New Orleans Hornets

Last off-season, Al-Farouq Aminu was given the chance to seize the starting shooting forward slot in the Hornets lineup. How well did he perform according to expectation? Positives: A 26.2% defensive rebound rate set the bar for shooting forwards in the NBA. Among all forwards, including players like Kevin Love, Kevin Garnett and David Lee, he had the 26th highest rate since the turn of the millennium! He improved his shot selection by taking roughly 25% more of his shots at the rim, and in turn, enjoyed a jump in his field goal percentage (41.1% -> 47.5%) and offensive efficiency differential. Lastly, for fans of advanced stats, compared to the season prior, Aminu's WP48 rose by .109 and he added 5.2 wins produced. Negatives: Aminu remains a terrible jumpshooter, 32.3% on 2's outside the rim area and 21.1% from behind the arc. He has one of the worst turnover ratio's in the league for shooting forwards, mainly due to the fact he'd rather dribble into traffic or attempt a difficult pass rather than shoot the jumper. My Grade (1 to 5): 4. Explanation: Despite the occasional playing time hiccups, Aminu emerged as one of the Hornets most important players. His best skill, rebounding, became dominant and meshed exceeding well on a team with a below average defensive rebounding center. Further, on a team loaded with jumpshooting bigs, Aminu's ability to cut into lanes and play above the rim proved necessary. His defense was capable, but at times, game changing. Lastly, it cannot be forgotten, he was just 22 years of age and still learning the nuances at SF, although his skillset screams PF. Poll How well did Al-Farouq Aminu fulfill his role in 2012-13? 1 2 3 4 5 2 votes | Results

Per John Reid, the Pelicans won't be working out any possible draft prospects until June. The people that he notes as possibilities to be drafted include Trey Burke, Alex Len, Shabazz Muhammad, and Dario Saric. I suspect that Shabazz was put on there because he's a big name, and I'm wondering if the Pelicans front office happens to be a big fan of Dario Saric. CelticsBlog recaps the weird rumors about a trade involving Paul Pierce, Avery Bradley, and Eric Gordon. Jimmy Smith pushes back against these rumors pretty hard, saying that the Pelicans front office isn't shopping Gordon at all, something I'm inclined to believe. I doubt that Gordon has much trade value right now. Another John Reid article - this one about the impact of the draft on Brian Roberts's future with the Hornets. The implication of the article is that if the Hornets go with a guard, Roberts won't be retained, which I think would be a shame. Cool story about Trey Burke's workouts heading up to the draft. Odd detail: apparently he plays P-I-M-P instead of H-O-R-S-E. Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis will be attending Team USA's mini-camp in late July in Las Vegas. Finally, Pelicans in St. Petersburg have apparently become very dependent on a pier that will soon be closed.

Tuesday’s trip to New York City for the NBA draft lottery proved to be quite eventful. Pelicans.com writer Jim Eichenhofer was there to chronicle some of what took place over a 15-hour period in the Big Apple.

Pelicans.com continues its offseason updates by profiling Brian Roberts, a surprise success story who debuted in the NBA in 2012-13, after playing overseas.

Per El Universal, a Venezuelan paper based out of Caracas, Greivis Vasquez is scheduled for minor surgery on both his ankles tomorrow. According to the report, Vasquez experienced some discomfort during the tail end of the season, and the procedure will remove loose particles from his ankles. The surgery will take place in Los Angeles, and the paper also reports that there's a 12-16 week recovery period on the table, putting Vasquez's participation in the FIBA Americas Championship in August in question. Quoth Vasquez: "I played with pain during the final weeks of the regular season. I understand that this is the right decision. [I] need to focus on my rehabilitation and return healthy. Hopefully be able to play in the FIBA Americas Championship FIBA although I know that will be determined by how [developed] my recovery." 2013-2014 is the last remaining year on Vasquez's current deal; he's slated to earn a tad over $2M.

