joy and pride during the off season. Their season started without their two cornerstones, Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis, as they would be sidelined with injuries from the opening tip off. Davis would miss twenty games while Gordon, who had missed all but eleven games due to injury the previous season, would miss almost half the season. To make matters worse, once they made their debuts neither Gordon or Davis lived up to their billing to say the least. Gordon would struggle with his shooting stroke while Anthony Davis failed to live up to his billing as the best player in the NBA Draft--that title was given to Portland's Damian Lillard who would have the most dominant season among this rookie class and earn the Rookie of the Year award as well. With both of their star players not living up to the lofty expectations put upon them by fans and the media, New Orleans failed miserably in what was supposed to be a season of renewal and revitalization. Despite winning the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft, they still remained hidden in the background as both their touted number one pick and their revamped team failed to deliver the team out of the shadows and into the spotlight. In fact, one can go as far to say that New Orleans' performance this season, despite having a far more improved roster, did not perform nearly as well as the team that basically over achieved the prior season. Although they increased their win total by ten games, the Hornets did not play with the same defensive intensity which made them quite the intimidating team to face in spite of their poor record. What was once the biggest selling point for this struggling, much maligned and often ignored team all but disintegrated as the Hornets went from being one of the best defensive teams in the season in 2012, to becoming one of the league's worst in 2013. As it was not bad enough that New Orleans failed to capitalize on the most media attention and scrutiny the team has ever had since relocating to the Bayou, the team finished their season by re-introducing itself with a fresh new logo and name. Unfortunately neither were very fresh as the team changed the name from the Hornets, a name that in all fairness never really identified the with the people or city of New Orleans, to possibly the worst name for a professional sports franchise ever--the Pelicans. Of all the most ill-conceived brand name changes, this probably has to be the worst in recent memory as they have essentially identified not only the franchise and its home city to one of the most uninspiring, unimaginative and dare I say unflattering figure ever. Pelicans are essentially "pigeons of the sea" with no real redeeming qualities other than being a small step ahead of seagulls in terms of being the most disliked creatures in the animal kingdom. By choosing such an inconceivably terrible name to reform the franchise that was already considered a laughing stock makes a terrible situation even worse as it stripped the team of any real legitimacy whatsoever thus removing any chance for it to ever ascend to any spec near to respectability. |
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Saturday, March 16, 2013
SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for January and and February: 25. New Orleans Hornets
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record (as of February 28th) : 20-39 (fifth place, Southwest Division)
|
27
|
This Month:
25
|
Team
Statistics and League Rank (as of February 28th)
Points Scored:
94.2 (23rd)
Points Allowed:
97.7 (15th)
Team FG%: .452
(14th)
Opponent’s
FG%: .464 (25th)
Team FT%: .770
(10th)
Team Three
Point FG%: .371 (7th)
Rebounds per
game: 41.1 (23rd)
Opponents
rebounds per game: 40.4 (5th)
Turnovers per
game: 14.3 (9th)
Opponents
turnovers per game: 13.4 (26th)
|
Individual
Statistical Leaders (as of February 28th)
Scoring (ppg):
Ryan Anderson (16.7)
Rebounds per
game: Al-Farouq Aminu (7.6)
Minutes per
game: Greivis Vasquez (34.1)
Assists per
game: Greivis Vasquez (9.4)
Field Goal
Percentage: Robin Lopez (.552)
Free Throw
Percentage: Eric Gordon (.850)
Three Point FG
Percentage: Ryan Anderson (.397)
Steals per
game: Al-Farouq Aminu (1.3)
Blocked Shots
per game: Anthony Davis (1.8)
|
|
Worst Player
of the Month:
 Aminu started off quite well at the season's tip-off; however, since posting career numbers in November of 9.8 points per game, his scoring has gradually diminished with each passing month as the season wears on. From looking as if he had the potential of becoming a quality player and a possible building block for the future, Al-Farouq Aminu has become an almost non factor as both his minutes and production have taken downward turns. Despite his significant drop in offensive production, Aminu has still remained rather efficient shooting close to .470 from the field off of only six shot attempts per game. His rebounding and defense are probably the only two reason why head coach Monty Williams has kept Aminu in the roster, as he currently leads the team in steals per game and is second in rebounding as well. Unfortunately, as a result of him being an almost non-factor on the offensive end after starting so strong, Aminu's stock has certainly diminished as a result and just might end up a roster casualty once the season draws to a close. |
