Vegas Summer League Blog
Hornets.com correspondants Dennis Rogers and Chris DuPree will be checking out the Reebok Vegas Summer League where the Hornets are competing against 15 other NBA teams from July 6-15. Keep checking back with Hornets.com to read Rogers' blog below or visit this link to read Dupree's Hornets.com Vegas Diary.
Written: July 14, 2005 at 9:21 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Today started with a walk through the hotel lobby where I ran into Sun Ming Ming. Who is Sun Ming Ming you ask? He is a 19 year old, 7’9”, 360 lb. Chinese player in town for the Global Hoops Summit (held after the NBA Summer League). It was quite a sight as I stood in line next to him at the front desk. Every person had to do a double take as they walked by him. The dude is crazy tall, that is all I got to say.
I met Chris Paul downstairs at noon for an NBAE interview. They wanted to follow Chris around for a little while for a feature they are doing on the summer league. I called Chris the night before at around 10 to remind him of the interview. He was just about to go to bed when I called, looking forward to a nice, long sleep. I have had to do a few things with Chris and the media thus far, each time he is always top notch and extremely easy to deal with. He is a true pro at how he handles himself.
The interview went well and lasted around an hour. They followed Chris around the hotel through the fitness room, food court and back to his room. CP3 banged on J.R.’s room and woke him up while the TV crew was following on the way up to his room.
The crew came along with us on the team bus to film Chris’ trip to the arena. Upon arrival to the arena a kid asked Chris for his shoes after the game and Chris said he would give them to him (which he did after the game).
I really thought we were going to beat the Pistons. We came out on fire in the second quarter. CP3 and “The Prodigy” hooked up on a couple alley-oops that raised the roof of the COX Pavilion. I did my best And 1 fan impersonation after the dunks as I sprinted around my chair flailing my arms and screaming. For a full recap of the game, check out the summer league section on Hornets.com
You should see how the crowd reacts to J.R. and Chris after the games. There are countless amounts of kids trying to get their autographs, and they have always stayed and signed as many as they could.
Yours truly gets the honor of taking J.R. and Chris to the airport tomorrow morning at 5:30 AM. Yea, 5:30 AM. They are off to Magic Johnson’s charity game in L.A. (another indication that they are pretty special players).
I plan to take Bryan Harden (Hornets Videographer) and Chris Dupree (Website Extraordinaire) out on the town tonight. The hottest place in Vegas is the Palms Casino (owned by the Sacramento Kings owners). One of my boys from the Kings hooked me up and got us on the list at a couple clubs there (Ghost Bar and Rain). Don’t worry I will make sure we are back before the airport ride.
Written: July 13, 2005 at 12:13 a.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
The Hornets got their first summer league win Tuesday over the New Jersey Nets. It was a little bit of a struggle in the first half, but we came alive in the second half.
Once again, J.R. was easily the best player on the court. The one thing he is really working on in summer league play is his defense and getting other players involved.
He went up against one of the top rookies in Antoine Wright and did a pretty decent job of containing him. He has also dished out 10 assists in the last two games.
We sometimes forget that J.R. is only 19 years old because he is so gifted. Summer League is a good opportunity for him to work on his game and the things he needs to improve on such as defense and ball sharing. Thus far, it looks like J.R. might be a serious candidate for the All-Star game come next year.
Chris Paul didn’t have the best game shooting (0-8 FG), but did so much more to help the team win. He had seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and was all over the place deflecting passes.
The Hornets are noticeably better when CP3 is in the game. He has such a high basketball IQ and always seems to be in control.
I ran into CP3 and “The Prodigy” the night before strolling around our hotel. They were on their way to dinner with LeBron and crew. Chris let me know that LeBron would be in attendance at the Hornets/Nets game to support him.
Also watching in the same section were Carmelo Anthony and Sebastian Telfair.
A couple of CP3’s moves and J.R.’s dunks brought LeBron and company to their feet.
The players were happy to get their first summer league win. Sean Banks, Maciej Lampe and David West had nice games in the win.
The Hornets play Darko Milicic and the Detroit Pistons Thursday at 3 p.m., so expect seven points, three rebounds and six turnovers from Darko.
Written: July 11, 2005 at 11:19 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
I took another full day of action at the COX Pavilion today.
Today was an easy day for the Hornets. They had practice this morning at 10 out at Tarkanian Academy. Yea, that is named after the Vegas legend and former UNLV Coach, Jerry Tarkanian. I did not hear if there are ample white towels to chew on, so you can be just like Tark.
