OUCH! This Stings!!
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- It was a long year for the hometown Hornets, which is a sad truth considering the hype attached to this squad before the season began. In a (thought to be) weak East, the Hornets were expected (internally) to be a playoff team with the personnel to make some noise. GM Riot came into town and immediately started to clean house... He traded draft picks, young talent, etc. just to try to form a contender from scratch. His acquired star, LaMarcus Aldridge was sidelined with an injury for the majority of the season, forcing guys like Rubio, Afflalo and Bynum to pull the weight. This failed, which led to more changes.
In a desperate attempt to salvage the season, Riot and longtime friend BlackIce struck a deal that would send Rubio to sunny Los Angeles in exchange for polarizing young star Marcus Smart. This was a move that has looked to be a positive for both sides, but it morphed a veteran-laden team into a core of two promising youngsters and an offensive focal point on the wrong side of 30.
The big bright spot this year has been do-it-all forward Okaro White. Okaro brought a never-back-down attitude to the Hornets lineup every night, proving himself to be a block and steal machine at both SF and PF positions, with efficient shooting to boot. In a season where Aldridge and then Smart were expected to emerge as stars for this team, it was Okaro White that played himself into the 'untouchable' category for GM Riot. "He is our centerpiece cornerstone", said Riot, "I know this season was disappointing, but if we make the right tweaks to build around Okaro, we're going to be just fine."
With the draft and subsequent free agency looming, all eyes are on GM Riot--who has dug himself a hole here in Charlotte. Will it be a story of ridicule, or a story of redemption? Will Aldridge and Bynum be in Hornet uniforms next season? Will the Smart experiment at PG continue? Where will Okaro start next year? Many questions, with no concrete answers. It is believed that the Hornets want to commit to the youth movement, despite a considerable lack of draft picks. Only time will tell how this saga unfolds...
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- It was a long year for the hometown Hornets, which is a sad truth considering the hype attached to this squad before the season began. In a (thought to be) weak East, the Hornets were expected (internally) to be a playoff team with the personnel to make some noise. GM Riot came into town and immediately started to clean house... He traded draft picks, young talent, etc. just to try to form a contender from scratch. His acquired star, LaMarcus Aldridge was sidelined with an injury for the majority of the season, forcing guys like Rubio, Afflalo and Bynum to pull the weight. This failed, which led to more changes.
In a desperate attempt to salvage the season, Riot and longtime friend BlackIce struck a deal that would send Rubio to sunny Los Angeles in exchange for polarizing young star Marcus Smart. This was a move that has looked to be a positive for both sides, but it morphed a veteran-laden team into a core of two promising youngsters and an offensive focal point on the wrong side of 30.
The big bright spot this year has been do-it-all forward Okaro White. Okaro brought a never-back-down attitude to the Hornets lineup every night, proving himself to be a block and steal machine at both SF and PF positions, with efficient shooting to boot. In a season where Aldridge and then Smart were expected to emerge as stars for this team, it was Okaro White that played himself into the 'untouchable' category for GM Riot. "He is our centerpiece cornerstone", said Riot, "I know this season was disappointing, but if we make the right tweaks to build around Okaro, we're going to be just fine."
With the draft and subsequent free agency looming, all eyes are on GM Riot--who has dug himself a hole here in Charlotte. Will it be a story of ridicule, or a story of redemption? Will Aldridge and Bynum be in Hornet uniforms next season? Will the Smart experiment at PG continue? Where will Okaro start next year? Many questions, with no concrete answers. It is believed that the Hornets want to commit to the youth movement, despite a considerable lack of draft picks. Only time will tell how this saga unfolds...