First Player
of the Month: Greivis Vasquez
 Forget about Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon or even Ryan Anderson--it is Greivis Vasquez who has been the Hornets best player thus far in the season and possibly one of the best kept secrets in the NBA as well. From coming off the bench last season, Vasquez has become the catalyst of the Hornets offense leading the team in assists per game along with being fourth in league as well. His impressive skill set, his superior court vision and basketball IQ along with his size, at 6' 6" and 211 lbs, make Vasquez a virtual match up nightmare to opposing defenses and possibly one of the most dangerous players in the league. His play is certainly reminiscent of another Hall of Fame point guard whose size, skills, and abilities led to him to be heralded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. If Vasquez continues his stellar play at the point, he may earn himself the nickname of "Latin Magic" as he will certainly become a player to keep a eye on. |
|
Analysis:
Although they have only risen a couple of spots from the previous month, the New Orleans Hornets have still continued to perform rather admirably as they continue to show their opponents that despite their losing record, they still should not be underestimated in the least. After finishing 2012 winning just seven of thirty games, the Hornets buzzed into 2013 as a fierce swarm stinging their opponent by winning seven of their first ten games. They stumbled at the start losing their first two games against the Atlanta Hawks (1/1/2013) followed by the Houston Rockets (1/2/2013); however, they found their stride winning four straight beating three of their division rivals including an impressive upset against the first place San Antonio Spurs (1/11/2013). After having their winning end abruptly thanks to the New York Knicks (1/13/2013), the Hornets bounced back yet again winning three of their next four games losing a heart breaker to the Golden State Warriors by just four points (1/19/2013). Unfortunately January ended on a sour note as New Orleans finished the month winning just one of their last five games; however, despite the lackluster finish, the Hornets gave plenty of reasons that will keep their opponents wary and their fans optimistic for the future.
For starters, among the eight games that they lost to in January, five of the those losses were by single digit margin with four of them being rather close at five points or less. If the ball would had bounced the Hornets way and they would have had a couple of key defensive stops, the Hornets could have had those close games. Against such quality teams such as the Spurs (1/23/2013), Los Angeles Lakers (1/29/2013) and the Utah Jazz (1/20/2013) the Hornets lost by a total of just fourteen points--that's just about four points per loss. It all boiled down to defense as New Orleans struggled against team that they allowed to score 100 points or more whereas the Hornets won all except one when holding their foes to under 100 points losing to just the Atlanta Hawks despite holding them to just 95 points. Once those games reached to the 100 point mark, the Hornets simply could not hold on and were simply outlasted by the Warriors, Spurs, Lakers and Jazz or if they were not outlasted, they were blown out by the likes of the Knicks by 13, and twice by the Houston Rockets to the tune of 12 (1/2/2013) and 18 points (1/25/2013). Unfortunately, February would not start as well as it did the previous month losing their first two games rather embarrassingly against the Denver Nuggets by 15 (2/1/2013) and the Minnesota Timberwolves by 19 (2/2/2013). Similar to what happened in January, the Hornets would bounce back winning four of their last five games losing to the Toronto Raptors (2/10/2013) on the road. Unfortunately it was the same story following that four win run as the Hornets simply just could not hold on and would lose yet again by rather slim margins. Despite holding the Chicago Bulls to 96 points, the Hornets simply could not make shots on the other end of the floor as they ended up losing by 9 points (2/19/2013) followed by two heart breaking defeats against the Cleveland Cavaliers (2/20/2013) and the Dallas Mavericks (2/22/2013) by a total of just eight points. They managed to take their frustration out on the visiting Sacramento Kings by simply crushing them on their home floor (2/24/2013), but as it would often happen, the Hornets could not carry that momentum as they would lose yet another heart breaker to the Brooklyn Nets by just four points (2/26/2013) followed by a humiliating loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder (2/27/2013).
