Okafor for Chandler deal in the works (per ESPN)

[timvp]

i think that team might be situated somewhere in the Portland, Dallas, Utah, and Denver group now, but still below SA and LA, who imo are a notch above the rest.

I say the Lakers are still on a tier with themselves. Okafor for Chandler would raise the Hornets onto the second tier with the Spurs, Mavs, Nuggets and Blazers.

Without the trade, the Hornets would remain on that third tier with the Suns and the Jazz.

[NIH]

LOL @ the Mavs homer.

[dirk4mvp]

3rd seed

[Findog]

3rd seed

Mavs were one of 8 teams left standing next year. Putting them in the top 5 in the West is hardly homerism. I might put Portland ahead of them, but Dallas is no worse than fifth in the West right now.

The Hornets, on the other hand, have little depth and hate their coach.

[mingus]

If Odom leaves for Miami, then the West is suddenly a lot more open. I don't think Artest > Odom AND Ariza.

Right now, assuming Odom comes back, I have it like this:

1. LA
2. San Antonio
3. Denver
4. Dallas
5. Portland
6. Utah

Then I have these teams battling it out for the last two spots: Houston, New Orleans, Phoenix

One year away, but wouldn't be surprised if they put it all together and made a playoff run: Warriors, Zombie Sonics

No chance to make the playoffs: Grizz, Clippers, Kings, Wolves,

my rankings:

1. La
2. SA

3. Denver
4. Portland
5. Dallas
6. Utah
7. New Orleans

8.???

3-7 is unstable. i think i might be rating Utah and NO a little high. they could be a step below Denver, Portland, and Dallas. ONTH, i can see them being pretty damn good. if Utah can stay healthy i think they can return to their '07-'08 form, and possibly better, assuming there's improvement from Millsap and Brewer. NO i can see returning to form and possibly better as well, esp. if they can shore up their reserve big spot.

[dirk4mvp]

Mavs were one of 8 teams left standing next year. Putting them in the top 5 in the West is hardly homerism. I might put Portland ahead of them, but Dallas is no worse than fifth in the West right now.

The Hornets, on the other hand, have little depth and hate their coach.

I agree.


I think Okafor is a nice addition but not enough for them to jump up to 3rd. But the guy calls someone else a homer. I wonder if Okafor would've helped them not get beat by 58 by the Nuggets.

[mingus]

I say the Lakers are still on a tier with themselves. Okafor for Chandler would raise the Hornets onto the second tier with the Spurs, Mavs, Nuggets and Blazers.

Without the trade, the Hornets would remain on that third tier with the Suns and the Jazz.

i'll agree do disagree. assuming Manu is healthy, i think the Spurs distinguish themselves from everyone else except LA. with or without Odom i still think LA is better than SA, but not enough to be on another level.

[Findog]

my rankings:

1. La
2. SA

3. Denver
4. Portland
5. Dallas
6. Utah
7. New Orleans

8.???

3-7 is unstable. i think i might be rating Utah and NO a little high. they could be a step below Denver, Portland, and Dallas. ONTH, i can posibly see them being pretty damn good. if Utah can stay healthy i think they can return to their '07-'08 form, and possibly better, assuming there's improvement from Millsap and Brewer. NO i can see returning to form and possibly better as well, esp. if they can shore up their reserve big spot.

I think the Mavs ended the season no worse than the fifth-best team in the West, and we added Marion/Gooden and lost Bass. I think Houston slides out and Phoenix probably takes their place as a playoff team. I actually think the top five teams are stable and then it's a game of musical chairs. I'm not sold on the Spurs as the clear-cut 2nd best team in the West. And if Odom leaves for Miami, the Lakers become a very fragile favorite.

[jack sommerset]

I'm surprise the Mavs are not going for either player.

[NIH]

I agree.


I think Okafor is a nice addition but not enough for them to jump up to 3rd. But the guy calls someone else a homer. I wonder if Okafor would've helped them not get beat by 58 by the Nuggets.

All you can do is hang on to one game. How about you hang on to this? Hornets are 9-4 vs. Dallas since 2007. CP3 owns Kidd in every sense of the word.

Ask yourself, what were the Hornets biggest problems last year?

Rebounding-Hornets were 26th, mostly b/c of Tyson's injuries. Okafor is a better rebounder than Tyson. Hilton's offseason training & a FA big should help. Problem solved.

Defending the paint-Again, this was due to the lack of a center. Okafor is a better defender & shotblocker than Tyson.

Depth-Hornets have solved this problem by adding the rookies & putting Peja on the bench.