I caught up with former LSU Tiger and current Hornets rookie Brandon Bass. You would be amazed at how polite and quiet he is. Watching him dominate the SEC and power past opponents definitely doesn’t match his personality. You can tell after talking with him for just five minutes that he was raised right. He says “Yes Sir”, “Thank You” and so on.
We talked about what it was like for him on draft night. He said that it was beyond what he could of imagined. He chose to go to LSU because it was close to home (he is from Baton Rouge), so he could be near his Mom and family. He has always dreamt of playing in the NBA and his dream scenario was to be a New Orleans Hornet. He is pumped about being a Hornet and is doing his best to improve his game and listen to the coaches.
Brandon is a tough kid and has been playing decent thus far in the summer league. It is a big adjustment for kids to make the jump into the pro game, so early struggles are common. Brandon is a quick learner, so I think he will have a big game before the end of summer league.
I made my way down to one of the practice courts here at UNLV to see a pick-up basketball game containing some of the NBA’s best. Some of the players there included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, Paul Pierce, Elton Brand, Baron Davis, Kirk Hinrich, just to name a few. I asked if they needed an extra, because I am pretty deadly from beyond the arc. I am also pretty good at eating In-N-Out burger, but that is a different story. They said that I was out of their league, so I went back up to watch the summer league.
The Hornets are back in action tomorrow against the New Jersey Nets. I will catch up with you guys after tomorrow’s game, I am off to the strip right now.
Written: July 11, 2005 at 9:32 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Three games down for the New Orleans Hornets, and an 0-3 record. However, I have seen some bright spots in the losses, plus each game has been down to the wire.
The latest loss, a 71-75 defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic, was without the services of rookie Chris Paul. Paul took a nasty fall in the Hornets last game. It was more of a pre caution than anything. Chris told me he was feeling fine and would be back in action for Tuesday’s game.
J.R. Smith had 30 points in the loss and looked pretty comfortable out there hitting threes and driving to the hoop. When he starts to hit the three, it gets very scary for the opponent.
One of the more interesting stories for the Hornets is the small forward position. The Hornets will have Boki Nachbar and George Lynch, beyond that it is uncertain. Bobby Simmons was a target on the Hornets radar, but he will sign with the Milwaukee Bucks. A couple guys on the summer league roster, Sean Banks and Eddie Robinson, have a real chance to make the team. I was hoping that one would separate from the other. Thus far, it hasn’t been the case. Each has had good games and bad games. It was Sean Banks’ turn against the Magic has he put in 11 points. He is lengthy, athletic and you can see the potential in him. He drove the lane twice and threw down some nice dunks.
One of the nice surprises of summer league play has been Maciej Lampe. Lamp has really improved his low post skills and not relied on the jumper. The ability of CP3 to get in the lane and create opens up easy scoring opportunities to guys like Lamp. Once he gets a couple easy buckets, the confidence skyrockets.
I hung out with Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic for a little while after the game. Howard looks like a man among boys out there at times, dominating the inside with his power and scoring at will. I asked Dwight what he thought of the Hornets, in particular J.R., Chris and Jackson Vroman. He has known J.R. for a few years and likes his play. He was telling me how J.R. and him went to Vegas for a high school tournament a couple years back. The funny thing about Dwight is that he is a total kid. He doesn’t like Vegas, he would rather hang out in his room or go to a movie. He talked to me for about five minutes about the movie , “War of the Worlds” and how crazy it would be if it were reality. He likes Chris’ play and thinks that he will do really well with the Hornets. He also said that Jackson plays him pretty good and is good at picking up charges on him.
Brandon Bass took a hard foul during the game against the Magic. He is a tough kid, so there is no question in my mind that he will be ready Tuesday. He had a lower back strain and was in some pain afterwards, but said he will be cool.
I will end my blog just like Elvis would (Las Vegas style), thank you, thank you very much.
Written: July 10, 2005 at 9:55 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
The Hornets played the last of a five game slate of the Reebok Vegas Summer League on Friday night. The game came down to the wire and unfortunately things didn’t go the Hornets way as the Hornets lost to the Washington Wizards, 84-86.
In my opinion, the Wizards didn’t officially beat the Hornets. Eddie Robinson hit a 16 foot jump shot with four seconds left to tie the game. On the ensuing play, the Wizards inbounded the ball at their own free throw line. After dribbling the ball past half court, the clock finally started. And of course, the Wizards hit a game winner with .5 seconds left. At least six seconds went by before the clock actually started. After a lengthy delay and an irate Hornets bench, the refs somehow awarded the basket good. The Hornets inbounded beneath their own bucket with .5 left on the clock. The play was a lob towards the corner for J.R. Smith, but before he touched the ball, the clock ran out. Yet another mistake by the refs.
