How the Hornets Should Fill Out their Roster
The Hornets currently have 11 players on their roster, 12 if they sign rookie second round pick, Darius Miller. He would be a great fit on the roster as he has championship pedigree and is very familiar with prized rookie and franchise player Anthony Davis and plays at small forward, where they do not have great long-term stability overall. The team could drop to 10 players if they waive Lance Thomas and his non-guaranteed $762,195 contract, but this would be very foolish as he is a very useful young player who plays hard and makes the minimum. So if the team signs Miller and keeps Thomas, the Hornets would have 12 of their 15 roster spots filled out. Most teams keep 13-14 in case a player gets waived from another team who they wish to sign, or are getting ready for a trade. Assuming the team decides to go with 13 or 14 players, that only leaves 1 or 2 slots left, but the team still has three dire needs that must be filled.
1. One More Point Guard
The team as is, only has one real point guard and that is Greivis Vasquez. They are hoping to put rookie Austin Rivers at point guard at times, but he looks unready and they would be wise to have another floor leader on the roster. In fact, the team could use an upgrade over Vasquez, who is solid, but is more of a fit on the bench. With such a young team and with a core of Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon, the Hornets need someone who can get them the ball consistently, which is not Vasquez’s specialty, as he would be better used as a sparkplug off of their bench. There are not many point guards out there in free agency or available through trade, but whether they are looking for a starter or simply a backup, another point guard is desperately needed.
Possibilities: Derek Fisher (UFA), Jose Calderon (Trade)
Best Idea:
New Orleans Hornets trade F Al Farouq Aminu and F Hakim Warrick to
Toronto Raptors for PG Jose Calderon
Why?: Calderon is simply the only starting caliber point guard who is currently available and after the Raptors acquired Kyle Lowry from Houston, Calderon and the Raptors have both been searching for a trade. A great young prospect and a possible expiring contract, should be enough for the Hornets to grab the point guard they need. Calderon is one of the best passers in the league and is a very good shooter, but most importantly, Calderon is a pass first point guard and an efficient one at that. He was near the top of the NBA in assist to turnover ratio last season. He would not take shots away from their young scorers and he would get them the ball in the best place for them to succeed. A starting lineup with Calderon, Gordon, Anderson and Davis, could be a playoff team in the Western Conference.
2. A Tough and Bruising Backup Center
The Hornets only have one real center and that is newly acquired, Robin Lopez, who is a more than capable starting center. Although Anthony Davis could play center, it would not be wise to play him a position where he could take a beating and where he would not be as effective. Jason Smith could play center as he is a 7-feet tall, but he is relatively soft and is at his best outside of the paint. They need a tough backup who will be a bruiser and will be willing to do all of the many little things it takes for a team to win. Quite simply, they need a great backup five.
Possibilities: Erick Dampier (UFA), Tony Battie (UFA), Chris Anderson (UFA), Ben Wallace (UFA), Juwan Howard (UFA), Kyrylo Fesenko (UFA), Anthony Tolliver (UFA), Kyrylo Fesenko (UFA)
Best Idea: Kyrylo Fesenko
Why?:
Fesenko may be un-athletic and not particularly skilled, but he is huge at over 7 feet tall, a plus rebounder and one of the better man-to-man post defenders in the NBA. He is basically so massive that he clogs the paint. He may never be a starter, but he could give the team the 10 minutes per game they need out of the backup five.
3. A Strong Veteran Leader
Roger Mason is the only true veteran on the team and although he has shown great leadership signs in the past, they would be wise to get at least one more strong veteran in the locker room. With such a young team, they need all the guidance possible and all the veterans they can sign. With limited roster spots left, hopefully the added center or point guard could bring that to the team.
Possibilities: Derek Fisher (UFA), Tony Battie (UFA)
Best Idea: Derek Fisher
Why?:
When it comes to leadership, no player left in free agency can come close to matching his value in the locker room. If the team were unable to trade for Calderon, Fisher could come in and become the team’s backup point guard and a coach on the floor. He would make a huge difference
for the team. Tony Battie would also be a solid choice in the leadership department, but his time making any difference on the floor is over.
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