Although a two month record 13-16 may not much be to brag about, it is certainly a step in the right direction for the New Orleans Hornets as that was certainly far better than sole seven sole victories that they had in November and December combined. Also, considering that eight of those sixteen games were losses of just four to five points, if luck were on their side, the Hornets could have potentially finished January and February with 21 instead of just 13 games, thus tripling their win total. A quick look at the number would also show that despite resting at the bottom of the standings, the Hornets certainly kept their opponents on their toes as their matched them almost exactly in terms of shooting, rebounding and committing turnovers. In essence, January and February can be considered as a microcosm of the the Hornets' general performance thus far in this season--they have fought and have continued to fight regardless of the outcome. They will certainly not gain a playoff spot, but they have probably gained something far more valuable--respect from their opponents and the league in general.
It may not look like it now, but a huge and deadly swarm is on its way and the other 29 nine teams in the NBA need to stand up and take notice. This young hungry Hornets team will not stay at the bottom for long and are more than likely a season or two away from becoming a force to be reckoned with in the NBA. With each passing season they will grow stronger and in time, the teams that had once scraped past them will become the victims instead of the victors. If they manage to maintain the talented young core of players that the Hornets currently possess, there will be no stopping the Swarm once it reaches to full strength. So look your doors, batten down the hatches, and run for cover, because a storm is brewing in the Bayou and once it hits, no one within an earshot will be spared from the merciless swarm that will soon approach--just remember, you all have been fore-warned. |
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Monday, January 21, 2013
SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for December: 27. New Orleans Hornets
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record (as of December 31st): 7-23, fifth place Southwest Division
|
26
|
This Month:
27
|
Team
Statistics and League Rank (as of December 31st)
|
Individual
Statistical Leaders (as of December 31st)
|
|
Worst Player
of the Month: Anthony Davis
Again Anthony
Davis has been placed as the worst not for his play which has been pretty
decent, but simply for his presence on the court. For a player who has the abilities and
skills to play all five positions along with his size and length, Davis
should be producing so much more than he has been. In his entire career thus far, he has only
cracked the 20 point mark just three times in the 16 games he has played thus
far. Granted, he has spent much of the
season on the injured list; however, it has still been quite a letdown
nonetheless considering that Portland’s Damien Lillard has been stealing the
show for most of the season. Hopefully
Davis can pick it up since it is still early in the season—sure he has been
playing well; however, he has not been playing up to the standards for the number one
overall pick of the NBA Draft. A play
of his size, athleticism, fundamental skills and abilities should be
producing much more than just 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
|
First Player
of the Month: Robin Lopez
Robin Lopez’s
story is quite remarkable to say the least—here was a guy who was given up
for dead on his previous team and now plays stellar on his new team. It goes to show how poorly the Phoenix Suns
utilized him in his four years there and New Orleans certainly got their
money’s worth signing Lopez for just 15$ million for three years. Lopez has certainly been proving all his
detractors and doubters wrong as he has posted a career high in scoring
(12.0ppg), rebounds (5.7), blocked shots (2.1), field goals (.560), and free
throws (.795) per game thus far this season.