CP3/Collison
Butler/Thornton/Mo
Wright/Peja/Posey
West/FA big
Okafor/Hilton

Lack of scoring off the bench-To solve this they drafted Collison & Thornton. Collison can set up everyone for shots, where Daniels couldn't, and Thornton can create his own. Peja will be our 6th man here. Not bad.

[Hornets1]

I agree.


I think Okafor is a nice addition but not enough for them to jump up to 3rd. But the guy calls someone else a homer. I wonder if Okafor would've helped them not get beat by 58 by the Nuggets.

Yet another informative post. You talk like your a nuggets fan w/ the 58-point loss in ONE GAME being your only, same tired excuse.
The west is still stacked, and outside of LA and SA, anything can happen. I'll say the mavs have the better roster, but they did last year as well and we still won 3 of those 4 games. As long as we have CP3, we will OWN the mavs. Just a matter of time before he records a quadruple-double vs. the Mavs

[Findog]

All you can do is hang on to one game. How about you hang on to this? Hornets are 9-4 vs. Dallas since 2007. CP3 owns Kidd in every sense of the word.

We're talking about seedings. And playoff teams don't lose by 58 at home unless they have some serious chemistry problems. The only reason Byron Scott doesn't get fired is because he's got guaranteed money coming to him while Shinn is s ing out for a new coach. I think CP3 is one of the top six players in the league, but he doesn't have enough help. Okafor helps solidify their status as a playoff team, but they'll be in a dogfight for a top-four seed.

[NIH]

It wasn't due to chemsity, our guys were worn out. We had no depth to end the season.

[KSeal]

It wasn't due to chemsity, our guys were worn out. We had no depth to end the season.

What a pathetic excuse to lose by 58 points at home, we were tired, give me a ing break.

[mingus]

58 was ridiculous, but not really enough to justify much of anything besides the fact that it was a pathetic performance by NO and a great one by Denver. by the time the lead reached 30, the game was over, and everything that happened after that is moot. Spurs have lost by 30 a couple times over the years and gone on to do special things.

[Hornets1]

We're talking about seedings. And playoff teams don't lose by 58 at home unless they have some serious chemistry problems. The only reason Byron Scott doesn't get fired is because he's got guaranteed money coming to him while Shinn is s ing out for a new coach. I think CP3 is one of the top six players in the league, but he doesn't have enough help. Okafor helps solidify their status as a playoff team, but they'll be in a dogfight for a top-four seed.

I 2nd this

[KSeal]

58 was ridiculous, but not really enough to justify much of anything besides the fact that it was a pathetic performance by NO and a great one by Denver. by the time the lead reached 30, the game was over, and everything that happened after that is moot. Spurs have lost by 30 a couple times over the years and gone on to do special things.

It is one thing to lose by 20 or 30 points on the road, but at home by 58. That's just unbelievable.

[mingus]

It is one thing to lose by 20 or 30 points on the road, but at home by 58. That's just unbelievable.

Denver continued to play hard even when the game was way out of reach. usually the other team stops trying to shove it down the other team throat, but Goerge Karl, being the asshole that he is, was still allowing J.R. Smith to take 30-foot threes early on in the shot clock in the closing minutes of the game

[NIH]

J.R had plenty of incentive to stick it to us.

[Dunc n Dave]

Got damn that would be a great deal for the Hornets. Chandler is broken.

Exactly, Chandler is injury prone. And Okafor isn't as much. Advantage:Hornets

[KSeal]

Denver continued to play hard even when the game was way out of reach. usually the other team stops trying to shove it down the other team throat, but Goerge Karl, being the asshole that he is, was still allowing J.R. Smith to take 30-foot threes early on in the shot clock in the closing minutes of the game

Are you really trying to defend a team that lost by 58 points at home in a crucial playoff game?

The Hornets clearly have a lot of team issues, they straight quit, no other way around it.

[NIH]

If they had quit, why were they tied at halftime(or close to it) in game 5? Why did they win game 3?

[Hornets1]

Are you really trying to defend a team that lost by 58 points at home in a crucial playoff game?

The Hornets clearly have a lot of team issues, they straight quit, no other way around it.

They were down 39 after 3 which is P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C! But the lead went from 39 to 58 in the 4th when the starters didn't see the court, and denver continued jacking up 3s, and making most of em.

[mingus]

Are you really trying to defend a team that lost by 58 points at home in a crucial playoff game?

The Hornets clearly have a lot of team issues, they straight quit, no other way around it.

i already stated that NO played a pathetic game. i'm not defending them. but i'm not defending George Karl either for allowing his team to shoot (literally) for some stupid record. Karl, BTW, has a history of doing this.

[loveforthegame]

This is a great deal for the Hornets. Not sure what the the Bobcats were thinking though.