The New Orleans Times-Picayune (John Reid) reports: The Hornets’ biggest questions remain at the backup power forward and center positions. Whether the team improves from last season will depend how Hilton Armstrong, Melvin Ely, Sean Marks and Ryan Bowen perform off the bench. Armstrong played adequately in the preseason, but he still looked tentative at times. Ely had a good camp and was a productive scorer, but he still must improve as a defender. It did not help Marks to miss all seven preseason games after suffering a strained calf muscle. However, the Hornets’ strongest positions are at shooting guard and small forward. Posey can play both of those positions, and Rasual Butler had a solid preseason at shooting guard. Butler has regained confidence after making 52 percent of his shots during the preseason. Last season, he shot 35 percent.