Not too surprising a headline, that. Pro Basketball Draft suggests that's the direction Orlando might go with the second pick. While the team's current best player, Arron Afflalo, does play the off-guard, he could theoretically be moved over to small forward if the Magic elect to go with Ben McLemore. Trey Burke hasn't ranked near the top of mock drafts or overall big boards as frequently as McLemore, and so there'll be questions about whether Orlando feels comfortable taking him so high. Nonetheless, it'd make sense for them to address the backcourt in some capacity here, assuming Nerlens Noel is gone with the first pick. If they take Burke, Washington would appear likely to pass on McLemore as well, having drafted Bradley Beal with the third pick just a year ago. That'd leave McLemore to Charlotte presumably at #4, with two of Anthony Bennett, Victor Oladipo, and Otto Porter making it to Phoenix and New Orleans depending on who the Wizards select. On the other hand, if Orlando takes McLemore, Burke could slide a bit further down. Washington already has John Wall, and Kemba Walker came into his own for the Bobcats in 2012. Meanwhile, Goran Dragic has rattled off back-to-back great seasons, is ostensibly in the prime of his career at age 27, and signed a 4 year, $32M deal with the Suns last summer. We can't take either Charlotte or Phoenix passing on Burke as a sure thing, but Orlando selecting McLemore over Burke could plausibly create a very positive ripple effect for New Orleans.

Multiple reports from Venezuela indicate that New Orleans Pelicans point guard Greivis Vasquez will undergo a cleanup procedure on both ankles in the coming days. Loose material in his ankles bothered the guard as the season neared its close. One report says the recovery period is 12 to 16 weeks. Greivis Vásquez se operará mañana de sus dos tobillos, con el fin de removerle partículas sueltas en ambas zonas; el período de recuperación está considerado entre 12 a 16 semanas, por lo que el armador y capitán de Venezuela pudiera ausentarse para el Premundial que se efectuará en Caracas del 30 de agosto al 11 de septiembre próximo. This is news in Venezuela because this may affect his participation on the national team in FIBA play from August 30 through September 11. Vasquez had ankle injuries late this season and has had surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle just after he was drafted. His recovery time then is in line with that expected for this surgery. Vasquez is expected to have the surgery in the US, then travel to Venezuela at some point in his recovery. If the timeline holds, he’ll be ready for NBA training camp. The New Orleans Pelicans have yet to confirm this report, but we’ll keep you posted.

With the outcome of the draft lottery decided last night, Otto Porter seems very unlikely to end up in a Pelican jersey. Now, asides the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Washington Wizards are reported to be very interested in selecting the Hoya on June 27, 2013. Consequently, let's shift our attention today to Victor Oladipo. Bio Oladipo attended the highly regarded DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. Since it was a powerhouse, with many players going on to play for the college elite, Oladipo didn't become a starter until his senior year. In that final season, he averaged 11.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.6 blocks a game. Not surprisingly, he was rated rather low among high school shooting guards: 41st by Rivals, 39th by Scout and 53rd by ESPN. Regardless, due to his impressive motor and athleticism, he was still recruited by several notable schools including Notre Dame, Indiana and Xavier. Eventually, Indiana's persistence won out as Tom Crean saw a player he had to have on his roster: "When you coach a guy like Dwyane Wade, you're always looking for the next one, and you realize, they're not really out there, so you're out there looking for some of the same traits,'' Crean said of Oladipo earlier this year. "We saw that talent, that upside, the athleticism, how humble he is and how undervalued. There wasn't a doubt in our mind he was going to be a key recruit.'' Stats Victor Oladipo's first two years at Indiana were borderline mediocre and didn't scream - NBA prospect. In his sophomore campaign, he averaged 10.8 PPG, 5.3 REB, 2.0 AST. 1.3 STL, 0.6 BLK and 2.1 TOV. Both his PER (20.5) and TS% (.546) actually slipped from his freshman season. For whatever reason, besides FT%, his shooting efficiency dropped significantly, down 7% from 2 point range (52.3%) and a whole 10% from 3 point range (20.8%). However, many things came together for him in his junior season, where he averaged 13.6 PPG, 6.3 REB, 2.1 AST, 2.2 STL, 0.8 BLK and 2.3 TOV. His PER and TS% skyrocketed to 28.9 and .648 respectively. His 2FG% jumped to 64.4% and 3FG% to 44.1%. Skills Prototypical SG. Oladipo measures to be 6'4'', but more importantly, has a wing span of 6'9'' and weighs 213 pounds. Athleticism. At the NBA combine, Oladipo recorded an excellent vertical leap (33 inches) and a maximum vertical (42.5 inches). Additionally he fared very well on the agility tests, besting highly touted Ben McLemore. Lastly, he reportedly can benchpress 185 pounds 15 times. Defensive abilities. In his final year of college ball, Oladipo posted a 86.9 Defensive Rating, which were buoyed by his strong per 40 minutes rates in steals (3.1) and blocks (1.1). Intangibles. Many observers have credited Oladipo with an excellent motor and work ethic. Winning is a priority - back in high school, he agreed to come off the bench during his junior season. Overall Victor Oladipo, winner of the Sporting News Player of the Year and the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, is one of the top talents in the upcoming NBA draft. However, there remain several concerns that demonstrate, offensively, he isn't nearly as polished as say Otto Porter or Trey Burke. First, many wonder whether his efficient production is sustainable. It's already been mentioned above the dramatic improvement he displayed from his sophomore to junior season. However, few fail to take into account a decline in many of his numbers through the course of his breakout season, when the schedule usually strengthens: Split Value G MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS Month November 7 179 33 51 .647 4 13 .308 15 25 .600 14 21 35 10 15 3 12 19 85 December 7 194 41 59 .695 6 9 .667 17 22 .773 18 30 48 21 19 8 20 13 105 January 7 206 36 58 .621 8 12 .667 24 31 .774 23 19 42 18 18 5 16 21 104 February 7 203 35 61 .574 6 16 .375 25 30 .833 13 28 41 13 12 6 12

