Hornets are .500

This upcomming stretch looks favorable to them:


- @ Oklahoma
- New Jersey
- @ Washington
- @ Philadelphia
- LA Clippers
- @ Detroit
- @ Indiana

They can at least stay above .500 for awhile with this.

Okafor is rounding into shape. Team defense is getting better almost by the game. Still looks like a first round exit to me, unless we play the Mavs. That team is smoke and mirrors...

I have to wonder if the Hornets would be better off slumping and falling out of the playoff picture to secure a lottery pick. Is an 8 seed and a dismantling by the Lakers coupled with a 15-20 draft pick a good thing for the organization?

I was thinking the exact same thing. Theyre gonna play like this all year and either be on the back end of the lottery or the 8th seed. Not good for a team that desperatly needs to get some young talent.

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putting asses in the seats is what this team needs IMO.

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sure but besides that

winning just enough to be entertaining and competitive but not enough to make the playoffs and getting into the lottery would be a good ending to this season IMHO

I see them as a 7th or 8th seed. The second half of the season should be exciting.

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.I just dont want them to be an 18 win team and lose casual fan support.

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no chance of that happening unless there are some catastrophic injuries

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Trading CP for expiring contracts would lock that down IMO

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CP3 would not be traded for expiring contracts. He is way too valuable for that. He would be traded for another high level (or at least emerging) player, and to DUMP a bad Hornets contract (or two).

DWest goes long before CP3 if they are still trying to pick up expiring contracts and dump salary. DWest is playing well and is expendable to the Hornets and desirable to some Eastern Conference teams.

I think the Knicks have to start piecing a team together to prepare for the LBJ courtship and the shrinking cap hurts them tremendously. They have 27mm in pledged money next season, LBJ in a max deal would be another 18mm or so (45mm). So if the cap is down to 62-63mm (a reasonable number) then they would only have 17-18mm in FA money to offer. They need to start looking at moving those expiring deals for quality players now.

So I look at DWest and he is a nice fit with a Lebron team but not much of a fit with a Dantoni team. But for argument's sake say the Hornets/Knicks make this trade:

DWest/Peja for Hughes/Mobley

the Mobley deal is an expiring insurance payout deal (Mobley is retired with a bad heart) and Hughes is expiring. That would give NOLA 22mm in salary relief off the books and not mess with their rotation of CP3/Collison/Thornton/MoPete

DWest would give the NYK a relatively cheap All Star scoring PF to work with David Lee. DWest's game also fits with Gallinari, he would provide insurance for the upcoming Al Harrington trade (which is expected to bring in a PG or a SG) and Peja's contract is a benefit to the Knicks because it gives them another expiring deal next season to further craft their team around Lebron.




imho CP3 would not be considered for a trade (and like you and LE have said, if at all) until next season and only then if the wheels come completely off and he starts complaining. Hornets will make some good inroads with CP3 long term with their next coaching hire after this season. Certainly CP3 will have a say in who they hire and that could go a long way towards keeping him happy during a rebuilding phase

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CP3 would not be traded for expiring contracts. He is way too valuable for that. He would be traded for another high level (or at least emerging) player, and to DUMP a bad Hornets contract (or two).

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I seem to remember you proposing a CP / West / Peja for Eddie House / Wallace / Scalabrine trade or some shite to that effect.