<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">After acquiring Peja Stojakovic to start at shooting guard, the New Orleans Hornets traded guard Kirk Snyder to the Houston Rockets on Friday for cash and a conditional second-round draft pick in 2008. Snyder started 40 straight games in the Hornets' backcourt last season and averaged 8.0 points and 2.4 rebounds. Coach Byron Scott has said the 6-foot-10 Stojakovic, who agreed to a five-year, $64 million contract with the Hornets on Wednesday, will likely start at shooting guard. "Kirk is a talented player, and I think the abilities and athleticism he possesses will make him a good fit for the Rockets," Scott said. The Hornets also finalized a trade Friday sending veteran forward P.J. Brown and guard J.R. Smith to Chicago for center Tyson Chandler. The two moves leave New Orleans temporarily without any reserves in the backcourt. Free agent Bobby Jackson has agreed to terms with the Hornets, although the deal hasn't been finalized, and Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said the Hornets had also agreed to terms with 6-foot-7 swingman Rasual Butler, their top 3-point shooter from last season. "We have reached an agreement with Rasual that will get him signed sometime next week, and that was a factor in making this trade as well," Bower said. In the past 10 days, the Hornets have also waived guards Arvydas Macijauskas and Moochie Norris. Bower said the Hornets expect Jackson to be the backup at both guard positions while Butler will be able to come off the bench at shooting guard and small forward. He said New Orleans will also look into signing another backup at point guard. "Between any of those combinations, actually we think we've got a nice tight rotation where roles can be clearly defined and players really have an understanding of what they need to do to live up to the expectations levels," Bower said. "I think we've got a real nice rotation with all those players." The addition of Chandler gives New Orleans a stable of young players in the frontcourt. They had already added forward Cedric Simmons and center Hilton Armstrong in the first round of the draft, and Chandler gives them another player in that defense-first mold. The 7-foot-1 center, the second overall pick in the 2001 draft, averaged 5.3 points and 9.0 rebounds last season. "We think that's a big move for us, to bring in a player who's still very young, entering the prime of his career, that has the exact qualities that we were looking to add to our team," Bower said. "He has length, ability to run the floor, shot-blocking presence and also a player that we think has untapped offensive potential. We think we'll be able to take advantage of that as well at the offensive end." In exchange, the Bulls get Brown, a 14-year NBA veteran who had been the last Hornets player left over from the franchise's days in Charlotte, and Smith, a first-round draft pick in 2004 who fell out of favor with Scott last season. Snyder, selected 16th overall by Utah in the 2004 NBA draft, had been traded to New Orleans as part of a five-team deal last August. He began the season as a reserve, but eventually supplanted Smith in the starting lineup in January and began his run of consecutive starts. "It's a great opportunity for this guy. He doesn't have a whole lot of competition. We'll probably sign some more people. But he has a tremendous upside and it's a great opportunity for him," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "He was coming along really well this year. He shot 45 percent from the field, 36 percent from 3 -- that's very attractive to us with the type of team we have." AP Sports Writer Chris Duncan in Houston contributed to this report.</div> Source I dont really understand why the Hornets are just decimating their back court, they've traded Snyder away for nothing, traded J.R Smith for another forward, released Macijauskas and Morris, strange if you ask me. They currentley only have Chris Paul and Bobby Jackson (who is still yet to sign) in the back court.
But they can possibly move Desmond Mason, whose had a horrible year to the 2 position and have Peja start at the 3. Then you have Rasual Butler to resign. Both JR Smith and Kirk Snyder were tea cancers I believe. Wonder whats going to happen to Linton Johnson 3? That kid wasn't bad.
Macijauskas had requested to leave the team, but they could not find a trade for him, which is why he was waived, Smith is self explanatory his problems with Scott basically ended his tenure in New Orleans, and I don’t really think Morris was that big a part of the team. Snyder started last season, but never really did much, especially when you consider where he was taken in his draft class. Although, I think they could have gotten more for him, or at the very least traded him to another conference I don’t see him as a big lose. I can’t understand why they would trade him to a division rival. Good job by them resigning Rasual Butler he is a spark off the bench, and a above average defender.
I've like Butler since Miami I remember he had one big game where he hit mad three pointers hopefully he can have a good season coming off the bench and Stojakovic and Mason occupying the SF and SG position.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting DIRK4L1FE:</div><div class="quote_post">In the article, it says Peja will start at the 2. What the ****?</div> I don?t see the problem the shooting guard position and small forward spot for the most part are interchangeable that is the main reason you see so many swing men.
^^Who is goiing to guard all the really good athletic 2/3's for you guys then? Will D mas and Rasual start at the three then?
More than likely Rasual is really an above average defender so he should have no problem guarding the bigger/stronger guard in the opposing team’s backcourt. I don’t know if he will start, because Desmond Mason (despite a down year) is still a better player, but when they need a stop I think Butler will be in the game. BTW: Anyone find it weird that the starting shooting guard will be taller than the starting power forward?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheFreshPrince:</div><div class="quote_post">^^Who is goiing to guard all the really good athletic 2/3's for you guys then? Will D mas and Rasual start at the three then?</div> I think Dez will end up guarding the athletic 2 guards, Peja will guard the SF's. They'll be just fine with Chandler, Armstrong, and West clogging the middle. And at time, Paul and Jackson will be on the court at the same time, just like last year when Paul and Claxton were always in the backcourt most of the game. This year will be a lot better for us. We now have a defensive and offensive team. Last year our defense killed us.
peja at 2? now i can tell my god bro that there has been a 6'10 SG (cuz he loves to make himself 6'10 on the games and i told him there was never a such thing, now he's gonna be mad to find out that there is a 6'10 SG, lol)
