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Guard Johnson impressing
Rookie free agent from Jackson State 'playing really well'

An interesting name popped out of Hornets Coach Byron Scott's mouth Thursday when he was asked to name the biggest surprise of training camp so far.

"Trey Johnson," Scott said of the rookie free agent from Jackson State. "Undrafted, but he's playing really well."

Johnson, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, was a late signee by the Hornets after playing summer-league ball for the Miami Heat.

He finished his senior season at Jackson State as the second-leading scorer in the nation, averaging 27.1 points a game. He was selected Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year and led Jackson State to a SWAC Championship and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000.

Projected as a possible second-round pick in the NBA draft, he went undrafted, primarily, Scott said, because some scouts were worried about the level of competition he faced at Jackson State.

"You average 27 points a game in any league, that means you can score," Scott said. "He's definitely not disappointed us. In fact, he's surprised us with how good he is."

Johnson said the transition from Jackson State to the NBA has been easier than expected.

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Peterson cramming for season
Guard trying to learn ins, outs of system

Hornets Coach Byron Scott doesn't get phone calls from his players at night unless it's an emergency. But Wednesday night, Morris Peterson, the Hornets' top free-agent signee this summer, called.

It was no emergency, but they talked for more than a half hour. Their conversation involved going over the Hornets' offensive sets, which Peterson is trying to get more familiar with in training camp. Peterson hopes he'll know it entirely before the Hornets play their preseason opener Tuesday night against the Houston Rockets in Oklahoma City.

"He called and had the playbook with him, and we went over everything we ran during practice," Scott said. "I told him to come in early (Thursday), so we could go through it some more."

Handling the exhaustive suicide runs and the lengthy four-hour practices this week has not been a problem for Peterson, who played his first seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors before joining the Hornets.

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[Yao Mania]

So what are you guys expecting from Peja? I'm really struggling to decide how high I should rank him on my fantasy pools....

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Originally Posted by Yao Mania

So what are you guys expecting from Peja? I'm really struggling to decide how high I should rank him on my fantasy pools....

To be honest Yao Mania, I have no idea what to expect. He's sounding and looking good right now but ....... you never know. I just hope for the best.

[girllovesthegame]

Hornets' Armstrong better, stronger
Backup center shows vast improvement

Since big-money backup center Chris Andersen was banned from the NBA, the Hornets have wedged giants into the giant hole that Andersen dug. Marc Jackson. Aaron Williams. Even a pinch of Jackson Vroman.

The results were minimal.

The Hornets now believe they've found a player who can effectively spell starting center Tyson Chandler. On paper, you'd think this guy was the worst of the bunch.

Only 3.1 points per game? Twenty-six games when he didn't even play? What happened -- the Hornets lost Corsley Edwards number?

On the contrary, the Hornets are enthusiastic about Hilton Armstrong, who struggled as a rookie but vastly improved this past summer.

"His post-up game has gotten so much better," Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. "His outside shot has gotten so much better, and he has gotten stronger. Those are the things he needed to do this summer. And he came in better -- much better -- condition than he came in last year at this time. And it has helped him tremendously."

Armstrong was drafted 12th overall out of Connecticut in 2006 but was ineffective in 2006-07.

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Jackson keeps taking some hits

JACKSON KEEPS TAKING SOME HITS: Earlier this week during a scrimmage, Hornets Coach Byron Scott thought Bobby Jackson took a knee to his right thigh that left Jackson grimacing in pain for several minutes.

On Friday, Jackson said he slightly hyperextended his right knee, but it was not severe enough to sideline him. The injury occurred after he tried to penetrate across the lane but appeared to step on the foot of a teammate before falling hard.

Two weeks prior to the start of training camp, Jackson said while working out in Sacramento, Calif., he hyperextended the same knee, but -- like Wednesday -- it was not severe.

During the first two training camp practices, Jackson had a difficult time getting adjusted to the extensive running drills conducted by Scott. During Tuesday's first practice, Jackson was the first player to require time in the training room after experiencing leg cramps.