Lopez has been thus far been on a tear in December as he has been
scorching the field shooting .613 and has been all but perfect from the free
throw line shooting at a .888 clip. He
has certainly shed the stigma of being “that other Lopez bother,” or “the not
so great brother” of Brooklyn Nets star Brook Lopez and certainly has Phoenix
looking bad for giving up on an exceptional talent.
|
|
Analysis:
December was a rather rough month for the New Orleans Hornets as they won just three games for the entire month. After splitting their first two games losing rather convincingly to the Oklahoma City Thunder (12/1/2012) and pulling of the surprising win against the Milwaukee Bucks (12/3/2012), the Hornets went on to lose eleven in a row. The Hornets finally stopped the bleeding with a win on the road against the Orlando Magic (12/26/2012) and went on to start 2013 winning two of their last three games. It could have been three in a row, if it had not been for that heartbreaking overtime loss on their home court against the Toronto Raptors (12/28/2012). Nonetheless, despite struggling in December, there were still numerous positives that can be taken out of New Orleans' performance for the month.
For starters, despite their inability to win, New Orleans showed plenty of mocksy in December keeping most of their games rather close. Save for the four blowout loses at the hands of the Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers (12/5/2012), Miami Heat (12/8/2012) and Los Angeles Clippers (12/19/2012), the Hornets lost by a slim margin of just 6.1 points. New Orleans also put up a rather strong defensive effort holding their opponents to under 100 points in all but five games. Despite losing those games, the Hornets still held the Washington Wizards to just 77 points (12/11/2012) and then the Indiana Pacers to just 81 (12/22/2012). If they would have had a few possessions in their favor or the ball went in the basket, it would be a whole different scenario. In their game where they faced the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road (12/12/2012), the Hornets held an eleven point lead late in the game and if were not for the heroics of Kevin Durant, New Orleans could have possibly gotten the "W." If it were not for a last second three point basket from Damian Lillard, the Hornets could have pulled of the upset win on the road against the Portland Trailblazers instead of losing by just one point (12/16/2012). They also had the chance to grab a major confidence boosting win against a road weary San Antonio Spurs team. Unfortunately the Bugs could not seal the deal losing by just five points thanks to the heroic efforts of the Spurs' Tony Parker (12/21/2012). If the Hornets would have just held on, or had a few balls bounce their way, they could have easily finished with 10 wins instead of just seven. Much of the Hornets' inability to close the deal on the close games has to do with youth, inexperience and the the Hornets' lack of depth in the roster, especially in the backcourt where the Hornets have little or nothing to offer in terms of perimeter scoring. With their major free agent acquisition of Eric Gordon sidelined for much of the season, the Hornets have literally no one who can be counted on to hit a big shot when needed. In addition of having poor production from the wings, The greatest disappointing factor of the New Orleans Hornets, however, has to be the team's poor performance on the boards for despite having a treasure trove of size, strength and athleticism in the paint, rank near the bottom in the league in rebounds per game. The Hornets should have a pretty strong front court with the number one overall pick Anthony Davis, two strong seven footers in Robin Lopez and Jason Smith, along with three point threat Ryan Anderson; however have not really been playing up to par when it comes to grabbing the boards. Despite having the best season in his career, Robin Lopez has been rather underwhelming under the boards averaging just under six per game as a starter along with Ryan Anderson, whom despite having a perimeter oriented player, should be grabbing more than the 6.3 rebounds per game that he averaged in December, especially considering that he possesses a 6'10", 240 lbs frame. The best rebounder thus far has been the rookie Anthony Davis; however, even he can be considered a bit of a letdown as he has not made the impact that many have anticipated. He has certainly not been a major factor offensively as previous number one picks and despite the odd big game, has been rather passive, especially on the offensive end where he has only score more than 20 once the entire month of December. With what everyone says about his skills and abilities being able to dribble and hot like a guard while at the same time pound down low in the paint, Anthony Davis should be doing much more; however, at the same time, he cannot do what is expected unless he gets a considerate amount of touches so it goes both ways. Thus, the onus has to be on head coach Monty Williams, who needs to involve his young prodigy more in the offense and not allow his numerous talents go to waste. If he does not, New orleans will continue to sputter along and remain in the shadows of obscurity. |
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Friday, January 11, 2013
SDH Presents the Gatorade NBA D-League Call-ups: Donald Sloan & Mike James
The New Orleans Hornets and Dallas Mavericks have made Donald Sloan and Mike James the 11th and 12th NBA D-League Call-up. Although it is doubtful that he will have a major impact as most D-League call-ups have yet to do so, let's still cheer Sloan on and hope that he remains in the big leagues; however, Mike James is another story . . .