CP3 had another strong showing by scoring 12 points and dishing out nine assists. However, a scary moment occurred with a minute left. Chris drove baseline and got fouled hard on his way up. He landed on his right wrist and stayed down for about five minutes. George Shinn, Paul Mott, Willis Reed, Byron Scott, Alan Bristow and other Hornets heavy weights were in attendance and no doubt hopeful things would be ok.
Chris came right back in the game after the injury telling Coach Gattison that he wanted to finish the game. CP3 assisted on the ERob shot with four seconds left.
I caught up with CP3 after the game to check on his status. He was in obvious pain, so he got an X-Ray that night. Luckily for all Hornets fans, everything was negative and he should be back in action for Tuesday’s game.
J.R. Smith, aka “The Prodigy” had a nice game for the Hornets connecting for 30 points and wowing the crowd with his deep range and dunking.
After watching two games featuring CP3 and “The Prodigy” in the backcourt, there is no doubt that the Hornets will be making numerous appearances in the top 10 plays of SportsCenter.
Another great thing is the chemistry of Chris and J.R. on and off the court. They were even joking about next year’s All-Star Rookie/Sophomore game and how they were going to match up against each other. Notice I said when, and not if.
Written: July 7, 2005 at 11:24 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Chris Paul is the real deal. I had been waiting with anticipation to see CP3 in a Hornets uniform, and he did not disappoint in his first showing.
The Hornets fell to the Cavs by three points, 73-76 on Thursday evening, but a lot of good things came out of the loss. Chris Paul had a chance to tie the game with six seconds left as he drove the lane and missed a runner off the glass. It was a very questionable no call, because there was a lot of contact. Chris mentioned to me after the game that he told the ref, “I guess I didn’t get that call because I am a rookie.” Former Hornet Matt Freijie hit one of two free throws at the end of the game to seal the win for the Cavs.
J.R. and CP3 looked pretty comfortable in the backcourt together as they combined for 36 points. A couple plays really stood out in the game, and both involved CP3. The one thing fans will see in Chris is that he is always on. He never takes a play off, he is always hustling and pushing the ball. On one play he grabbed the outlet pass and raced up the court, throwing an alley-oop to J.R., who threw it down. On another play, Chris could have been mistaken for an AND 1 baller. Chris crossed over John Lucas III of the Cavs, causing him to stumble backwards, then took the ball to the hoop, getting the bucket and the foul. The play caused fans to stand and cheer.
I got the pleasure of hanging out with CP3 and ‘The Prodigy’ after the game. Both were in good spirits as they signed countless autographs for youngsters at the COX Pavilion. One thing that doesn’t get mentioned enough, is how accommodating each of them is to fans and the community. They were around for over 30 minutes after the game signing and talking with fans.
Chris was disappointed that we didn’t get the win, but was glad to be out there playing. He got a message from his boy, LeBron James, after the game rubbing the win in.
Eddie Robinson showed a nice shooting touch in the game, contributing 12 points and six rebounds. Maciej Lampe also showed some toughness around the hoop, pulling down seven rebounds and scoring 12 points.
The Hornets take on the Washington Wizards on Friday night at 8 p.m. Until then, keep believing in the Hornets.
Written: July 6, 2005 at 10:20 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Action tipped off today in the Reebok Vegas Summer League. I took in four games today, plus a Hornets practice. It was 12 hours and 32 minutes worth of basketball, but who’s counting. You are probably thinking to yourself, “This guy is in Vegas and he is watching basketball the entire time. What about the casino’s, the sun and the famous Las Vegas Strip?” My only response is that this is the city that never sleeps, so when in Rome….
I caught up with a few guys last night at the New York, New York casino here in Vegas. I ran into Chris Paul, J.R. Smith and Earl Smith on their way to dinner. They were ready to unwind after a long day of practices. I also caught up with Maciej Lampe as he dinned with Julius Hodge of the Nuggets and another friend at the ESPN Zone.
The Hornets had a couple practices today, one this morning at 10 a.m. and the other at 6 p.m.. The practices are a great opportunity for the young team to learn the system, play together and show their abilities. In the morning session, Byron ran them through the usual conditioning and shooting drills. Jeff Bower, Hornets Assistant GM, and I talked about new rookie and former LSU Tiger Brandon Bass during game action of the summer league. He said Brandon was looking pretty good and that his body was in great NBA condition. He looks a little lost in practice, but that is expected of a rookie. Byron worked the guys really hard in the evening session getting them ready for tomorrow’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bower was busy scouting other teams in the summer league in between Hornets practices. The stands are filled with scouts, agents and high ranking NBA officials throughout summer league action. This is a job interview for many of the players here, not only for the team they are playing for but also the other 15 NBA teams here. Plus, there are tons of international scouts trying to persuade some players to come overseas and play.
