Hornets rookie Julian Wright has earned valuable playing time in his first year in the NBA, providing the Hornets with energy and intensity off the bench. The 20-year-old first-year player left Chicago, Ill. to play at Kansas before being drafted at the No. 13 slot in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Hornets.

April 28, 2008

TWO GAMES, TWO WINS
Winning is fun. We’ve worked so hard and focused so much on getting to this point. Our team is a group of very laidback people, but we know when to be serious and go to work. It’s a good dynamic because it makes the time that we spend together, whether it’s practicing, playing or just hanging out, a lot of fun. It’s good to have a little bit of a relaxed attitude in the playoffs because it tends to take the pressure off a little if you’re having a good time when you’re playing.

This whole organization and all of the fans have gotten behind the fact that this is a transition year for the team as we’ve come back to New Orleans. We had a feeling that it would take time for the city and the people around us to see what our whole locker room believed – that we could have a very special season. We’re just trying to make the most of our homecourt advantage. Having everyone support us makes it a whole lot easier to come out against a team and have the ‘us vs. them’ mentality. It gives us more energy and gives us that little extra boost.

LOOKING FOR THE FIRST WIN SINCE ‘98
When we look at the regular season games we played at Dallas, we had a chance to win. We feel like we could have made a few more adjustments and had a shot at winning those two games. In the playoffs, regardless of the situation, we feel like we have a chance to win each game. No matter what the environment is like or how the game is going, we’ve played well on the road all year and we know that we can win if we play our game to the best of its ability. Obviously, we haven’t won at the American Airlines Center, but we’re bringing a lot of confidence into the game and we just have to know that they’re going to make runs in the game and it’s how we deal with those situations that’s going to affect the result. We have to keep our composure and stick to our game plan.

DE-FENSE
Being matched up with some of the tougher defensive assignments when I come into the game has definitely changed my mentality some during the playoffs. There are so many things that can happen in the game – foul trouble and things you can’t control – so you never know when you’re going to have to step in. When I go in, I just try and give the guy that I’m guarding a different look than he was getting before. During the last few games of the regular season, Coach put me on some of the best offensive players in the NBA. Everyone’s really been encouraging me to use my athletic ability to my advantage, particularly on the defensive end, no matter how talented of a player I am guarding. It says a lot for the team that they trust me with a tough assignment. I know playing good defense is going to be the biggest contribution I can make during the postseason, so when I get out there, if I’m guarding one of their starters or main guys, I just try and give him different looks than whoever was guarding him before and to also play with a lot of energy and intensity because, chances are, he’s playing more minutes than I am or have in the game already, so there’s a chance to wear him out a little more with fresh legs.

STAYING FOCUSED
I’m not sure if any of my friends and family will be at the games in Dallas, but I’m really trying not to worry about that right now – I don’t even know how player tickets work in the playoffs! I just wanted to focus on the games and doing what I can to help the team win.

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April 21, 2008

FIRST YEAR IN THE LEAGUE
Looking back on the year, it was a great one for our team. Our expectations were always high, so we weren’t as surprised as people in the media or public may have been. We always knew we had the talent and ability to have the kind of regular season that we did, it was just a matter of executing.

I thought my first year in the NBA was a great growing experience. I had a unique opportunity from a lot of other rookies, because the Hornets weren’t necessarily asking me to come in, start and have a huge impact on the team. Instead, I had the chance to really work on my game and learn everything I could about playing in the NBA. For me, I was just hoping to earn time off the bench to come in and help the team – provide energy off the bench.

During my time at Kansas, I had to earn everything I achieved and coming to the Hornets was no different. I think as a team, and personally, we earned all of the accomplishments we reached this season. In the past with basketball, I’ve never been given anything – I’ve always had a good work ethic and earned playing time and accolades. I guess I’ve gotten used to that position and I’d much rather be an underdog instead of a frontrunner.

PLAYOFF-BOUND
Being able to have a chance to play in the postseason is awesome. I’m really excited and I think it’s going to be a great matchup with Dallas and we’re going to have to work really hard to get to the next round.

Similar to the situation we were in this year, again, we’re considered underdogs in the playoffs even though we’re the No. 2 seed in the West. Everyone talks about us not having the experience to be successful in the playoffs, but I think that will just motivate us even more. We proved a lot of people wrong by winning the Southwest Division and we’d love nothing more than to do it again in the playoffs.

LESSONS LEARNED
This season has been a great learning experience. I can’t just say there was one most important thing I learned – there are two that have been instrumental in the learning process. First, taking care of your body in the NBA is vital. When you’re playing 3-4 games a week and traveling on top of practice, it can take its toll. It’s really important to be hydrated all the time and to eat healthy. The second thing that has really had an impact on me is paying attention to details. When you’re playing so many games, there’s a lot of information you have to remember about certain things. I think the biggest thing for me though, was learning to really focus on the personnel of your opponent. Playing good defense is what’s going to put me on the court and keep me there, so knowing all the details about the game of each defensive assignment is really important.