Welcome to the inaugural edition of eDraft’s NBA Season Preview. We turn our attention to the Southwest Division, covering everyone from the pretenders to the contenders. Today we take a look at the Hornets. They drafted a star this summer, but do they have the talent to reach the playoffs?
Key additions: Ryan Anderson (F), , Robin Lopez
(C), Roger Mason (G), Anthony Davis (1st overall, F), Austin Rivers (10th overall, G)
Last season the Hornets posted a dreadful winning percentage of .318, bad enough to secure the first overall pick in the draft. In this young season the have a percentage of .313 after 16 games played. But as so often is the case, the numbers fail to tell the whole story, or just how much the team has improved. This club will not make the playoffs this season, but it is not altogether inconceivable that they could be playing for the championship in just a few short years. Indeed, the next decade should belong to Anthony Davis (16PPG-8.3RPG-2.2BLKPG-26.36PER), and the city of New Orleans will have much to celebrate.
As a culture we may be too quick to apply terms like revolutionary, transformational, and paradigm shifting, but in the case of Davis these labels seem apt. The 6’10” forward’s key attribute is that he is extraordinarily versatile; Davis has the ability to play all three front court positions. Already an elite shot blocker, perhaps the best in the league, Davis is also a very strong rebounder due to his lightning quick jumping ability. Up until a few years ago, and before his rapid growth spurt, Davis played guard, a fact that is evident in the grace and fluidity of his game. He is a capable ball handler, is fast enough to put the ball on the floor and beat his defender, and once he develops a jump shot should be unstoppable. There has never been a big man who moves quite as fast as Davis, and what we see now, as impressive as it is, represents only a hint of what’s to come. If Davis spends the next few summers working on his post game (indeed he should pay a visit to Hakeem Olajuwon’s’ camp for big men) multiple MVP awards should be his for the taking.
What’s more is that unlike many talented players who find themselves forever stranded on lottery bound clubs, Davis is surrounded by many talented players. Chief among them is the young and powerfully built shooting guard Eric Gordon (20.6ppg-3.4apg-19.23 per), who in my eyes ranks in the top three at his position. When he is healthy, Gordon can light up the scoreboard quicker than almost anyone in the league. He is fast enough to beat even very capable defenders and has developed a respectable 15-foot shot. His three point shooting percentages have declined every year, but he is still a career 37% shooter from downtown. Gordon can easily post-up less physical defenders and is adept at getting to the teeth of the defense and drawing fouls in the lane.
Gordon’s primary problems have been injury related, and the team hopes healthy days are ahead for this emerging star, but if bad luck should strike Gordon once again, the Hornets feel good about the prospects of his insurance policy: rookie guard Austin Rivers. The former Duke player and son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers has seen his stock fall somewhat after a slightly disappointing freshman season at Duke (though he did lead the team in scoring) and shaky summer league play, but team management loves his talent and above all his confidence. Rivers’ game needs lots of polishing; his decision making has at times been poor, he doesn’t shoot well (28% FG), and the team would be wise to use him more in the two-guard spot rather than at point, but his talent is obvious. Monty Williams is one of the best coaches in the NBA and is the right man to teach the rookie the game; let’s hope that Rivers is open to learning.
Ryan Anderson, the deep shooting forward, and former Wake Forest standout Al-Faroup Aminu round out the frontcourt; both players should take pressure off of Davis. Anderson (18.3PPG-8RPG-21.87PER) is a stretch four who is hitting 42% of his three pointers this season (and he takes more than seven attempts a game!), and is a much better rebounder than most other players who spend the bulk of their time behind the arc. Aminu (9.8PPG-7.4RPG-13PER) is also strong on the glass and has developed a very good game around the rim; if the Hornets let him walk in the offseason they will be making a mistake, as role players like Aminu don’t come around often. Still, the Hornets will have plenty of cap space at the conclusion of the season and are thinking bigger than Aminu. Marquee names like Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, and Andrew Bynum should all, once again, be shopping for new teams this summer and New Orleans will be offering piles of money and a very strong case for why they are the team of the future.
Reason for optimism: Robin Lopez (12PPG-5.5RPG-2.1BLKPG-20.32PER) looks excellent so far. He has a knack for scoring and he is getting better on the defensive end. He still can’t rebound, but he’s improving in this category as well.
Reason for despair: Like most bad clubs this team lacks depth. There are seven quality NBA players on this roster, the Hornets have to hope their principals stay healthy this season. Look for Williams to rest Davis often as the season wears on, as his long term health is paramount.
Projected record: 19-63