A few of the players that really stood out today were Nate Robinson of the Knicks, Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster of the Blazers and Francisco Garcia of the Kings. Outlaw had a monster game against the Knicks collecting 32 points and five rebounds. His lengthy frame threw down a few nasty dunks compliments of Sebastian Telfair. Webster, the high school phenom, had 21 points in his first NBA outing. The 5’9” Robinson was a crowd favorite as he displayed ridiculous speed, hustle and smartness on the basketball court. He finished with 20 points, five assists and four rebounds.
I do have to take some credit for Nate’s big game. I was hanging out on the court in between games, when he came up to me. He was wearing four baller bands courtesy of Nike (just like the Livestrong Lance Armstrong bands). Two were orange, one was blue and the other was green. Well, he realized that green wasn’t a Knicks color, so he came up to me wanting my Cubs blue band. He didn’t take me up on my offer of $10,000 for the band (that would have been a nice $9,999 profit), so I let him borrow it for the game. In exchange he gave me his green Nike band with ‘desire’ written on it. Since, he played a great game due to my Cubs band, I told him to keep it. So, if Nate Robinson has a great rookie season, you know who to thank.
I can’t wait till the Hornets tip off tomorrow and the basketball world gets a chance to see the “backcourt of the future” featuring ‘The Prodigy’ and ‘CP3’. Should be a good time. Until then, keep believing in the Hornets.
Written: July 5, 2005 at 10:09 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Dennis Rogers here in Vegas, where it's 109 degrees outside at 9 p.m., but it is a cool comfortable 72 degrees inside the COX Pavilion where the second annual Reebok Vegas Summer League kicks off today. The Hornets arrived in town yesterday ready to take on the other 15 NBA teams participating in the 10-day tournament that lasts from July 6-15.
The Hornets practiced last night from 7-9 p.m. in UNLV’s practice gym. They took the court right after the Cleveland Cavaliers. Former Hornet Matt Freijie is on the roster, so afterwards he passed along his cell phone number to Jackson Vroman.
As the Hornets were waiting to practice, I got a chance to check out a few of our summer league players. Everybody looked in good spirits and in good shape. Eddie Robinson and Sean Banks will be entertaining to watch at the three position. I can’t wait till the Hornets first game on Thursday night at 3:00 p.m. against those same Cavs.
The backcourt of Chris Paul and J.R. Smith is going to be something. The combined age of Chris and J.R. is 39 years old....yeah 39 years old. You are going to see J.R. and Chris in a Hornets uniform for a long, long time. I chatted with J.R. for a few minutes today and he let me know that he has been working out like crazy this summer, including practicing with LeBron. From my view, it looks like he has put on a lot of muscle, ready to battle the NBA’s elite two guards.
Speaking of J.R., I was flipping through NBA TV on Sunday night and watched J.R. showing his game in the Rucker Park league. In the league, J.R. is known as “The Prodigy.” He threw down a few nasty dunks that sent the crowd to their feet. I have a pretty good feeling that CP3 and “The Prodigy” will be hooking up on a few highlight plays starting Thursday night.
One of the funnier moments yesterday came when CP3 and Brandon Bass were walking into practice. Assistant Coach Kenny Gattison was quick to call the two rookies over and let them know to go help Hornets equipment guy “Big Shot” with the bags.
I glanced over the summer league rosters and noticed that there is some good competition out there. Tony Allen (Celtics), Gerald Green (Celtics), Al Jefferson (Celtics), Shaun Livingston (Clippers), Antoine Wright (Nets), Marquis Daniels (Mavericks), Corsley Edwards (Wizards), Luke Jackson (Cavaliers), Leandro Barbosa (Suns), Master P (Kings), Dwight Howard (Magic), Ike Diogu (Warriors), Julius Hodge (Nuggets), Channing Frye (Knicks), Darko Milicic (Pistons) and Sebastian Telfair (Blazers) are just a few of the young guns that will be playing in the summer league.
The early favorites for the overall summer league crown are our Hornets and the Blazers. Both teams have a ton of talent, but my money (not literally, but we are in Vegas) is on the Hornets.
I have run into a lot of the players and coaches around the hotels and on the strip here in Vegas. When I bring up my Hornets, all are quick to say that we got a heck of a player in Chris Paul. The guy is a stud in everyway, from the court to the classroom (3.5 at Wake) he excelled at everything. I talked with him last night and he was in a great mood, excited to get things underway. He told me that he can’t wait to get out there and start playing for the Hornets. He also said that he is excited about getting involved in the community in his new home city of New Orleans.
