Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: Hornets radio play-by-play broadcaster Sean Kelley
January 3, 2007
Hornets.com chatted with second-year Hornets radio play-by-play announcer Sean Kelley to learn Kelley’s thoughts on the current state of the team.
Kelley, a St. Louis native, joins analyst Gerry Vaillancourt in calling all 82 Hornets regular-season games on the team’s radio network. Click here for a list of Hornets radio affiliates.
Q: How difficult do you expect it will be for the Hornets to remain within striking distance of .500 over the next few weeks, while playing without Chris Paul, David West and Peja Stojakovic?
A: It will be a struggle. The Hornets will find themselves to be “underdogs” each and every night until players start to return from injury. I do think that two factors will help the Hornets remain within shouting distance.
One is the fact that the Hornets will face nine teams from the Eastern Conference in the month of January. None are gimmies, but it’s a fact that the Hornets have fared better against the weaker conference so far.
Second is the injury situation across the Western Conference. So many contenders are missing vital pieces, too. It seems whoever gets healthy first will have the best shot of sliding into the playoffs. Looks like trainers across the league will have some say in who makes the playoffs!
Q: Other than getting the team’s top three scorers back from injury, what is the recipe for the Hornets to move out of the bottom echelon of the league’s offensive statistics?
A: As blunt as this sounds, make shots! The Hornets simply struggle to put the ball in the hole, and that includes the league’s worst free-throw percentage. Effort and hustle have not been problems so far. That’s the good news.
Q: What are the biggest differences you see in Chris Paul’s game from his rookie campaign to this season?
A: Confidence. CP is more willing to hold on to the ball longer in order to score. He’s also shown he can finish a game by creating his own shot. Off the floor, it’s also easy to notice his leadership skills. I think that he was reticent to step forward in his rookie year. CP still has credibility issues because of his inexperience, but his play so far has commanded the attention of his teammates.
Q: Some people wondered if David West’s performance in 2005-06 was a career year or “fluke.” Although he only played seven games before his injury, do you believe he proved that wasn’t the case based on how he produced over the first two weeks of the season?
A: I’m from the Show Me State, so in my mind, the jury is still out because of the injury. I’m also a numbers guy, too. His tallies in the first two weeks don’t lie. He was off to a great start, and his case for “not a fluke” is strong.
Q: What was your opinion of how Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson played prior to their injuries?
A: Other than the obvious with Peja, the thing that struck me most was his basketball IQ. He knows the game so well. Peja knows the next three steps, finds the right spots, and makes up for his lack of quicks by outthinking his opponent. He’s sorely missed because of these things and the weapon his right arm is from long range.
Bobby has proven to be as versatile as the Hornets had hoped. He can handle it very well as CP’s backup, and just like Speedy Claxton last year, he works well when he’s on the floor with CP at the same time.
Q: Based on your expectations entering the season, how do you assess Tyson Chandler’s play this season?
A: Tyson is one step shy of really “wowing” me. His 11-plus rebounds per night are spectacular. The free-throw percentage (36 percent) is another story. The misses keep him from a double-double on most nights. It’s hurting the team, and keeping him away from a serious run at an All Star spot.
Q: From what you’ve seen in practice and games, what is your analysis of the progress Hornets first-round picks Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons are making? What are the areas where you see the most potential for improvement from each player?
A: Hilton and Cedric are riding that rookie roller-coaster right now. They’re showing us flashes of a solid future in the league, and then sometimes they’re lost puppies the next trip down the floor. For Hilton, I think that trying to learn both the 4 and the 5 (positions) has been somewhat crippling. Coach Scott is making a good move by focusing Armstrong solely on the 5 now.
Cedric, meanwhile, has shown nice poise and strong athletic ability. The next step for him comes from lots of game experience, and work on his jump shot.
Q: What about Marcus Vinicius’ progress? How far is he from making an impact on the team?
A: Marcus is doing a nice job overcoming the language barrier. He just needs time. The NBA game’s speed and style is different from that of international play. He’s learning to move without the ball, and to keep his hands off the opponent defensively. I hope he’s a good one off the bench next season.
Q: Of the Hornets’ eight players who were not with the team in 2005-06, who has surprised you the most with their play?
A: Because of the situation, it’s got to be Jannero Pargo. I think it’s been a real challenge for him to move from free-wheeling gunner at the start of this season, to floor general now in the absence of Chris Paul. His numbers of late prove him to be a capable stand-in for now.
