Inside the Hornets: ESPN’s Chris Broussard
September 19, 2006
ESPN The Magazine pro basketball writer Chris Broussard visited Oklahoma City recently to conduct interviews for an upcoming feature story on Hornets center Tyson Chandler. While watching Chandler and a handful of other players work out in the team’s practice facility at Southern Nazarene University, Hornets.com’s Jim Eichenhofer caught up with Broussard to get the talented writer’s thoughts on the Hornets’ offseason moves and several other topics.
Eichenhofer: What was your reaction to the Hornets’ signing of Peja Stojakovic and what kind of impact do you expect him to make this season? The Hornets were badly in need of a feared outside shooter and he was clearly the best one available.
Broussard: I think it was a good signing. I think they may have overpaid for him, but I don’t think that means it was a bad move. Sometimes to get a player to come to a place that is not necessarily a glamor franchise – and a team that is in transition as far as where they are going to be – sometimes you have to do that.
For the next few years, I think Peja is a player who is going to be right on the cusp of being an All-Star. He probably won’t be an All-Star, but he is an All-Star-caliber player. If you look at this team with Chris Paul – a point guard who can penetrate at will and is great passer – to have a shooter like Peja, it’s going to spread the floor and open things up even more. When Peja’s man sags off of him to try to help on Chris, that will leave Peja open, and you’re talking about one of the best shooters in the world. I think that’s going to add a huge dimension to them offensively.
I know they’re talking about starting him at the (shooting guard) spot. Defensively, I think that’ll be a challenge for him. I think they’ll look at having Desmond Mason guard some of the more athletic guards and have Peja guard small forwards at times.
But overall, I like the move. If you look at some of Peja’s better years in Sacramento, they were running that Princeton offense out there. He was great there, running off screens and cutting (to the basket). I think he’ll fit very nicely in this offense. And he’s actually a better rebounder than people give him credit for.
Eichenhofer: What is your opinion of the exchange the Hornets made at center? Tyson Chandler and PJ Brown seem like completely different players in terms of style of play. I think some media members and fans are concerned about Chandler’s lack of offensive production, since he only averaged 5.3 points per game in 2005-06. Do you think he will be an upgrade over Brown?
Broussard: With all due respect to PJ – who has been a great veteran, a great pro and has had a very solid career – I think that’s a tremendous upgrade. Because Tyson is only 23 (years old). This is a guy who, if you remember, everybody predicted would be a superstar, and he’s only 23. He’s been in the league for five years, but I truly believe that people who finalize their judgments on guys like Tyson Chandler, Darko Milicic, Eddy Curry and Kwame Brown this early are just flat-out wrong. I’m not saying they’re all going to be stars, but it’s too early to write a guy off and say, ‘Well, he’s just going to be an average player.’
You look at someone like Jermaine O’Neal, who couldn’t get off the bench for his first several years in Portland, but then he blossomed (in Indiana). The athletic ability of Tyson and his youth are two big (positives). And he’s really motivated. He was very disappointed in himself in Chicago last season, and he really doesn’t like the way he’s played for his whole career. He looks back at it with a little sense of frustration and disappointment over his first five years in the NBA.
I think the Hornets are getting him at a great time, because he’s really out to prove something. With his skill set, I think he fits great into this scheme. Chris Paul, by himself, with his penetration is going to get Tyson a couple easy buckets every game. Plus Tyson’s ability to run the floor well should help him get easy baskets that way. I know they want to push the ball here.
The Princeton offense should give him a little more freedom. This is a guy who had some offensive skills coming out of high school as far as having a jump shot and handling the ball. He didn’t really get a chance to show that in Chicago, but in the Princeton offense he will.
I think it was a good move. He’s 23 years old, and he has ‘sky’s-the-limit’ type upside.
Eichenhofer: One of the Hornets’ other key roster changes happened at backup point guard, where Bobby Jackson takes over for Speedy Claxton. What do you think about that exchange from the Hornets’ standpoint?
Broussard: Speedy obviously did a great job for the Hornets, but Bobby Jackson is a top-flight reserve in this league. Bobby will be able to play together with Chris (Paul), and he’s another guy who thrives in the Princeton offense. I think it was a good move. I won’t say it was an upgrade over Speedy, but if Bobby’s healthy, he brings some of the same things as Speedy. He brings energy, he can score and he can change the pace of the game. The way they want to play where it’s up and down, he’ll fit nicely.
The question as always with Bobby Jackson is, is he going to be healthy? If he’s healthy, he’ll be a good asset to the team.
Eichenhofer: What do you expect from the Hornets’ two first-round picks, Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons, this season? I don’t know if anyone is certain at this point exactly how much they will play or contribute, especially after all of the other roster additions.