In all honesty Mike James should not have been allowed to play in the D-League the start with as the D-League is supposed to be about developing and discovering new talent. Mike James, however,fits in neither category as he is too old at 37 years old and has no real upside to him whatsoever. He has already had his chance in the NBA anyways, and has made more than 40$ million during his NBA career. Calling him up not only takes away a chance from a younger and more deserving young hungry player, but showcasing him as a call-up also diminishes the quality and reputation of the D-League.
Anyways, it is doubtful that he will even last long in the Mavericks because the shelf life of a D-League call up is usually rather short. Watch all D-League games LIVE on the D-League's Youtube channel and always stay on Slap Dog Hoops to see aspiring ballers, save for the afore-mentioned Mike James, try to make their NBA hoops dreams come true.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for November: 26. New Orleans Hornets
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record (as of November 30th): 4-10, fifth place Southwest Division
|
26
|
This
Month:
26
|
Team
Statistics and League Rank (as of November 30th)
Points
Scored: 93.7 (24th)
Points
Allowed: 100 (22nd)
Team
FG%: .441 (18th)
Opponent’s
FG%: .454 (25th)
Rebounds
per game: 41.3 (20th)
Opponents
rebounds per game: 41.9 (13th)
Turnovers
per game: 14.6 (10th)
Opponents
turnovers per game: 12.7 (29th)
|
Individual
Statistical Leaders
|
|
Worst
Player of the Month: Anthony Davis
Call
me cruel, but for the number one pick overall in the NBA Draft, Anthony
Davis’ play thus far has been far from impressive. Sure he has posted up impressive numbers
for a rookie of 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, two blocks and a steal per game,
but he has yet to “Wow” me or take the league by storm as his
predecessors. Much of that has to do
with the explosive play of fellow rookie, the Portland Trailblazers’ Damian Lillard, that has overshadowed his own solid rookie play. Add the fact that he has only played six
games before getting injured; hoops fans have not seen much of him being that
he plays for a rather small and unnoticed sports team. Hopefully he can come back soon and give
NBA fans a real exciting competition for who will be Rookie of the Year
because right now it looks as if the there will have the onerous title of
being a number one pick who has not won the coveted title.
|
First
Player of the Month: Oh, who to pick?
There
have been so many Cinderella stories coming out from the bayou as three
Hornets players have had a storybook season thus far. After four years languishing on the Phoenix
Suns bench, Robin Lopez has finally had a chance to play quality minutes as
the starting center of the Hornets averaging career high in points (10.7), rebounds
(5.7), block shots (2.2) and minutes (27.7) per game. Small forward Al-Farouq Aminu, who many considered a draft day bust, has
also exploded with a career performance averaging 10.6 points, 7.5 boards,
and 2.2 assists per game along with shooting a scintillating .504 from the
field as well. Let’s not forget the
6’7” Venezuelan point guard, Greivis Vasquez, who is doing his best
impression of Magic Johnson averaging close to nine assists per game—currently
5th in the league. Cap that
all off with Ryan Anderson proving that his stellar season in Orlando was no
fluke as he leads the team in scoring with 17.8 points per game, one can see
the difficulty of picking just one player for the First of the Month.
|
|
Analysis:
For the first time
since its arrival to the bayou, New Orleans Hornets fans have their first
sense of stability as their team has been taken over by new and competent ownership
dedicated to keeping the team in the state of Louisiana. During the offseason, the Hornets were
recipients of the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft (thanks again, commissioner
Stern) which turned out to be super athletic freak Anthony Davis and signed
the team’s leading scorer last season, Eric Gordon to a long term contract extension. Add the additions of free agents Robin
Lopez and Ryan Anderson along with the improved play of incumbents Greivis
Vasquez and Al Farouq Aminu, the Hornets will have a solid foundation of
young talent to build a playoff contender with. Right now much the team’s advancement from
out of the shadows and into the limelight has been slow down due to injuries
to two of its key players, namely Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis; however, the
future still beams brightly for a team that has spent much of its time in the
darkness clouded by confusion and uncertainty. Now with their team firmly planted, Hornets
fans can finally let go of their apprehensions and welcome their team with
open arms.
