Category: New Orleans Pelicans Blog

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Peja Stojakovic riding the Hornets bench

Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports:

Peja Stojakovic riding the Hornets bench

He’s on the periphery at present, on the outside looking in at the New Orleans Hornets’ historic 6-0 start.

Since last Wednesday night when New Orleans beat the Houston Rockets, veteran forward Peja Stojakovic has been on the inactive list, three games with no opportunity to contribute as the Hornets sprinted out to an unbeaten start and became relevant once again in the NBA.

They are the surprise team in the league at the outset, fueled by a young, athletic, defensive-minded group that has left a one-dimensional offensive threat a spectator, earning about $183,000 per game for cheering on his teammates.

Stojakovic, at one time one of the most feared scorers in the NBA, finds his career at a crossroads.

He is 33 years old, surrounded by teammates who are younger, more adept at running the floor and more skilled at providing the kind of defense first-year Coach Monty Williams demands of his rotation, leaving Stojakovic now wondering if his time in New Orleans is drawing to a close.

“It’s obvious I’m not in the plans,” Stojakovic said. “I’m not looking long term. I’m looking at this year. I’m real about it. It’s just moving on with our career and lives.”

Hornets exercise option on Jerryd Bayless for 2011-12

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have picked up the option for the 2011-12 season for guard Jerryd Bayless.

Bayless (6-3, 204) is in his third NBA season after being drafted in the first round (11th overall pick) of the 2008 NBA Draft. The University of Arizona product averaged 8.5 points, 2.3 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 17.6 minutes of play over 74 games (11 starts) last season for the Portland Trail Blazers. In those 11 games as a starter, Bayless averaged 12.6 points, 3.3 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 24.4 minutes of action. During his rookie seasonin Portland, Bayless appeared in 53 games,averaging 4.3 points, 1.6 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes of play. The Phoenix native was named the 2008 NBA Summer League MVP after leading the league in scoring at 29.8 points per game.

Hornets name Jon Ishop head trainer

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have named Jon Ishop Head Trainer. Ishop will oversee the health care, prevention and rehabilitation of injuries, and daily training room operations, as well as travel logistics for the team.

Ishop joins the Hornets after eight seasons with the Houston Texans as an assistant athletic trainer. A certified athletic trainer, Ishop is also an NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist, Graston Technique Certified, and is a Licensed Massage Therapist.

Ishop received his bachelor of science degree in kinesiology at the University of Texas at Austin in 1998 and his master’s degree in sports administration from the University of Houston in 2001.

Chris Paul may wear knee brace all season

John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports:

New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul worked in practice Sunday with a brace off over his surgically repaired left knee.

During the portion of the practice open to the media, Paul took free throws and jump shots on an alternate court from his teammates as strength and core trainer Carlos Daniel and assistant trainer John Ishop observed.

Hornets Coach Monty Williams said Paul was getting used to the brace he’ll probably use throughout the regular season.

“We’re just trying to stay on top of anything that could be nagging,” Williams said. “It’s such a long season. When a guy is coming off a surgery, you want to be as cautious as you can to keep him from having any setbacks.”

Blazers trade Jerryd Bayless to Hornets

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have acquired guard Jerryd Bayless from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a conditional future first-round pick.

“We have always been very high on Jerryd as a basketball player and person,” said General Manager Dell Demps. “He is an explosive, young guard who will be able to come in and help us right away. He has the ability to do a variety of things and has stepped up many times for the Blazers when called upon. We are very excited about adding him to our team.”

Bayless (6-3, 204)  was drafted in the first round (11th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. His rights were traded along with Ike Diogu to Portland for the rights to Brandon Rush (13th pick in 2008 NBA Draft), Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts on draft night. Bayless played under current Hornets Head Coach Monty Williams in Portland for his first two seasons in the NBA.

Last season, Bayless averaged 8.5 points, 2.3 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 17.6 minutes of play over 74 games (11 starts). In those 11 games as a starter, Bayless averaged 12.6 points, 3.3 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 24.4 minutes of action. During his rookie season, Bayless appeared in 53 games,averaging 4.3 points, 1.6 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes of play. The Phoenix native was named the 2008 NBA Summer League MVP after leading the league in scoring at 29.8 points per game.

Bayless spent one season at the University of Arizona before declaring for the NBA Draft. In his lone season for the Wildcats, Bayless averaged a team-high 19.7 points to go along with 4.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds. He was named second-team All-Pac-10 for his efforts. The 23-year old guard was a McDonald’s High School All-American coming out of St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix.

Hornets waive Mustafa Shakur and Darryl Watkins

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have waived guard Mustafa Shakur and center Darryl Watkins.

Shakur (6-4, 195) played in two preseason games for the Hornets, averaging 3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 13.0 minutes of play.

Watkins (6-11, 258) appeared in three preseason games for New Orleans, averaging 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 9.0 minutes of action.

The Hornets roster now stands at 16 players.

Spurs trade Curtis Jerrells to Hornets

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have traded Curtis Jerrells to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for a conditional second round draft pick.

Jerrells (6-1, 195), was undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft out of Baylor University. In five preseason games this season for the Spurs, Jerrells has averaged 6.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 15.8 minutes.

The Austin native appeared in five preseason games with the Spurs during the 2009-10 season, averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 assists in 14.8 minutes before being released.  He appeared in 50 games (all starts) for the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League last season, averaging 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals in 40.2 minutes. He was named to the All-NBA D-League Third Team and was selected as the D-League Performer of the Week twice. In six playoff games for Austin, Jerrells averaged 27.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists. He was signed by the Spurs on March 24, but did not see any action during the regular season or the playoffs.

Jerrells played four seasons at Baylor, becoming the first player in school history to lead the team in scoring, assists and minutes played in each of his four seasons. He appeared in 119 career games (all starts), averaging 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Bears. He was named to All-Big 12 teams in each of his four seasons and is the only player in Baylor history to have more than 1,000 points, 400 assists and 400 steals.

Hornets sign D.J. Mbenga

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed free agent forward D.J. Mbenga.  Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not released.

The 7-0, 255 pound center played in 49 games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Mbenga registered his first career double-double on Nov. 8, 2009 against the Hornets with 10 points and 12 rebounds. He played in three games during the 2010 playoffs, averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds.

Mbenga holds career averages of 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 193 games (four starts). He has spent time playing with the Mavericks (2004-07), Warriors (2007-08) and the Lakers (2008-10), as well as being a member of the Belgian national team.