New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul was carried off the court on a stretcher after a nasty collision.
Paul was going for a loose ball in the third quarter when his forehead hit an opponent in the shoulder.
The point guard immediately crumbled to the ground and laid there until he was taken off on a stretch.
He was taken to a hospital where he was given tests and then later rejoined his team for their flight to Chicago. ( Read More…)
The New Orleans Hornets have traded guard Marcus Thornton to the Sacramento Kings for forward Carl Landry.
The Hornets can some important depth in the frontcourt from Landry, who over 11 points and four rebounds per game.
However, the trade sends away a former LSU star who was very popular playing in the city where he played in college.
Thornton had the ability to put points on the board in a hurry, which was important on a team that doesn’t have a lot of big-time scorers. ( Read More…)
NBA commissioner David Stern said that some of the league’s owners want to contract the New Orleans Hornets.
Stern said that, although many owners may feel that way, the goal is to find a local buyer for the Hornets and keep them in New Orleans.
He went on to add that there is no shortage of buyers who want to purchase the team and move them to another city.
The league actually currently owns the team after purchasing them after it became apparent that the owner was no longer going to sink money into the Hornets. ( Read More…)
The New Orleans Hornets will remain in the city after meeting attendance benchmarks to assure that will happen.
The city is hopeful that fans and local businesses will do their part in future years to avoid going through this process on an annual basis.
The team has seen a spike in ticket sales of late, including a sellout against the San Antonio Spurs.
Of course, it’s also helped that the Saints season has come to an end and the Hornets are riding an eight-game winning streak. ( Read More…)
The clause that would allow the New Orleans Hornets to terminate their lease might not come into play.
The Hornets need to average just 15,000 fans for their remaining home games to keep the clause from kicking in.
A number of businesses in the New Orleans area have kicked in money for tickets to help keep the team in the city.
However, you have to wonder about the longevity of the team in New Orleans and if these businesses will be willing to contribute every year. ( Read More…)
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson said he is concerned about the NBA taking over the New Orleans Hornets.
Jackson said he does not believe the Hornets will be able to remain in New Orleans given the financial situation.
The head coach make it clear that the situation in New Orleans was unfortunate, but a decision needs to be made at some point.
He has concerns over who will in charge of making decisions about players, such as Chris Paul demanding a trade. ( Read More…)
The NBA will buy the New Orleans Hornets and take control of the organizational until a private buyer can be identified.
A recent potential deal fell through, and the team’s current owner does not believe he has the time or resources to devote to the Hornets and his private businesses.
The NBA has made assurances that they have plans to sell to an investor who will keep the team in New Orleans.
This is similar to a move made by the MLB when they purchased the Montreal Expos, and they later moved to Washington. ( Read More…)
The New Orleans Hornets improved to 8-0 on the season after crusing past the visiting Portland Trailblazers, 107-87.
Ironically, star point guard Chris Paul spent much of the offseason angry about the team’s lack of moves and demanding that he be traded.
The two sides eventually worked things out, or at least that’s the way it came across to the media, but it was obvious that Paul still wasn’t encouraged by the team’s direction.
However, new head coach Monty Williams has taken last year’s team and created a vastly improved version by teaching them to play better defense. ( Read More…)
The New Orleans Hornets have acquired forward Trevor Ariza from the Houston Rockets in a four-team trade.
The Rockets liked Ariza but traded for shooting guard Kevin Martin last year, causing salary cap issues.
I’m not sure if this is the type of move that is expected to show point guard Chris Paul that the Hornets are dedicated to winning.
Ariza is a fine player who will certainly help, but the team had to give up point guard Darren Collison to acquire him. ( Read More…)
New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul has backed off trade demands after meeting with the team brass.
Paul said he had a positive conversation about the team’s future and believes they are headed in the right direction.
He said that he has spent a lot of time with the organization and hopes to remain in New Orleans for many years to come.
That’s all great, but it’s hard to believe that everything is suddenly wonderful after that little meeting. ( Read More…)