I will be back with you tomorrow as I check in from happening Las Vegas. In the meantime stay dry and keep believing in the Hornets.
Written: July 14, 2005 at 9:21 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Today started with a walk through the hotel lobby where I ran into Sun Ming Ming. Who is Sun Ming Ming you ask? He is a 19 year old, 7’9”, 360 lb. Chinese player in town for the Global Hoops Summit (held after the NBA Summer League). It was quite a sight as I stood in line next to him at the front desk. Every person had to do a double take as they walked by him. The dude is crazy tall, that is all I got to say.
I met Chris Paul downstairs at noon for an NBAE interview. They wanted to follow Chris around for a little while for a feature they are doing on the summer league. I called Chris the night before at around 10 to remind him of the interview. He was just about to go to bed when I called, looking forward to a nice, long sleep. I have had to do a few things with Chris and the media thus far, each time he is always top notch and extremely easy to deal with. He is a true pro at how he handles himself.
The interview went well and lasted around an hour. They followed Chris around the hotel through the fitness room, food court and back to his room. CP3 banged on J.R.’s room and woke him up while the TV crew was following on the way up to his room.
The crew came along with us on the team bus to film Chris’ trip to the arena. Upon arrival to the arena a kid asked Chris for his shoes after the game and Chris said he would give them to him (which he did after the game).
I really thought we were going to beat the Pistons. We came out on fire in the second quarter. CP3 and “The Prodigy” hooked up on a couple alley-oops that raised the roof of the COX Pavilion. I did my best And 1 fan impersonation after the dunks as I sprinted around my chair flailing my arms and screaming. For a full recap of the game, check out the summer league section on Hornets.com
You should see how the crowd reacts to J.R. and Chris after the games. There are countless amounts of kids trying to get their autographs, and they have always stayed and signed as many as they could.
Yours truly gets the honor of taking J.R. and Chris to the airport tomorrow morning at 5:30 AM. Yea, 5:30 AM. They are off to Magic Johnson’s charity game in L.A. (another indication that they are pretty special players).
I plan to take Bryan Harden (Hornets Videographer) and Chris Dupree (Website Extraordinaire) out on the town tonight. The hottest place in Vegas is the Palms Casino (owned by the Sacramento Kings owners). One of my boys from the Kings hooked me up and got us on the list at a couple clubs there (Ghost Bar and Rain). Don’t worry I will make sure we are back before the airport ride.
Written: July 13, 2005 at 12:13 a.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
The Hornets got their first summer league win Tuesday over the New Jersey Nets. It was a little bit of a struggle in the first half, but we came alive in the second half.
Once again, J.R. was easily the best player on the court. The one thing he is really working on in summer league play is his defense and getting other players involved.
He went up against one of the top rookies in Antoine Wright and did a pretty decent job of containing him. He has also dished out 10 assists in the last two games.
We sometimes forget that J.R. is only 19 years old because he is so gifted. Summer League is a good opportunity for him to work on his game and the things he needs to improve on such as defense and ball sharing. Thus far, it looks like J.R. might be a serious candidate for the All-Star game come next year.
Chris Paul didn’t have the best game shooting (0-8 FG), but did so much more to help the team win. He had seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and was all over the place deflecting passes.
The Hornets are noticeably better when CP3 is in the game. He has such a high basketball IQ and always seems to be in control.
I ran into CP3 and “The Prodigy” the night before strolling around our hotel. They were on their way to dinner with LeBron and crew. Chris let me know that LeBron would be in attendance at the Hornets/Nets game to support him.
Also watching in the same section were Carmelo Anthony and Sebastian Telfair.
A couple of CP3’s moves and J.R.’s dunks brought LeBron and company to their feet.
The players were happy to get their first summer league win. Sean Banks, Maciej Lampe and David West had nice games in the win.
The Hornets play Darko Milicic and the Detroit Pistons Thursday at 3 p.m., so expect seven points, three rebounds and six turnovers from Darko.
Written: July 11, 2005 at 11:19 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
I took another full day of action at the COX Pavilion today.
Today was an easy day for the Hornets. They had practice this morning at 10 out at Tarkanian Academy. Yea, that is named after the Vegas legend and former UNLV Coach, Jerry Tarkanian. I did not hear if there are ample white towels to chew on, so you can be just like Tark.
I caught up with former LSU Tiger and current Hornets rookie Brandon Bass. You would be amazed at how polite and quiet he is. Watching him dominate the SEC and power past opponents definitely doesn’t match his personality. You can tell after talking with him for just five minutes that he was raised right. He says “Yes Sir”, “Thank You” and so on.