Broussard: I really like Hilton. The Hornets didn’t have a lot of size last season, but they did a good job of going out and getting Hilton in the draft. I think he can step in right away. He’s got a great body, he’s strong and he understands the type of player he is. He’s not coming in thinking he’s going to be a star – he wasn’t a star at Connecticut. He played a role.
Having that type of guy who is willing to do whatever it takes, that’s going to be a good fit. He’s a good character guy and I really like him. I think he’s going to be a contributor. I don’t think he’ll make any real noise (this season), but I would be surprised if he doesn’t get minutes. He can come in and spell Tyson and be fairly effective when he’s out there.
I don’t expect big numbers, but he’s a guy who can get in there and anchor your defense in stints. You look at a lot of seven-footers, and they’re not as strong or as mobile. He’s a guy who can move a little, but he also has some strength.
With Cedric, I think a few years from now he’s going to be an impact player in this league. I expect a little more contributions from Hilton this year (than Cedric). Now, Cedric is not a project by any stretch, but his adjustment is going to be a little harder. With his athleticism and skills, he will be an impact guy eventually.
Eichenhofer: How many wins are you projecting for the Hornets this season? Are they a playoff team?
Broussard: Well, for one, the Western Conference is so tough. To project anybody as a playoff team right now other than Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, the Clippers and Houston – if the Rockets are healthy – is hard to do. Plus, I think Denver will be there. Right there, that’s six teams that you pretty much feel are certain to make the playoffs.
Then you’ve got the Lakers, Utah – if they’re healthy – the Hornets, Minnesota as long as they have Garnett. It’s going to be a battle for those last two or three spots in the West. Memphis, if they can hold on until Pau Gasol gets back (from injury), they are in that group as well. I’m not saying the Hornets won’t make the playoffs, but it’s tough in this conference. If they were in the East, I would definitely pencil them in as a playoff team.
Last year obviously the Hornets surprised everybody – I’m sure even themselves. A lot of times when teams do that, the next year they take a step backward. Look at Seattle – two years ago the Sonics won their division, but then last season they fell off the map.
Sometimes you see teams have quote-unquote fluke years like that. My big question with the Hornets is, was last year a fluke year? Or is this a team to be reckoned with? If you go by the assumption that last year was NOT a fluke year, I think you have to believe that they’re going to make the playoffs. But that’s my only question. I’m still trying to figure out how they won so many games last year, even as good as Chris Paul is and as much of a solid year as David West had. Because if you look at the roster, you say, how in the world (did they win 38 games)?
It’s going to be interesting. I was really pulling for them last year to make it once they showed they were legitimate. Chris Paul is a winner, and he’s going to be even better this year.
Eichenhofer: You are visiting to work on an upcoming article for ESPN The Magazine on Tyson Chandler. Have you gotten a chance to spend some time with Tyson? What is his outlook right now? It seems like this is a good opportunity for him to prove himself and turn around his career after he took a lot of criticism last season in Chicago.
Broussard: That’s exactly how he sees it. If he ever is going to be a star in this league, you’re going to see that in the next few years. I think he’s going to get the opportunity here.
First of all, you know he’s going to block shots and rebound. At the very least, you’re getting nine or 10 points, 10 rebounds, a couple block shots at minimum, assuming he gets 30 to 35 minutes per game. You’ve got an energy guy and someone who is going to bolster your defense. There’s no question he’s going to help, but offensively if he can take advantage of his opportunities, you might have an All-Star-caliber player. He’s already said he wants to be an All-Star this year.
He is extremely motivated. He’s disappointed in the way his career has gone so far, and he has admitted that in some ways he was immature in the past. I think he is a very mature person for someone who is 23, whether it’s an athlete or someone in general.
I spent some time with his family, and most of the conversation wasn’t even about basketball. We talked about family, religion, all types of stuff. I don’t think you have to worry about outside things distracting him. His wife is very strong and she’s doing everything she can to help him have a bust-out year.
Eichenhofer: What do you think about the hair? [Chandler is now sporting a Mohawk-style hairdo] … Actually, you don’t have to answer that.
Broussard: [laughs] Hey, whatever it takes! If it’s going to help you become a monster on the court, then I’m all for it.
Eichenhofer: For people who may not be familiar with it, can you explain the process you use when you write some of your feature articles on NBA players in the magazine?
Broussard: One of our goals is to take the reader where they can’t go. The average reader is never going to be able to spend time with Tyson, and get to know him a little bit away from the game. We try to paint the scene of what he’s like away from the game. We love to go out with a player and get something to eat at a restaurant, or maybe visit them at their home. We don’t want to do a basic interview that a newspaper reporter might get after a practice or whatever.
But with this article, a lot of this will be on Tyson the basketball player, because that’s an interesting story. This is a guy who was the second pick in the draft, ballyhooed throughout his life. The big question now is whether he’s just a solid player – or is he a star?