The Hornets came
crashing out of the gates winning three of their first five games beating
quality talents as the Utah Jazz (11/2/2012), Chicago Bulls (11/3/2012) and a
resurgent Charlotte Bobcats team (11/9/2012).
Unfortunately New Orleans was unable to maintain that early momentum
as they would go on to lose their eight of their next nine games to finish
the month. On a positive note, however,
the team that they managed to beat was rather stiff competition—the Pacific
Division leader Los Angeles Clippers (11/26/2012). In addition many of those losses were hard
fought as two of those games the Hornets lost in overtime—one against the
Indiana Pacers (11/21/2012) and the other against the Phoenix Suns (11/23/2012). As for the rest, sure the Hornets had their
fair share of blowouts including one where they were held down to just 62
points (11/7/2012); however, at the same time they managed to keep the
majority of their losses close at under a ten point margin. These games can be considered as temporary growing
pains as this team is quite young and inexperienced with three players on
that roster who are over the age of 25 and two that have more than three
seasons of NBA experience.
This Hornets team is
rather green to say the least considering that it has chosen to hinge its
future on a 19 year old kid who had just played only one year of college
basketball. Both he and the Hornets’ other
building block, Eric Gordon, have been sidelined due to injuries leaving this
young team very shorthanded missing an otherwise impressive offensive
punch. Add the fact that two of the “senior”
veterans that play in the starting five—Ryan Anderson and Robin Lopez—are just
the tender age of 24, one can expect there to be a rather long and difficult
learning curve for New Orleans. In
addition to inexperience and injuries hurting their chances of improving
their current situation, the Hornets also suffer a severe shortage in terms of
depth in the roster having little else to offer their opponents past the
starting five. Poor coach Monty Williams was forced, due to the lack of depth to throw in poor rookie Austin Rivers to the wolves by starting the 20 year old guard and giving him minutes
and responsibility that he was certainly not ready for.
Rivers, who the Hornets
picked 10th overall in this year’s NBA Draft, looked lost and
confused resulting in him struggling greatly as a Hornet shooting less that
.100 from the field to start off his rookie season. And despite his rather poor play, what was
even worse is that the Hornets had no other option as their thin backcourt
remains a glaring weakness for this young team. After six torturous games,
coach Monty Williams mercifully sat Rivers down in favor for veteran and
oldest member in the club, Roger Mason Jr;
however, he has not been performing that much better averaging just
under six points per game while shooting under .400 from the field. Judging by the team’s current performance, the
New Orleans Hornets may still be a lottery pick or two (or maybe three, four
or five) to finally have the sufficient talent to make a solid playoff
run. Fortunately for the Hornets, they
have an understanding fan base that are willing to wait, grow, and suffer hard
losses along with this young team as they know that this is just the beginning
of something really special.
The Hornets will definitely
continue to struggle throughout the season without the presence of their two
star players, Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon, but thankfully they have
teammates who have been ready willing and able to hold the fort until their
return. Add that with an excited fan
base that can support their team freely without wondering whether or not it
will play in another city, the prospects for the Hornets are not that
grim. The gloom and doom are gone as a
ray of hope shines right on the city of New Orleans while a breath of life
has been infused in this franchise which was on the verge of folding. Fans must thank David Stern for he was the
one that engineered the resurrection of professional basketball in the Bayou
by orchestrating the draft to make sure the Hornets would get the number one
overall pick in this year’s draft.
Without his tinkering, New Orleans would never have the prosperity
that it currently has and would have probably fallen into the depths of obscurity.
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