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Kelley, a St. Louis native, joins analyst Gerry Vaillancourt in calling all 82 Hornets regular-season games on the team’s radio network. Click here for a list of Hornets radio affiliates.
Q: How difficult do you expect it will be for the Hornets to remain within striking distance of .500 over the next few weeks, while playing without Chris Paul, David West and Peja Stojakovic?
A: It will be a struggle. The Hornets will find themselves to be “underdogs” each and every night until players start to return from injury. I do think that two factors will help the Hornets remain within shouting distance.
One is the fact that the Hornets will face nine teams from the Eastern Conference in the month of January. None are gimmies, but it’s a fact that the Hornets have fared better against the weaker conference so far.
Second is the injury situation across the Western Conference. So many contenders are missing vital pieces, too. It seems whoever gets healthy first will have the best shot of sliding into the playoffs. Looks like trainers across the league will have some say in who makes the playoffs!
Q: Other than getting the team’s top three scorers back from injury, what is the recipe for the Hornets to move out of the bottom echelon of the league’s offensive statistics?
A: As blunt as this sounds, make shots! The Hornets simply struggle to put the ball in the hole, and that includes the league’s worst free-throw percentage. Effort and hustle have not been problems so far. That’s the good news.
Q: What are the biggest differences you see in Chris Paul’s game from his rookie campaign to this season?
A: Confidence. CP is more willing to hold on to the ball longer in order to score. He’s also shown he can finish a game by creating his own shot. Off the floor, it’s also easy to notice his leadership skills. I think that he was reticent to step forward in his rookie year. CP still has credibility issues because of his inexperience, but his play so far has commanded the attention of his teammates.
Q: Some people wondered if David West’s performance in 2005-06 was a career year or “fluke.” Although he only played seven games before his injury, do you believe he proved that wasn’t the case based on how he produced over the first two weeks of the season?
A: I’m from the Show Me State, so in my mind, the jury is still out because of the injury. I’m also a numbers guy, too. His tallies in the first two weeks don’t lie. He was off to a great start, and his case for “not a fluke” is strong.
Q: What was your opinion of how Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson played prior to their injuries?
A: Other than the obvious with Peja, the thing that struck me most was his basketball IQ. He knows the game so well. Peja knows the next three steps, finds the right spots, and makes up for his lack of quicks by outthinking his opponent. He’s sorely missed because of these things and the weapon his right arm is from long range.
Bobby has proven to be as versatile as the Hornets had hoped. He can handle it very well as CP’s backup, and just like Speedy Claxton last year, he works well when he’s on the floor with CP at the same time.
Q: Based on your expectations entering the season, how do you assess Tyson Chandler’s play this season?
A: Tyson is one step shy of really “wowing” me. His 11-plus rebounds per night are spectacular. The free-throw percentage (36 percent) is another story. The misses keep him from a double-double on most nights. It’s hurting the team, and keeping him away from a serious run at an All Star spot.
Q: From what you’ve seen in practice and games, what is your analysis of the progress Hornets first-round picks Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons are making? What are the areas where you see the most potential for improvement from each player?
A: Hilton and Cedric are riding that rookie roller-coaster right now. They’re showing us flashes of a solid future in the league, and then sometimes they’re lost puppies the next trip down the floor. For Hilton, I think that trying to learn both the 4 and the 5 (positions) has been somewhat crippling. Coach Scott is making a good move by focusing Armstrong solely on the 5 now.
Cedric, meanwhile, has shown nice poise and strong athletic ability. The next step for him comes from lots of game experience, and work on his jump shot.
Q: What about Marcus Vinicius’ progress? How far is he from making an impact on the team?
A: Marcus is doing a nice job overcoming the language barrier. He just needs time. The NBA game’s speed and style is different from that of international play. He’s learning to move without the ball, and to keep his hands off the opponent defensively. I hope he’s a good one off the bench next season.
Q: Of the Hornets’ eight players who were not with the team in 2005-06, who has surprised you the most with their play?
A: Because of the situation, it’s got to be Jannero Pargo. I think it’s been a real challenge for him to move from free-wheeling gunner at the start of this season, to floor general now in the absence of Chris Paul. His numbers of late prove him to be a capable stand-in for now.