Jackson, 34, is the oldest player on the Hornets' roster. But for the second consecutive season, he is expected to be a key contributor off the bench as a scorer. Last season, Jackson missed 21 games after five ribs were cracked. In March, he missed six games due to a strained right Achilles tendon.

"I'm getting older, but my body feels good," Jackson said. "I'm not even sore, but I'm trying to pace myself and work on my shot a little more than I did last year."

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Scott pleased with hustle

During Friday's scrimmage, the Hornets starters bludgeoned the reserves. On Saturday, the reserves got revenge. Trailing by 10 points, the reserves soon swarmed the starters, and ended up winning by six points.

"They couldn't keep them out of transition," Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. "They were just running. They got some layups and wide-open jump shots. (Guard) Trey Johnson made some great shots."

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West has sights set on upcoming season

David West sat in a front-row seat after practice Friday at the New Orleans Arena and could not remember much about his last game played at the facility.

He paused, then had to be reminded that it was March 23 when Los Angeles Lakers' star Kobe Bryant scored 50 points against the Hornets.

"Oh, that Lakers' game, that was a stretch when I really wasn't playing well," West said. "I got that game out of my mind a long time ago."

That night West made four of 16 shots and scored eight points before a sellout crowd of 18,535. He entered the game with a 16.7 scoring average and had scored in double figures in 34 of 39 games. Besides his shooting problems, West grabbed one offensive rebound in 29 minutes and committed five fouls.

West has returned to New Orleans determined not to have a repeat performance in any of the upcoming 41 games scheduled at the Arena, starting with the Oct. 31 season opener against the Sacramento Kings.

Despite a team-leading 18.3 scoring average, West prefers not to remember much about the 2006-07 season. He missed 30 games after requiring surgery in December to remove inflammation in his elbow.

In March, West was critical of how the Hornets moved the ball in some of their offensive sets, going too often on the same side of the court. Part of the problem was having the five starters combine to miss 133 games.

The Hornets finished 39-43 and were not eliminated from playoff contention until the final week of the season.

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Vinicius' offensive game getting better
Second-year forward needs to improve his defense, Scott says

The Hornets have a couple of the NBA's premier rebounders. Bobby Jackson is not one of them. He's short, 6 feet 1, and while he's asked to do a lot as the gritty sixth man, pounding the glass isn't one of them.

But at a practice earlier this week, his defender, the 6-foot-8 Marcus Vinicius, failed to box out Jackson. Jackson slipped around and snatched a rebound.

Jackson became angered with Vinicius' lackadaisical effort, telling his taller teammate that he must focus.

Hornets Coach Byron Scott was stunned: "I'm like -- come on, now. You've got a 6-1 guy telling you to box him out."

Vinicius, in his second season with the Hornets, has done well in many offensive facets in training camp this week, but his defense has his coach worried. Scott said Vinicius needs to play smarter and adjust to different types of opposing players.

As for the rebounding? "He's just watching the birds. Guys start sneaking in behind him. He has to get better at that area and concentrate a little more."

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Assistant coach pulls double duty
Gattison serves as backup center

When the Hornets ended their scrimmage Sunday at the Alario Center, assistant coach Kenny Gattison was trying to catch his breath as he sat in a chair near the court.

Gattison not only directed the Hornets' frontcourt players, he participated in a halfcourt scrimmage as a backup center. Gattison guarded Hilton Armstrong as they worked on zone defense.

Playing duty was forced upon Gattison because Eric Chenowith, a 7-foot-1 free agent hopeful, remains sidelined with a sore left foot. Starting center Tyson Chandler, who has some soreness in his left big toe that required surgery at the end of last season, was held out after practicing Friday and Saturday.

"He (Gattison) was the second best center we had out there," Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. "But he got tired on us real quick."

Moving quickly toward the high post to set a screen on point guard Chris Paul was Gattison's only highlight. Gattison played nine years in the NBA, including six with the Hornets, before retiring after the 1995-96 season. He is entering his fifth season as a Hornets assistant coach.

Other Hornet notes from this article

I don't like hearing about soreness in Tyson's toe.

