The Hornets acquisition of Lopez and Warrick is something Hornets fans should be excited about. Lopez more than Warrick but don’t Hakim out just yet, given an opportunity he may have a few good seasons left. I’m just not sure if that opportunity for Warrick is in New Orleans.

Apr. 25, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center (15) Robin Lopez defends against San Antonio Spurs forward (22) Tiago Splitter in the second half at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Robin Lopez, 7 Ft center who just turned 24 years old this year has a lot of great years ahead of him. So far he has played 4 “OK” seasons after being drafted 15th overall by Phoenix in the 2008 draft. Robin is a extremely hard worker and hustles on the court, unfortunately for him he has been out-shined by his twin brother Brook who was drafted 10th overall to the Nets in the same draft. I would mainly blame this on the lack of opportunity Robin has had in Phoenix vs Brook coming in as a starter in New Jersey. This past season Robin was a backup for Marcin Gortat and as a result only averaged 14 minutes per game.

Here is chart of Robin Lopez’ career stats:

Career Season Averages

Robin’s best season came in 2009-2010 when he averaged 19 minutes per game. As a result he averaged 8.4 points per game and 4.9 rebound per game. This is a clear sign that given the opportunity Robin can produce and will be more effective. New Orleans is the perfect situation for Robin as he currently has the starting job at center. With Robin being the only true center on the team right now I would expect him to see close to 25-30 minutes a game. Don’t get your hopes up and expect Lopez to be an all-star but you can bet that given a staring role he will average 8 points and 8 rebounds per game, at least.

Robin Lopez and Anthony Davis will take a lot of pressure off of each other as they both are very long and athletic. Davis can now slide to his natural power forward position with Robin relaxing on the defensive end a little as Davis will block most the shots put up.

The Hornets had a big need at center and filled it very well with the addition of Robin Lopez. Especially considering they were able to obtain him for a very cheap price, Jerome Dyson and two second round draft picks.

Lil Wayne could be a potential investor for the New Orleans Hornets on a smaller basis.

Will Smith purchased a stake in the Philadelphia 76ers which will no doubt run the “Fresh Prince” tune through your head, but more than that it makes me wonder what the prospects are of any other celebrities stepping up to buy a stake in the Hornets.

With Labour negotiations pushing on in “first-gear” let’s turn our attention back to the Hornets ownership situation.

We all know about the “I’m In!” campaign and how well it’s going. It really has done a terrific job of infusing the organisation back into the community to make it New Orleans’ team. Apart of the campaign there were a lot of local celebrities, ranging from Chefs to politicians to Drew Brees himself.

This contingent of local personalities makes me wonder what the chances are of these guys investing financially in the Hornets, on a small time basis. Maybe Lil Wayne will mirror Will Smith’s image and decide to invest in the organisation. We all know he’s good friends with Chris Paul, we know he’s a Hornets fan as well as a big sports fan. Having Wayne be a cultural investment into the team will further connect the organisation with the city.

Not only that it would diversify its brand and get it in the national eye a little easier than before.

Wayne is just one example. I’m not sure what his investment portfolio looks like and if he has any capital to throw around. But investing in the Hornets would do great things for both he and the organisation. For the Hornets it would raise their profile with him as a small base owner, for Wayne it would give him a stronger connection to the NBA and a legitimate opportunity to make some money from a sport he loves so much.

I’m not saying he will, this is pure bullsh.. speculation.

If you guys think there’s any other examples that could invest in the Hornets I’d love to hear them in the comment section!