ESPN The Magazine pro basketball writer Chris Broussard visited Oklahoma City recently to conduct interviews for an upcoming feature story on Hornets center Tyson Chandler. While watching Chandler and a handful of other players work out in the team’s practice facility at Southern Nazarene University, Hornets.com’s Jim Eichenhofer caught up with Broussard to get the talented writer’s thoughts on the Hornets’ offseason moves and several other topics.
Eichenhofer: What was your reaction to the Hornets’ signing of Peja Stojakovic and what kind of impact do you expect him to make this season? The Hornets were badly in need of a feared outside shooter and he was clearly the best one available.
Broussard: I think it was a good signing. I think they may have overpaid for him, but I don’t think that means it was a bad move. Sometimes to get a player to come to a place that is not necessarily a glamor franchise – and a team that is in transition as far as where they are going to be – sometimes you have to do that.
For the next few years, I think Peja is a player who is going to be right on the cusp of being an All-Star. He probably won’t be an All-Star, but he is an All-Star-caliber player. If you look at this team with Chris Paul – a point guard who can penetrate at will and is great passer – to have a shooter like Peja, it’s going to spread the floor and open things up even more. When Peja’s man sags off of him to try to help on Chris, that will leave Peja open, and you’re talking about one of the best shooters in the world. I think that’s going to add a huge dimension to them offensively.
I know they’re talking about starting him at the (shooting guard) spot. Defensively, I think that’ll be a challenge for him. I think they’ll look at having Desmond Mason guard some of the more athletic guards and have Peja guard small forwards at times.
But overall, I like the move. If you look at some of Peja’s better years in Sacramento, they were running that Princeton offense out there. He was great there, running off screens and cutting (to the basket). I think he’ll fit very nicely in this offense. And he’s actually a better rebounder than people give him credit for.
Eichenhofer: What is your opinion of the exchange the Hornets made at center? Tyson Chandler and PJ Brown seem like completely different players in terms of style of play. I think some media members and fans are concerned about Chandler’s lack of offensive production, since he only averaged 5.3 points per game in 2005-06. Do you think he will be an upgrade over Brown?
Broussard: With all due respect to PJ – who has been a great veteran, a great pro and has had a very solid career – I think that’s a tremendous upgrade. Because Tyson is only 23 (years old). This is a guy who, if you remember, everybody predicted would be a superstar, and he’s only 23. He’s been in the league for five years, but I truly believe that people who finalize their judgments on guys like Tyson Chandler, Darko Milicic, Eddy Curry and Kwame Brown this early are just flat-out wrong. I’m not saying they’re all going to be stars, but it’s too early to write a guy off and say, ‘Well, he’s just going to be an average player.’
You look at someone like Jermaine O’Neal, who couldn’t get off the bench for his first several years in Portland, but then he blossomed (in Indiana). The athletic ability of Tyson and his youth are two big (positives). And he’s really motivated. He was very disappointed in himself in Chicago last season, and he really doesn’t like the way he’s played for his whole career. He looks back at it with a little sense of frustration and disappointment over his first five years in the NBA.
I think the Hornets are getting him at a great time, because he’s really out to prove something. With his skill set, I think he fits great into this scheme. Chris Paul, by himself, with his penetration is going to get Tyson a couple easy buckets every game. Plus Tyson’s ability to run the floor well should help him get easy baskets that way. I know they want to push the ball here.
The Princeton offense should give him a little more freedom. This is a guy who had some offensive skills coming out of high school as far as having a jump shot and handling the ball. He didn’t really get a chance to show that in Chicago, but in the Princeton offense he will.
I think it was a good move. He’s 23 years old, and he has ‘sky’s-the-limit’ type upside.
Eichenhofer: One of the Hornets’ other key roster changes happened at backup point guard, where Bobby Jackson takes over for Speedy Claxton. What do you think about that exchange from the Hornets’ standpoint?
Broussard: Speedy obviously did a great job for the Hornets, but Bobby Jackson is a top-flight reserve in this league. Bobby will be able to play together with Chris (Paul), and he’s another guy who thrives in the Princeton offense. I think it was a good move. I won’t say it was an upgrade over Speedy, but if Bobby’s healthy, he brings some of the same things as Speedy. He brings energy, he can score and he can change the pace of the game. The way they want to play where it’s up and down, he’ll fit nicely.
The question as always with Bobby Jackson is, is he going to be healthy? If he’s healthy, he’ll be a good asset to the team.
Eichenhofer: What do you expect from the Hornets’ two first-round picks, Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons, this season? I don’t know if anyone is certain at this point exactly how much they will play or contribute, especially after all of the other roster additions.