We talked about what it was like for him on draft night. He said that it was beyond what he could of imagined. He chose to go to LSU because it was close to home (he is from Baton Rouge), so he could be near his Mom and family. He has always dreamt of playing in the NBA and his dream scenario was to be a New Orleans Hornet. He is pumped about being a Hornet and is doing his best to improve his game and listen to the coaches.
Brandon is a tough kid and has been playing decent thus far in the summer league. It is a big adjustment for kids to make the jump into the pro game, so early struggles are common. Brandon is a quick learner, so I think he will have a big game before the end of summer league.
I made my way down to one of the practice courts here at UNLV to see a pick-up basketball game containing some of the NBA’s best. Some of the players there included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, Paul Pierce, Elton Brand, Baron Davis, Kirk Hinrich, just to name a few. I asked if they needed an extra, because I am pretty deadly from beyond the arc. I am also pretty good at eating In-N-Out burger, but that is a different story. They said that I was out of their league, so I went back up to watch the summer league.
The Hornets are back in action tomorrow against the New Jersey Nets. I will catch up with you guys after tomorrow’s game, I am off to the strip right now.
Written: July 11, 2005 at 9:32 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Three games down for the New Orleans Hornets, and an 0-3 record. However, I have seen some bright spots in the losses, plus each game has been down to the wire.
The latest loss, a 71-75 defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic, was without the services of rookie Chris Paul. Paul took a nasty fall in the Hornets last game. It was more of a pre caution than anything. Chris told me he was feeling fine and would be back in action for Tuesday’s game.
J.R. Smith had 30 points in the loss and looked pretty comfortable out there hitting threes and driving to the hoop. When he starts to hit the three, it gets very scary for the opponent.
One of the more interesting stories for the Hornets is the small forward position. The Hornets will have Boki Nachbar and George Lynch, beyond that it is uncertain. Bobby Simmons was a target on the Hornets radar, but he will sign with the Milwaukee Bucks. A couple guys on the summer league roster, Sean Banks and Eddie Robinson, have a real chance to make the team. I was hoping that one would separate from the other. Thus far, it hasn’t been the case. Each has had good games and bad games. It was Sean Banks’ turn against the Magic has he put in 11 points. He is lengthy, athletic and you can see the potential in him. He drove the lane twice and threw down some nice dunks.
One of the nice surprises of summer league play has been Maciej Lampe. Lamp has really improved his low post skills and not relied on the jumper. The ability of CP3 to get in the lane and create opens up easy scoring opportunities to guys like Lamp. Once he gets a couple easy buckets, the confidence skyrockets.
I hung out with Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic for a little while after the game. Howard looks like a man among boys out there at times, dominating the inside with his power and scoring at will. I asked Dwight what he thought of the Hornets, in particular J.R., Chris and Jackson Vroman. He has known J.R. for a few years and likes his play. He was telling me how J.R. and him went to Vegas for a high school tournament a couple years back. The funny thing about Dwight is that he is a total kid. He doesn’t like Vegas, he would rather hang out in his room or go to a movie. He talked to me for about five minutes about the movie , “War of the Worlds” and how crazy it would be if it were reality. He likes Chris’ play and thinks that he will do really well with the Hornets. He also said that Jackson plays him pretty good and is good at picking up charges on him.
Brandon Bass took a hard foul during the game against the Magic. He is a tough kid, so there is no question in my mind that he will be ready Tuesday. He had a lower back strain and was in some pain afterwards, but said he will be cool.
I will end my blog just like Elvis would (Las Vegas style), thank you, thank you very much.
Written: July 10, 2005 at 9:55 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
The Hornets played the last of a five game slate of the Reebok Vegas Summer League on Friday night. The game came down to the wire and unfortunately things didn’t go the Hornets way as the Hornets lost to the Washington Wizards, 84-86.
In my opinion, the Wizards didn’t officially beat the Hornets. Eddie Robinson hit a 16 foot jump shot with four seconds left to tie the game. On the ensuing play, the Wizards inbounded the ball at their own free throw line. After dribbling the ball past half court, the clock finally started. And of course, the Wizards hit a game winner with .5 seconds left. At least six seconds went by before the clock actually started. After a lengthy delay and an irate Hornets bench, the refs somehow awarded the basket good. The Hornets inbounded beneath their own bucket with .5 left on the clock. The play was a lob towards the corner for J.R. Smith, but before he touched the ball, the clock ran out. Yet another mistake by the refs.
CP3 had another strong showing by scoring 12 points and dishing out nine assists. However, a scary moment occurred with a minute left. Chris drove baseline and got fouled hard on his way up. He landed on his right wrist and stayed down for about five minutes. George Shinn, Paul Mott, Willis Reed, Byron Scott, Alan Bristow and other Hornets heavy weights were in attendance and no doubt hopeful things would be ok.
