65 days till the NBA season begins, what will the Hornets do?

27th of October, 7pm local time, The New Orleans Hornets will finally find out whether or not the team is heading in the right direction. Chris Paul banter, National media bashing, Ownership concerns, all will be put aside in the wake of real live basketball.

This offseason has been an eventful one for all thing Hornets. To say it was (and is) a rollercoaster would be an understatement. At the beginning many didn’t know what was to be, what would happen, if the Hornets could play a hand in the Lebron sweepstakes. But nobody could predict what would happen and how the NBA would change because of one free-agent class.

So what can we expect from the Hornets in the next 65 days? We’ll lets break it down into a number of sections to see what might transpire before the season starts.

I need backup!

The Hornets partially signed point guard Mustafa ‘Tupac’ Shakur to a contract and his status with the team will depend on how training camp goes for him. A little bit about him:

• He averaged 10.2 PPG/3.6 AST/2.0 REB/1.6 TO in 19:50 minutes per game in this year’s summer league for the Oklahoma City Thunder
• He shot 41% from three in the Orlando Summer League
• According to NBADraft.net’s Matthew Maurer his strengths include “Understands how to control the tempo of a game and set-up the offense, constantly looks to push the ball up the court and his determination to improve speaks volumes about his work ethic.” His weaknesses include “shot selection questionable at times, Doesn’t always work well in a half court set, clearly excels in an up tempo and defensively he could stand to put more pressure on opposing guards.”
• So it appears that Shakur could have a little bit of potential but the important thing is that he is a guard who can control the second unit by keeping up the tempo where he excels best.

However this doesn’t mean the hornets are finished with their search for a backup to Chris Paul this season.

In past years a backup to CP has been a big weakness of the team. The one year that there was a somewhat decent backup was with Jannero Pargo. Some however would argue that he really wasn’t all that valuable as a backup because of his inefficiencies, but up until Collison the Hornets really have been lacking in this department. The lacklustre Mike James, the slow and ineffective Antonio Daniels and all the rest have showcased that the need for a backup is of high importance.

With Paul playing 38-44 minutes a game a backup will at the most be called to come in for 10 minutes and keep the pressure on the other team, that’s it. This isn’t a case of showcasing one’s skills, taking scoring responsibilities upon themselves, a backup for Chris needs to be able to run the floor, run the offense and most importantly, play defense.

There isn’t a whole lot of options out there but At The Hive had a nice breakdown of what is left from the bunch. But after the Mustafa Shakur acquisition expect the D-League to be a resource for the ingenious Dell Demps.

I haven’t finished with the Trade Machine, will we get ‘Melo?

In one answer, no. The Nuggets want big-time compensation for Anthony just like we did with Paul. You can bet your bottom dollar that many of the same teams that went after Paul will be going after Anthony and their offers will most likely be a lot better than ours.

But the thing about Melo is determining his value. Coming out of college many considered him to be the most refined player; some thought he was a safer pick than Lebron. At the moment many are disputing the fact that he’s not even worth the maximum deal. This is why any trade idea between the Hornets and Nuggets will likely be fantasy. Sure the idea of Paul and Anthony playing together is nice, but the only way these two guys are on the same team is if it’s team USA or the Magic/Knicks in two years time.

But that doesn’t mean all is quiet on the western front. I expect the Hornets to be constantly looking for roster upgrades through the trade route before training camp begins, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.

Training camp Monty style

Many NBA commentators glance over training camp like it means little to the NBA season. In comparison to the NFL’s coverage the NBA’s training camp is almost meaningless. However for the Hornets training camp is a real indicator of how the season might pan out.

Last year the Hornets training camp had a number of casualties that suffered injuries. Okafor didn’t even start practising till a couple of days before the regular season opener. David West had back spasms and knee problems and the rest of the team had ice packs all over their bodies. It seemed to carry into the season as the Hornets peaked to early wearing themselves out for the long season ahead.

This year training camp holds importance as the team has a new coach, new system, new players and new national media problems. Making sure the team bonds and connects at a personal level on and off the court is what training camp is about. The Celtics Paul Peirce said after game 6 against the Magic that, “This all started back at camp…we knew something special was going on.”

If the Hornets are to improve defensively this year it must begin here. Key things to look out for in Hornets training camp news are:

1. Is the team healthy and upbeat?
2. Is the team buying into Monty ball?
3. Is the team improving defensively?
4. Are the any surprising performances out of camp from the rookies or D-Leaguers?

Preseason

To be honest I myself pay little attention to NBA preseason games. The only thing I want out of these games is a completely healthy team. Sure gelling as a unit and making sure everyone is on the same page is important, but the NBA season is a long, marathon like run. Last year health was a major concern to the team; let’s hope it isn’t the same.

Anyone suffering from Nostalgia?

I thought the basketball season was only just round the corner, but when I put it into a round number of 63 it freaked me out a little. Watching YouTube clips, combating various Chris Paul “rumors” and gearing up for the NFL season were all ways I tried to get by. The thing I like about the NBA season is that every second day there is a game to give you that Hornets fix we crave so much. So to help you and I get by here is some Hornet Highlights.

Credit to Wetagua

Credit to South SideCrusade

Credit to TeamDarko

Credit to TheLakersNation24