Veteran Jackson gives more than advice
Hornets guard shows tenacity still en vogue

A couple summers ago, Hornets Coach Byron Scott was, as he has been known to do, playing golf. He was up in Minnesota for a celebrity tournament, and in the car on the way to the course, Scott sat next to Bobby Jackson, the renowned reserve.

"I told him -- 'Man, sooner or later, you're going to play for me,' " Scott said. "He's just a guy I've seen from afar that I really love the way he plays. Just his competitive nature. I just thought he would fit in well with what I do."

In the summer of 2006, sure enough, Jackson joined the Hornets. Now, entering Jackson's second season for Scott, both the guard and coach remain thrilled about the possibilities. Jackson, who has previously won the NBA's Sixth Man Award, is annually one of the league's better sixth men; he's a guy who could start for many teams, but remains a weapon off the bench for the Hornets.

"He is invaluable to our team," said starting point guard Chris Paul. "He's been through so much in this league, and he's so well respected as a player and a person. When he talks, guys listen."

Jackson, 34, has battled numerous injuries while with the Hornets. Last season, there were the cracked right ribs and his strained Achilles tendon. He missed 26 games. And this training camp, he hyperextended his right knee, but practices through the pain. History suggests Jackson won't play a full season. In the past five seasons, he has averaged 52.2 games.

But when he is out there, he is scrappy, clawing on defense, driving on offense, giving younger opponents a lesson in hustle.

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Richardson takes notes
Summer standout faces uncertain future with Hornets

There are no guarantees that Anthony Richardson will remain on the Hornets' roster after the first cuts are made in the next week or so.

Richardson doesn't know if will play tonight at Oklahoma City in the team's preseason opener against the Houston Rockets.

What Richardson does know is that he is near the bottom of the depth chart at the small forward and power forward spots, behind first-round draft pick Julian Wright, small forward Rasual Butler and power forward Melvin Ely.

Richardson, 6 feet 9, who played at Florida State, was the only player on the Hornets' summer league team to earn an invitation to training camp.

But whether he gets waived or remains on the bench through the preseason, Richardson said he has taken advantage of every practice since last week.

"It's a blessing, a chance to get some experience and be around some NBA players and see what I can do," Richardson said. "If I don't make it this year, I can come back some other time to make it possibly with some other team or come back next year with the Hornets.

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Stojakovic makes return to the lineup
Hornets begin preseason play in OKC before returning to N.O.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Everyone's a chiropractor.

For months, Hornets faithful have offered opinions on the medical fate of Peja Stojakovic's injured back, ranging from "he's fine" to "he's done." Doctors granted Stojakovic permission to participate in training camp and tonight, 319 days after his last game, the small forward will suit up and play.

The Hornets play their first preseason game tonight, hosting the Houston Rockets in Oklahoma City. Yes, the Hornets are back in New Orleans, but the team scheduled one preseason game at Ford Center to thank the Sooner State fans for their support.

Stojakovic, who missed 69 games in his first season with the Hornets, has played encouragingly during training camp, fighting through screens, hustling on defense and making long-range jump shots, his forté.

"The game will be a good test," said Stojakovic, a three-time All-Star. "I just want to get comfortable with the game and gain some confidence for the next one."

Stojakovic, 30, is back at small forward where he thrived during his years with the Sacramento Kings. Last season, he started at shooting guard and averaged 17.8 points per game, at times playing brilliantly alongside point guard Chris Paul. However, the Hornets lost small forward Desmond Mason to free agency and signed shooting guard Morris Peterson, so Stojakovic is back at the three, where he will continue to shoot the 3.

"When Peja is out there playing," Paul said, "it gives our team a little bit more energy and a lot more confidence."

Hornets Coach Byron Scott will start his regular five tonight but will play four of those five just 15-20 minutes. Peterson likely will play more minutes, giving him game situations to feel his way through the offense.

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@



7:00pm CST

Nothing too fancy for pre-season.

[girllovesthegame]

Hornets are looking like D-Leaguers tonight. They are dusty and rusty.

[Rids]

Yikes how's that for an empty arena. Is there anybody there that isn't related to the players, coaches and waterboys?

Rockets up by a bunch at the half.