November 27, 2006

Periodically throughout the 2006-07 season, Hornets.com will chat with Hornets first-round draft picks Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons, to get their thoughts on what life is like as an NBA rookie, both on and off the floor.

Armstrong’s first month in the NBA has included one of the most unusual statistical oddities you could imagine. Through New Orleans/Oklahoma City’s first 13 games, the Connecticut product totaled 17 points – and all 17 were scored in the same contest (he scored seven more points Saturday at Dallas).

After rarely leaving the bench through the first two weeks of the season, Armstrong was an emergency starter at center on Nov. 15 in Detroit (he replaced Tyson Chandler, sidelined by a concussion). The 6-foot-11 Armstrong was a revelation in his lone start, registering 17 points and nine rebounds.

Unfortunately for the 22-year-old Armstrong, when Chandler returned to the lineup in the Hornets’ next game Nov. 18 at Minnesota, Armstrong returned to his seat on the bench. Armstrong did not play in two of the Hornets’ games last week, at Phoenix and home vs. Minnesota.

In the fourth installment of Rookie Diary, the No. 12 overall pick of the 2006 NBA draft discusses his big game against the Pistons and how he’s dealing with his limited playing time.

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Hilton Armstrong

I got a lot of phone calls after the game against Detroit. From my family, my sisters, my best friends from home, my girl. They all saw highlights of the game on the Internet, if they didn’t see it on TV, and they were all calling me up to talk about it. They saw about two minutes of highlights of just me [smiles]. So that was great. That was the best feeling I’ve had so far.

My favorite play from that game was a pick-and-pop play between me and Chris (Paul). Chris passed it to me in the corner, I pump-faked on the baseline and went around a defender. (Detroit forward) Rasheed (Wallace) was coming at me to try to block the shot, but I got the ball up and in for a layup.

My first NBA basket came off a pass from Brandon Bass. He gave me a nice pass from the opposite block and I dunked it. I’m not going to forget my first NBA basket, and I’m glad I got it on a dunk – a hard dunk, too! [laughs] I’m definitely going to remember that play.

Right now I just hope that I can get on the court and contribute as much as possible. I’m not worried a lot about scoring, because scoring just came to me in that game, but I am focusing on playing defense and rebounding. I’m always going to be ready when I’m on the bench. I just have to be as ready as possible.

I feel like I’ve got to get better at doing everything. When I get the ball in the post, I’ve got to be strong with the ball. I’ve got to rebound more. It’s about being poised and calming down. When I take my time, I can play just like I did in Detroit.

It hasn’t been that difficult for me (to accept not consistently playing) because I was (sitting on the bench) my whole college career, up until my senior year. I was always on the bench. I look at it like I’ve always had to earn every minute I’ve ever gotten in my basketball career. I know my time is going to come, so I’m never going to give up. I’m going to keep working hard. I know it’s going to work out for me.

I’m pretty sure that if I was a guy who had always started every game for my team and played 30 minutes a game all the time, that I might break down mentally right now (due to not getting playing time). But going through it in college and growing up, it prepared me for this. The past definitely got me ready for what’s happening right now. And I’m a hard worker; I’m not a quitter.

The coaches didn’t really say anything to me about not playing much (at Minnesota, the first Hornets game after Armstrong’s 17-point outing at Detroit). Tyson Chandler came back, and he is a great player who is helping the team win. That’s what we need.