Broussard: I really like Hilton. The Hornets didn’t have a lot of size last season, but they did a good job of going out and getting Hilton in the draft. I think he can step in right away. He’s got a great body, he’s strong and he understands the type of player he is. He’s not coming in thinking he’s going to be a star – he wasn’t a star at Connecticut. He played a role.
Having that type of guy who is willing to do whatever it takes, that’s going to be a good fit. He’s a good character guy and I really like him. I think he’s going to be a contributor. I don’t think he’ll make any real noise (this season), but I would be surprised if he doesn’t get minutes. He can come in and spell Tyson and be fairly effective when he’s out there.
I don’t expect big numbers, but he’s a guy who can get in there and anchor your defense in stints. You look at a lot of seven-footers, and they’re not as strong or as mobile. He’s a guy who can move a little, but he also has some strength.
With Cedric, I think a few years from now he’s going to be an impact player in this league. I expect a little more contributions from Hilton this year (than Cedric). Now, Cedric is not a project by any stretch, but his adjustment is going to be a little harder. With his athleticism and skills, he will be an impact guy eventually.
Eichenhofer: How many wins are you projecting for the Hornets this season? Are they a playoff team?
Broussard: Well, for one, the Western Conference is so tough. To project anybody as a playoff team right now other than Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, the Clippers and Houston – if the Rockets are healthy – is hard to do. Plus, I think Denver will be there. Right there, that’s six teams that you pretty much feel are certain to make the playoffs.
Then you’ve got the Lakers, Utah – if they’re healthy – the Hornets, Minnesota as long as they have Garnett. It’s going to be a battle for those last two or three spots in the West. Memphis, if they can hold on until Pau Gasol gets back (from injury), they are in that group as well. I’m not saying the Hornets won’t make the playoffs, but it’s tough in this conference. If they were in the East, I would definitely pencil them in as a playoff team.
Last year obviously the Hornets surprised everybody – I’m sure even themselves. A lot of times when teams do that, the next year they take a step backward. Look at Seattle – two years ago the Sonics won their division, but then last season they fell off the map.
Sometimes you see teams have quote-unquote fluke years like that. My big question with the Hornets is, was last year a fluke year? Or is this a team to be reckoned with? If you go by the assumption that last year was NOT a fluke year, I think you have to believe that they’re going to make the playoffs. But that’s my only question. I’m still trying to figure out how they won so many games last year, even as good as Chris Paul is and as much of a solid year as David West had. Because if you look at the roster, you say, how in the world (did they win 38 games)?
It’s going to be interesting. I was really pulling for them last year to make it once they showed they were legitimate. Chris Paul is a winner, and he’s going to be even better this year.
Eichenhofer: You are visiting to work on an upcoming article for ESPN The Magazine on Tyson Chandler. Have you gotten a chance to spend some time with Tyson? What is his outlook right now? It seems like this is a good opportunity for him to prove himself and turn around his career after he took a lot of criticism last season in Chicago.
Broussard: That’s exactly how he sees it. If he ever is going to be a star in this league, you’re going to see that in the next few years. I think he’s going to get the opportunity here.
First of all, you know he’s going to block shots and rebound. At the very least, you’re getting nine or 10 points, 10 rebounds, a couple block shots at minimum, assuming he gets 30 to 35 minutes per game. You’ve got an energy guy and someone who is going to bolster your defense. There’s no question he’s going to help, but offensively if he can take advantage of his opportunities, you might have an All-Star-caliber player. He’s already said he wants to be an All-Star this year.
He is extremely motivated. He’s disappointed in the way his career has gone so far, and he has admitted that in some ways he was immature in the past. I think he is a very mature person for someone who is 23, whether it’s an athlete or someone in general.
I spent some time with his family, and most of the conversation wasn’t even about basketball. We talked about family, religion, all types of stuff. I don’t think you have to worry about outside things distracting him. His wife is very strong and she’s doing everything she can to help him have a bust-out year.
Eichenhofer: What do you think about the hair? [Chandler is now sporting a Mohawk-style hairdo] … Actually, you don’t have to answer that.
Broussard: [laughs] Hey, whatever it takes! If it’s going to help you become a monster on the court, then I’m all for it.
Eichenhofer: For people who may not be familiar with it, can you explain the process you use when you write some of your feature articles on NBA players in the magazine?
Broussard: One of our goals is to take the reader where they can’t go. The average reader is never going to be able to spend time with Tyson, and get to know him a little bit away from the game. We try to paint the scene of what he’s like away from the game. We love to go out with a player and get something to eat at a restaurant, or maybe visit them at their home. We don’t want to do a basic interview that a newspaper reporter might get after a practice or whatever.
But with this article, a lot of this will be on Tyson the basketball player, because that’s an interesting story. This is a guy who was the second pick in the draft, ballyhooed throughout his life. The big question now is whether he’s just a solid player – or is he a star?