Chris came right back in the game after the injury telling Coach Gattison that he wanted to finish the game. CP3 assisted on the ERob shot with four seconds left.
I caught up with CP3 after the game to check on his status. He was in obvious pain, so he got an X-Ray that night. Luckily for all Hornets fans, everything was negative and he should be back in action for Tuesday’s game.
J.R. Smith, aka “The Prodigy” had a nice game for the Hornets connecting for 30 points and wowing the crowd with his deep range and dunking.
After watching two games featuring CP3 and “The Prodigy” in the backcourt, there is no doubt that the Hornets will be making numerous appearances in the top 10 plays of SportsCenter.
Another great thing is the chemistry of Chris and J.R. on and off the court. They were even joking about next year’s All-Star Rookie/Sophomore game and how they were going to match up against each other. Notice I said when, and not if.
Written: July 7, 2005 at 11:24 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Chris Paul is the real deal. I had been waiting with anticipation to see CP3 in a Hornets uniform, and he did not disappoint in his first showing.
The Hornets fell to the Cavs by three points, 73-76 on Thursday evening, but a lot of good things came out of the loss. Chris Paul had a chance to tie the game with six seconds left as he drove the lane and missed a runner off the glass. It was a very questionable no call, because there was a lot of contact. Chris mentioned to me after the game that he told the ref, “I guess I didn’t get that call because I am a rookie.” Former Hornet Matt Freijie hit one of two free throws at the end of the game to seal the win for the Cavs.
J.R. and CP3 looked pretty comfortable in the backcourt together as they combined for 36 points. A couple plays really stood out in the game, and both involved CP3. The one thing fans will see in Chris is that he is always on. He never takes a play off, he is always hustling and pushing the ball. On one play he grabbed the outlet pass and raced up the court, throwing an alley-oop to J.R., who threw it down. On another play, Chris could have been mistaken for an AND 1 baller. Chris crossed over John Lucas III of the Cavs, causing him to stumble backwards, then took the ball to the hoop, getting the bucket and the foul. The play caused fans to stand and cheer.
I got the pleasure of hanging out with CP3 and ‘The Prodigy’ after the game. Both were in good spirits as they signed countless autographs for youngsters at the COX Pavilion. One thing that doesn’t get mentioned enough, is how accommodating each of them is to fans and the community. They were around for over 30 minutes after the game signing and talking with fans.
Chris was disappointed that we didn’t get the win, but was glad to be out there playing. He got a message from his boy, LeBron James, after the game rubbing the win in.
Eddie Robinson showed a nice shooting touch in the game, contributing 12 points and six rebounds. Maciej Lampe also showed some toughness around the hoop, pulling down seven rebounds and scoring 12 points.
The Hornets take on the Washington Wizards on Friday night at 8 p.m. Until then, keep believing in the Hornets.
Written: July 6, 2005 at 10:20 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Action tipped off today in the Reebok Vegas Summer League. I took in four games today, plus a Hornets practice. It was 12 hours and 32 minutes worth of basketball, but who’s counting. You are probably thinking to yourself, “This guy is in Vegas and he is watching basketball the entire time. What about the casino’s, the sun and the famous Las Vegas Strip?” My only response is that this is the city that never sleeps, so when in Rome….
I caught up with a few guys last night at the New York, New York casino here in Vegas. I ran into Chris Paul, J.R. Smith and Earl Smith on their way to dinner. They were ready to unwind after a long day of practices. I also caught up with Maciej Lampe as he dinned with Julius Hodge of the Nuggets and another friend at the ESPN Zone.
The Hornets had a couple practices today, one this morning at 10 a.m. and the other at 6 p.m.. The practices are a great opportunity for the young team to learn the system, play together and show their abilities. In the morning session, Byron ran them through the usual conditioning and shooting drills. Jeff Bower, Hornets Assistant GM, and I talked about new rookie and former LSU Tiger Brandon Bass during game action of the summer league. He said Brandon was looking pretty good and that his body was in great NBA condition. He looks a little lost in practice, but that is expected of a rookie. Byron worked the guys really hard in the evening session getting them ready for tomorrow’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bower was busy scouting other teams in the summer league in between Hornets practices. The stands are filled with scouts, agents and high ranking NBA officials throughout summer league action. This is a job interview for many of the players here, not only for the team they are playing for but also the other 15 NBA teams here. Plus, there are tons of international scouts trying to persuade some players to come overseas and play.
