Hooped Up

The New Orleans Hornets say center Tyson Chandler and forward James Posey both had successful surgeries for their injuries.

Team spokesman Dennis Rogers said late Tuesday that Chandler had a procedure on his left ankle to relieve inflammation and another on his left toe. Posey’s surgery was on his right knee. Chandler, who averaged 8.8 points, missed 29 games in the regular season and the last playoff game because of the ankle injury. His trade to Oklahoma City this year was rescinded because of concerns over the toe.

Posey, who averaged almost nine points as a reserve, hurt his knee in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs against Denver but played through it.

Both are expected at training camp in October.

ESPN

Marc Cuban has definitely seen Chris Paul own the Dallas Mavericks over the year and Mark Cuban has finally figured out that, if you can’t beat’em, trade for’em in the summer.

Picture Chris Paul in a Mavericks uniform. The thought has apparently crossed Mark Cuban’s mind. Rumor has it the Mavs brass let the powers that be in the Big Easy know before the trade deadline that they’d take the Hornets’ two worst contracts off their hands in a package with Paul. I’d wager the value of Paul’s four-year, max contract extension that kicks in next season that the Mavericks will put on the full-court press with that proposal this summer. Acquiring Paul, a perennial MVP candidate who hasn’t even hit his prime yet, and a couple of his overpaid pals would be a no-brainer basketball deal for the Mavs. For the Hornets, such a deal would make sense only because of the dollars. The Hornets are a prime example of a team that might have to make a desperate, cost-cutting deal due to the economy.

Unless Mark Cuban has used his billions to create a clone of Michael Jordan secretly frozen somewhere. The Hornets will be getting straight hood winked if they trade away the goodness that is Chris Paul.

Via Dallas Morning News

Yesterday, Chris Paul sat down to chat with Regis & Kelly about the Olympics, Utah, his foundation and living in New Orleans. Right now, I think the only reason somebody couldn’t like Chris Paul is because he’s just a nice dude and that ain’t even a reason.

Since NBA action was killed yesterday, I’ve been diggin’ in the crates today and this video of Chris Paul and his Top 10 plays of 2009 has been dug up. It’s a few days old, but Chris Paul and his game is always fresh. Don’t be surprised if and when Chris Paul adds to this list before the year’s done with more spectacular play too.

So crank the Jazz and watch Chris Paul improvise away until he improvises some more.

Lil Wayne was court side of the New Orleans Hornets versus Sacramento Kings game, and when he was asked his thoughts on the game so far, boy did he ever break it down. Somebody should make Lil Wayne an assistant coach. He clearly understands the game, looks smart with the Buddy Holly glasses and I’d love to hear a coach on an offensive possession yell out once in my life
“Treat dey defense like a project chick, ya heard!”.

Via The Sporting News + Ball Don’t Lie

The Hornets lost to the Knicks 103-93, but James Posey couldn’t stick around to see it because he was tossed in the fourth quarter after he threw the ball at referee Gary Zielinski.

Zielinski called Posey for a foul on an attempted rebound with 5:46 remaining. Posey grabbed the ball and fired it at Zielinski, standing behind the baseline, and hitting him in the right foot.

Zielinski quickly signaled a technical foul and threw Posey out of the game. Posey called it “a bounce pass that hit his foot that came back to me.”

“It goes on a lot at games, guys giving the ball back to the ref, and like I said, if I was to throw it at him, I think I’ve got better aim than that,” Posey said. “It was a bounce pass to him. Unfortunately, he made the call and I guess he had his hands in the air, so that’s why he wasn’t ready.”

A fine is definitely a comin’.

Via USA Today

Nate Robinson and Chris Paul got into a little shoving match yesterday and fines could be a comin’.

“As Paul told it, Robinson pushed him in the back. ”I was like, ‘All right, now, Nate,’ ” Paul said. “I thought it would be like, ‘OK, my fault.’ But he said something crazy. We went back down the other end and I tried to be aggressive and that’s what happened.”

What happened was the 6-foot Paul backed down the 5-9 Robinson in the paint, and as Paul turned for a shot, Robinson bodied up and Paul took exception. Robinson was called for the foul with 8:48 left.

The two barked at each other, went chest-to-chest and began to exchange shoves, which quickly brought the referees into the fray. Both players were hit with offsetting technical fouls, but Robinson came close to being ejected when he shoved referee Ken Mauer off him. Mauer let it go.”

Involving a ref in a pushing match is always a bad idea, but lets see what Stu Jackson has to say about it in the next few days.

Via Newsday

Hornets center Tyson Chandler will miss the next seven to 14 days because he will have his inflamed right ankle immobilized. Chandler will miss his fifth consecutive games tonight when the Hornets play the New York Knicks.

He did not travel with the team on the trip. The Hornets announced Friday morning that Chandler will immediately began rehabilitation after the seven- to 14- day period and the team will be giving updates on a needed basis. Chandler is expected to return before the Hornets end the regular season on April 15 against San Antonio.

Earlier this year, Chandler missed 16 games with a sprained left ankle. After his trade was rescinded with the Oklahoma City Thunder because of a previous toe injury that required surgery in April 2006, Chandler played in 12 games before he sat out his first game on March 18 with an inflamed left ankle.

New Orleans Times-Picayune

As usual, Chris Paul owned his competition and lead the Hornets to a 104 - 88 win over the Mavs last night. On this play, Jason Terry was frozen like a statue as Paul jetted around him through him. How do you even defend this dude?

27 points and 15 assist later, the Mavericks can’t answer that question either.

The debate for who gets Tyson Chandler’s old locker in New Orleans is over because as it turns out, he’ll be needing it — again.

Trades being rescinded are as rare as a third nipple, but you can go ahead and hit Crtl + Z / Apple + Z on the deal that had blogger Tyson Chandler in exchange for Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith and the draft rights to Devon Hardin, the 50th overall pick in the 2008 draft. Continue »