The Beat on the Bees

I wanted to pretend the New Orleans Hornets were not playing the season.

The Chris Paul trade in the off-season was exciting until Eric Gordon, New Orleans' only hope for a successful year, went out with bone and knee injuries after playing only two games. 

The season took a violent turn for the worse, and the Hornets were bottom feeding and desperately scrambling to find players to wear the blue and yellow jerseys. 

The worst part was my home-state Hornets were not competing. Their offense was non-existent and the team looked exasperated. Eric Gordon seemed disinterested with the Hornets, and Dell Demps, New Orleans' General Manager, benched Chris Kaman while they tried to trade him. 

However, during February, the Hornets have created some buzz (no pun intended), and have been enjoyable to watch. 

Other than the blowout against the Chicago Bulls, the Hornets have kept the games close and winnable.

For this feat, head coach Monty Williams deserves a standing ovation.

Williams has been able to coach a depleted team to play tough defense for four quarters and defense has been the key to the Hornets' recent success.

Apart from coaching, New Orleans has been able to find solid players to make a promising team foundation for the future.

Gustavo Ayon, an undrafted free agent out of Mexico, has played himself into the starting lineup by being a consistent defender and rebounder, a decent scorer from the power forward position and a hustle/effort player.

Greivis Vasquez stepped up to fill in the shoes of the injured Jarret Jack and, since February began, has been averaging over 12 points and seven assists per game. Vasquez's most impressive feat was his Lin-surmountable defense against Jeremy Lin during the Hornet's upset of the New York Knicks.

After going into a black hole of dreadful basketball, Marco Belinelli has re-emerged as the Hornet's best three-point shooter. In February, Belinelli has averaged 46 percent from beyond the arc, including six of seven from three point range in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The good news for the Hornets is that no one expects them to win, and they are likely to end the season with a lottery pick. Early draft speculation points to UConn center Andre Drummond or Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson as likely picks for the Hornets. Both players would address needs for the Hornets and could be immediate starters in New Orleans.

Even better news is that the NBA-owned Hornets have apparently found a group to buy the team from NBA commissioner David Stern. The buyers are rumored to be headed by a California businessman and Tom Benson's (New Orleans Saints owner) brother.

So let's keep watching the Hornets, as general manager Dell Demps and Coach Williams build this team for the future. While they make currently look like a under-manned college team, the Hornets have the coaches, players and now (hopefully) the owners to sustain the Hornets as a threat playing in the Big Easy.

The Consolation Prize Fun Team

This week the NBA released the All-Star teams for the East and West. In response, I have put together my own team of guys who are not All-Stars. The Consolation Prize Fun Team. My criteria were simple: which remaining players would make a team most fun to watch?

Point Guards: Jeremy Lin, Brandon Jennings, Ricky Rubio

Jeremy Lin has saved New York's season. The undrafted, Asian-American Harvard graduate has defied all odds and shocked the NBA. Last night he out-dueled Kobe Bryant. Though he has only started four games this season and has turned the ball over due to his lack of experience, Lin does have the Harvard learning curve to his advantage. Not to mention Lin genuinely has fun playing basketball and a smile that lights up the room. What's not to like?

Brandon Jennings may have made the All-Star team if he had not been playing for a below-average Bucks team in the West. Jennings is a bit of a streaky shooter, but his ability to turn it on and drain three-pointers puts him on this team.

Ricky Rubio has lived up to the hype. The Spanish-born distributor is averaging almost nine assists per game for Minnesota. In his rookie season, he and Kevin Love have given the Timberwolves hope for the future. His flashy passing makes him a shoe-in for the Fun Team.

Shooting Guards: Rudy Gay, Monta Ellis

Rudy Gay makes this team because I think he deserved to be an All-Star. Gay has kept Memphis' playoff hopes alive despite the injury to Zach Randolph. But by no means is Gay not fun. The 6'8" guard can make fade away shots like Kobe and throw down dunks like Blake Griffin. Just ask LeBron.

Monta Ellis is another victim of being on a bad team. But Ellis is a hybrid guard who can slash to the rim and make the tough shots. Ellis is the only reason I would watch Golden State play, and he is a bright future star for the NBA.

Small Forward: James Harden

James Harden is a great player for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The sixth-man of the year candidate has given the Thunder a solid third option behing Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook. But let's be honest, Harden is on this team because of his beard. It is up there with Brian Wilson as the best facial hair in sports. 

Power Forwards: Josh Smith, Gustavo Ayon

Josh Smith has been a highlight machine for Atlanta. Smith has the talent and athleticism to make him a poor man's Blake Griffin. Smith's long range game is still in the works, but he is powerful big man who can also contribute on the defensive side. He makes the Fun Team so the point guards have someone to throw the alley-oops to.

Gustavo Ayon is just fun. He does not put up the best numbers, but he is scarily efficient and plays hard. Ayon has given the Hornets fan a glimmer of light in their dark season. The Goose gets a spot on the Fun Team because of his nickname and because the Hornets need some representation.

Centers: DeAndre Jordan, Paul Millsap

DeAndre Jordan is Blake Griffin's partner in crime. Jordan is one of the most athletic centers in the game and is known for his huge blocks and dunks for the Clippers. Nothing would make me more excited than getting to watch Ricky Rubio lob to Jordan and Josh Smith all night, so Jordan is an easy pick for the Fun squad.

Paul Millsap has been one of the most fun guys to watch in the NBA the past few years. He does not make the Sports Center highlight reel often, but the undersized (6'8") center has been a rebounding machine. Millsap is another guy I think was snubbed from the All-Star team, but he can have a spot on my Fun Team any day.

I would not bet any money that this team could beat the All-Stars, but putting these guys on the same court would be spectacle I would not soon forget.

Dunk Week in America

The NBA never fails to give the world story-worthy material.

For example, this week I was unsure what to write about in my blog. Then Blake Griffin gave me, and the rest of the sports writers in America, something to write about.

Already being crowned the dunk of the year, Griffin's slam over Kendrick Perkins is being debated as one of the best dunks of all time. 

Similarly, the Dwayne Wade to LeBron James alley-oop the day before garnered nation-wide attention until Griffin stole the spotlight.

While these two jams were outstanding, I will now give credit to Paul George for a dunk that would have been the best of the week if it had not been for the seemingly supernatural plays from James and Griffin.

George's dunk, while not the most athletic of the three, was the most flashy. Griffin's posterization of Kendrick Perkins was an impressive display of power, but Vince Carter did him one better in the Olympics. James' dunk was outstanding because he jumped over John Lucas, but Lucas is only 5'11", at best. 

Griffin and James' dunks received the most media attention, and deservingly so. But I would like to give Paul George the credit he deserves. George had the speed to pass the defenders on the fast break, and then the ability to jump, turn 180 degrees, double-pump the ball and throw it through the rim with two hands. 

These three dunks highlighted the week filled with ESPN Top-10 dunks, or as I like to call it, Dunk Week. 

Of course, Dunk Week would not be complete without an homage to the two greatest dunkers in NBA history and the best dunks of their career.

Happy Dunk Week!