Mock Drafting this time of year is incredibly popular. The NBA Combine has concluded and now the exact order of the lottery has been determined. For those of you possibly living under a rock, luck was not in the Pelicans' favor. The first pick of the New Orleans Pelicans era will be the 6th selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, to be held at the Barclays Center on June 27th. Time, in the case of the numerous sports reporters, is of the essence. I have quickly created a table of nine different mock drafts. Later someone can add Chad Ford's if they would like below. Cleveland Cavaliers Orlando Magic Washington Wizards Charlotte Bobcats Phoenix Suns New Orleans Pelicans Draft Express Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Otto Porter Alex Len Jeff Goodman - CBS Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Anthony Bennett Alex Len Victor Oladipo Trey Burke Matt Moore - CBS Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Trey Burke Chris Mannix - SI Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke Steve Kyler - Hoopsworld Otto Porter Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke WalterFootball.com Otto Porter Nerlens Noel Anthony Bennett Ben McLemore Victor Oladipo Trey Burke NBADraft.net Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke NBA.com Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke Jonathan Tjarks - SBNation Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Anthony Bennett Alex Len Trey Burke Draft Express CBS Sports Sports Illustrated Hoopsworld Walter Football NBADraft.net NBA.com SB Nation It is overwhelmingly obvious that the most agreed upon selection is Trey Burke to New Orleans. More so even than Cleveland's #1 overall pick. I personally have a difficult time seeing any team ahead of the Pelicans selecting Alex Len, but Anthony Bennett seems more realistic. Note that in every single scenario Trey Burke is available, Draft Express has the Pelicans passing on Burke for Alex Len. No thank you. Something about seven footers with broken feet or ankles scares me off. Thanks to all these mock drafts I am becoming significantly more confident in the upcoming draft. The only potential damper would be if the Pelicans wasted a lottery pick last year on a potential point guard and have become to emotionally invested too cut bait. Oh... Mock Drafting this time of year is incredibly popular. The NBA Combine has concluded and now the exact order of the lottery has been determined. For those of you possibly living under a rock, luck was not in the Pelicans' favor. The first pick of the New Orleans Pelicans era will be the 6th selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, to be held at the Barclays Center on June 27th. Time, in the case of the numerous sports reporters, is of the essence. I have quickly created a table of nine different mock drafts. Later someone can add Chad Ford's if they would like below. Cleveland Cavaliers Orlando Magic Washington Wizards Charlotte Bobcats Phoenix Suns New Orleans Pelicans Draft Express Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Otto Porter Alex Len Jeff Goodman - CBS Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Anthony Bennett Alex Len Victor Oladipo Trey Burke Matt Moore - CBS Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Trey Burke Chris Mannix - SI Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke Steve Kyler - Hoopsworld Otto Porter Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke WalterFootball.com Otto Porter Nerlens Noel Anthony Bennett Ben McLemore Victor Oladipo Trey Burke NBADraft.net Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke NBA.com Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Victor Oladipo A

Less than 24 hours after the NBA draft lottery, various websites have released mock drafts. The sites appear to be split evenly on which player the New Orleans Pelicans might select with the sixth overall pick.