New Orleans Hornets 2009-10 Media Day

[NickMalone77]

Sometimes the toughest thing is coming up with a sentence to one of these things. That's not to say my team didn't have a boat load of cap and basically rebuilt the team again overnight, it's just the way to be creative is to take the road often less traveled. We had a tremendous season last year and came this close to another NBA finals, if not for those pesky Bucks... We made some tough decisions and came to a few realizations as well in what we were willing to pay and what we weren't. More on that in a little bit but we did happen to keep our most important player that made sure he would be the foundation piece that identified most with our organization.

Thanks to the Antawn Jamison trade, we had a boatload of cap to spend on during free agency. That one move while we paid a lot in terms of our future in the talent of Nikola Pekovich and a future first, the 37 million would be crucial to how we constructed this team going forward. We ultimate struck out during RFA but the moves we did make and didn't helped to open up the floor for UFA. We attempted a lot to pair Randolph up with another key piece but we struck out as well outside of securing ZBo long term. Round 2 brought us some luck with signing flexible veterans like Jason Richardson and Familar face, Andrei Kirilenko to short long term deals to help out on the wings but free agency couldn't bring us any answers to finding a long term point guard or center. That's where a key trade came into place.

We contacted our friends in Miami and found similar interests. We both enjoyed pro wrestling and we both had a love for changing team identities. For years, we scrambled to find not just a capable point guard but a true leader with a championship resume. Baron Davis is still a top 5 point guard in the game and honestly has the speed and passing ability that this team hasn't seen since the days of David Wesley/Mookie Blaylock. We paid a big price to acquire Baron by dealing away Andre Iguodala and Mike Dunleavy. We were disappointed that Iggy could never truly transition to lead the team as a point forward. Davis will now have the ear of the locker room and our hope is that Davis and ZBo can be a terrorizing force both offensively and defensively that could give this team a new dynamic of exciting basketball amongst the explosive battlefield that is the Eastern conference.

Now we still have some holes to address that will hopefully come around Day 60 especially at the Center position but we are hopeful that this team can gel quickly and compete amongst the best in our division and conference.

[Xist2Inspire]

Random Reporter Where do you see yourself in the Central division picture? Are you aiming for that elusive division title once more, or is this more of a retooling season?

[NickMalone77]

Random Reporter Where do you see yourself in the Central division picture? Are you aiming for that elusive division title once more, or is this more of a retooling season?

The goal is always to be the best at the division. The competition in the Central division I think has always been difficult whether the Hawks or Bucks have been at the mountain top. The Pacers and Raptors have always been a tough challenge as well. The Cavs have a great mix of young talent with Gasol and CP3 and the Bulls while ownerless are still a team with a lot of interesting variables.

I think we are most certainly a playoff team but in order to win the division, we will need a few more key ingredients at the top that can qualify us for that position. We have great aspirations for ZBo and Davis and we will see what happens from their.

[fearthebrow]

Random Dallas reporter:

You couldn't have done a much better job upgrading the point guard position this offseason. What other positions are you interested in upgrading this season?

[NickMalone77]

Random Dallas reporter:

You couldn't have done a much better job upgrading the point guard position this offseason. What other positions are you interested in upgrading this season?

I'd say probably the hardest positions to find whether it be by drafting or trades or FA is either at the 1 or 5. That's not to say that positions 2-4 aren't great by any means because there are plenty of wonderful players at those positions, ZBo included, but the most focal point of any game is to score, rebound, and defend. While the game evolves and changes over time, the point guard spot to run the offense and direct players on the court is crucial to success. We have our guy with a championship background in Baron Davis and the next step will be to improve at the 5 and find a running mate that can properly provide space in the paint for ZBo at the Center position if there is such a solution out there. We always have our phones open. Then we will address the wings at another time.

But yes, finding the next 5 is our most important goal.

[Bowtothebill23]

You mention trying to acquire a 5. However, next season, you're already likely out of max contract range, and that's with only 4-5 players on the roster. Additionally, due to the Baron and Jamison trades, you have no young assets or first round picks able to trade. How do you think you'll be able to upgrade your team from what it is now? Or do you think that it doesn't need to be upgraded?

[NickMalone77]

You mention trying to acquire a 5. However, next season, you're already likely out of max contract range, and that's with only 4-5 players on the roster. Additionally, due to the Baron and Jamison trades, you have no young assets or first round picks able to trade. How do you think you'll be able to upgrade your team from what it is now? Or do you think that it doesn't need to be upgraded?

There's always that one team that's looking to deal away expiring or vet contracts around Day 60. There's plenty of teams this year that are looking to reshuffle towards the draft also or just in general avoid the tax man. I still have my 2010 and 2012 first round picks. We will see what options are around. I always try to make a deal where the benefits fit both sides.

[RPF]

How hard was the decision to trade away Iggy?

[WigNosy]

We hear that the Hornets worked out Gugliotta in the offseason but didn't decide to sign him. Given his historical significance, will there be a front office role for him when he hangs up the sneakers?

[NickMalone77]

How hard was the decision to trade away Iggy?

When we originally made the decision to acquire Iggy, he had to be apart of the deal to ever make us consider to part with Battier. Seeing his involvement in our team locker room the last few years was something special. He and ZBo were like best friends. But we had to be realistic. This is a business and given his injury history and maybe trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Iggy while he's still a great talent has certain limitations that we couldn't ignore. We wouldn't have also dealt Iggy unless we were getting back a player the kind of caliber and talent that is Baron Davis. Baron is a transcendent player to us that I think can really change the way we play basketball here. We've moved on from the Iggy chapter and started with the ZBo-Diddy movement.

[NickMalone77]

We hear that the Hornets worked out Gugliotta in the offseason but didn't decide to sign him. Given his historical significance, will there be a front office role for him when he hangs up the sneakers?

We did have some talks with Tom over the offseason and he's still a beloved part of our organization. When it goes down in the history books, it'll be between him and ZBo as being the most important members to our roster ever. He still thinks he can play at a high level, we didn't have it in the budget to fit him in this year but if he were to hang it up, we will be the first to chariot his HOF case and also offer him a spot in our front office or on the sidelines as a coach.