PLAYER NEWS:
--One of the reasons the Hornets felt they could part with Rasual Butler was the expectation that Morris Peterson will bounce back. Peterson was the starting shooting guard last season before spraining an ankle early on. The injury lingered and Butler played well, preventing Peterson from ever regaining his starting position. He'll likely regain it now that Butler is a Clipper. Peterson changed his uniform number from nine to 24, which he wore earlier in his career. But more importantly, Peterson has been working out with Chris Paul, with whom he apparently will once again be teamed in the starting backcourt. --Chris Paul took a break from his regimen to take a trip to Las Vegas with his girlfriend, calling the trip his first vacation since he entered the league four years ago. Paul has traditionally had busy summers, most notably playing for Team USA. Last season he helped lead the U.S. to the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics.
--New Hornets C Emeka Okafor has had nothing but good things to say about his previous employers, the Bobcats, who traded him to New Orleans. But he does acknowledge that his goals will be higher next season. "In Charlotte, we were making steps," Okafor said. "We were an expansion team. Our goals were a little bit different. With the Hornets, there is a different mindset. It is a more established team. They're not necessarily focusing on making the playoffs, but how far can we go into the playoffs? Having that mindset, I'm looking forward to it."
DRAFT PICKS:
Darren Collison, G, 6-0, UCLA (first round) -- The Hornets like his experience, toughness and ability to push the ball. The plan is for Collison to be an understudy to Chris Paul and spell Paul for 10-plus minutes per game.
Marcus Thornton, G, 6-4, LSU (second round) -- Despite concerns about Thornton's size and athleticism as a defensive two-guard, the Hornets like Thornton's ability to score. He'll battle for playing time behind Rasual Butler and Morris Peterson.
