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During the offseason, the Hornets are looking for a few good backups. Coach Byron Scott said he still has faith in his bench, but one way or another it has got to improve before next season.
With the starting five under contract and seemingly intact, any upgrade in personnel will happen on the bench.
"It's hard to say (how many newcomers will make the team)," Scott said. "We've got the draft and free agency to go. It could be one, or three, or five. I just don't really know right now."
Scott knows his bench has to improve and be more consistent so he can reduce his starters' minutes. He's hopeful that some of that improvement will come from young players such as center Hilton Armstrong and swingman Julian Wright getting better.
Two elements of the Hornets' rebuilding of the bench are pretty much out of their control. Guard Jannero Pargo, their leading scorer off the bench, and center Melvyn Ely, who alternated with Armstrong as the top backup to Tyson Chandler, can both opt out of their contracts July 1 and explore other opportunities.
If Ely returns, that could squeeze center Chris Andersen out of the picture. If Ely leaves, Andersen, an unrestricted free agent, has a better chance of returning. Pargo's departure would greatly increase the need to add scoring to the mix.
However it shakes out, Scott wants to be able to trust his second unit with no more than one starter on the floor to start the second quarters of games and not have to rush other starters back into the game. He wants as much of the improvement to come from within as possible, but he knows some of it has to come from without.
"We need a couple of additional pieces," he said. "I don't think we need a major overhaul. Some of our guys are young and I told them what they need to work on over the summer. One of the things I hope to accomplish next season is to play our starters fewer minutes during the regular season and have them fresher for the playoffs."
With the 27th pick in the draft and most of their room under the salary cap reserved for signing All-Star point guard Chris Paul to a long-term extension, the Hornets have little margin for error as they select the new pieces for the bench.
SEASON HIGHLIGHT: The Hornets won six of their first seven playoff games against perennial Western Conference powerhouses Dallas and San Antonio. After beating the Mavericks, 4-1, they won the first two games against the Spurs at home. Though they lost four of the next five, ending their season, the Hornets, playing together in the playoffs for the first time, showed they could handle the pressure and intensity of the playoffs. The experience of going 7-5 in the postseason should prove to be a valuable asset should they earn a similar opportunity next season.
TURNING POINT: After a 29-point thrashing at the hands of the Lakers in early January, the Hornets won 13 of their next 16 games, including a benchmark, 132-130, double-overtime victory at Phoenix, to take the best record in the Western Conference into the All-Star Break. That accomplishment put the Hornets on the national radar and bolstered their confidence, which only grew during a successful All-Star Weekend in New Orleans and afterward.
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MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Point guard Chris Paul was runner-up in the MVP voting after averaging 21 points, 11 assists and 2.7 steals. His numbers went up in the postseason, but none of the numbers, regular season or post season, measured how much his will and determination elevated his team to unexpected heights.
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Second-year center Hilton Armstrong, a former No. 1 draft choice, did not develop into the consistent backup to Tyson Chandler that the Hornets had envisioned. He remained inconsistent offensively, outmanned defensively, and extremely foul prone. He periodically vanished from the rotation despite the lack of any better alternative behind Chandler. BIGGEST NEEDS: The Hornets will be looking for a dependable backup to center Tyson Chandler and a backup big guard. It would also help if they could find a perimeter player who can penetrate.
BIGGEST NEEDS: The Hornets will be looking for a dependable backup to center Tyson Chandler and a backup point guard. It would also help if they could find a perimeter player who can penetrate.
FREE AGENT FOCUS: Three reserves -- G/F Bonzi Wells, C Chris Andersen, and F Ryan Bowen -- will become free agents July 1. Reserve G Jannero Pargo and reserve C Melvin Ely can each opt out of the final year of their deals by July 1.
PLAYER NOTES:
--Hornets point guard Chris Paul is waiting to see if he'll be selected for the U.S. Olympic team after it was decided there won't be tryouts for the team, but the 12-man roster will be announced later this month. Paul, who played on Team USA in 2006, had planned to report to Las Vegas for the Team USA camp that was to begin June 30. Paul has often said that playing for Team USA is very important to him, "but I got to make it first."
Hornets coach Byron Scott thinks Paul's selection should be an obvious one.
"You talk to people around the league and everybody says he's the best point guard in the league," Scott said. "How can you put together a team and not include the best point guard? Besides, I don't see how you can leave out a guy that was runner-up to the MVP."
--Reserve G Mike James, who played sporadically after being acquired in a trade with Houston in February, could become a bigger part of the Hornets' plans if Jannero Pargo leaves via free agency. Coach Byron Scott likes to utilize three point guards, and Pargo's departure would leave the Hornets looking to add one to starter Chris Paul and James.
--Reserve swingman Rasual Butler became the Hornets' forgotten man late in the season. He didn't play in the playoffs and was inactive much of the second half of the season after being in the rotation when the season began. He started eight games early in the season but didn't play in a game after March 3. Butler has two years remaining on his contract and coach Byron Scott has told him he needs to improve his ball handling and ability to create shots for himself. If he does that, he could find himself competing for minutes once again.