A few of the players that really stood out today were Nate Robinson of the Knicks, Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster of the Blazers and Francisco Garcia of the Kings. Outlaw had a monster game against the Knicks collecting 32 points and five rebounds. His lengthy frame threw down a few nasty dunks compliments of Sebastian Telfair. Webster, the high school phenom, had 21 points in his first NBA outing. The 5’9” Robinson was a crowd favorite as he displayed ridiculous speed, hustle and smartness on the basketball court. He finished with 20 points, five assists and four rebounds.
I do have to take some credit for Nate’s big game. I was hanging out on the court in between games, when he came up to me. He was wearing four baller bands courtesy of Nike (just like the Livestrong Lance Armstrong bands). Two were orange, one was blue and the other was green. Well, he realized that green wasn’t a Knicks color, so he came up to me wanting my Cubs blue band. He didn’t take me up on my offer of $10,000 for the band (that would have been a nice $9,999 profit), so I let him borrow it for the game. In exchange he gave me his green Nike band with ‘desire’ written on it. Since, he played a great game due to my Cubs band, I told him to keep it. So, if Nate Robinson has a great rookie season, you know who to thank.
I can’t wait till the Hornets tip off tomorrow and the basketball world gets a chance to see the “backcourt of the future” featuring ‘The Prodigy’ and ‘CP3’. Should be a good time. Until then, keep believing in the Hornets.
Written: July 5, 2005 at 10:09 p.m. - Dennis Rogers/Hornets.com
Dennis Rogers here in Vegas, where it's 109 degrees outside at 9 p.m., but it is a cool comfortable 72 degrees inside the COX Pavilion where the second annual Reebok Vegas Summer League kicks off today. The Hornets arrived in town yesterday ready to take on the other 15 NBA teams participating in the 10-day tournament that lasts from July 6-15.
The Hornets practiced last night from 7-9 p.m. in UNLV’s practice gym. They took the court right after the Cleveland Cavaliers. Former Hornet Matt Freijie is on the roster, so afterwards he passed along his cell phone number to Jackson Vroman.
As the Hornets were waiting to practice, I got a chance to check out a few of our summer league players. Everybody looked in good spirits and in good shape. Eddie Robinson and Sean Banks will be entertaining to watch at the three position. I can’t wait till the Hornets first game on Thursday night at 3:00 p.m. against those same Cavs.
The backcourt of Chris Paul and J.R. Smith is going to be something. The combined age of Chris and J.R. is 39 years old....yeah 39 years old. You are going to see J.R. and Chris in a Hornets uniform for a long, long time. I chatted with J.R. for a few minutes today and he let me know that he has been working out like crazy this summer, including practicing with LeBron. From my view, it looks like he has put on a lot of muscle, ready to battle the NBA’s elite two guards.
Speaking of J.R., I was flipping through NBA TV on Sunday night and watched J.R. showing his game in the Rucker Park league. In the league, J.R. is known as “The Prodigy.” He threw down a few nasty dunks that sent the crowd to their feet. I have a pretty good feeling that CP3 and “The Prodigy” will be hooking up on a few highlight plays starting Thursday night.
One of the funnier moments yesterday came when CP3 and Brandon Bass were walking into practice. Assistant Coach Kenny Gattison was quick to call the two rookies over and let them know to go help Hornets equipment guy “Big Shot” with the bags.
I glanced over the summer league rosters and noticed that there is some good competition out there. Tony Allen (Celtics), Gerald Green (Celtics), Al Jefferson (Celtics), Shaun Livingston (Clippers), Antoine Wright (Nets), Marquis Daniels (Mavericks), Corsley Edwards (Wizards), Luke Jackson (Cavaliers), Leandro Barbosa (Suns), Master P (Kings), Dwight Howard (Magic), Ike Diogu (Warriors), Julius Hodge (Nuggets), Channing Frye (Knicks), Darko Milicic (Pistons) and Sebastian Telfair (Blazers) are just a few of the young guns that will be playing in the summer league.
The early favorites for the overall summer league crown are our Hornets and the Blazers. Both teams have a ton of talent, but my money (not literally, but we are in Vegas) is on the Hornets.
I have run into a lot of the players and coaches around the hotels and on the strip here in Vegas. When I bring up my Hornets, all are quick to say that we got a heck of a player in Chris Paul. The guy is a stud in everyway, from the court to the classroom (3.5 at Wake) he excelled at everything. I talked with him last night and he was in a great mood, excited to get things underway. He told me that he can’t wait to get out there and start playing for the Hornets. He also said that he is excited about getting involved in the community in his new home city of New Orleans.
I will be back with you tomorrow as I check in from happening Las Vegas. In the meantime stay dry and keep believing in the Hornets.
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