The Hornets have to be ecstatic with the play of their rookies this year. 22-year old point guard Darren Collison was outstanding for the Hornets last season. He played in 76 games (37 starts) for the Hornets this year and he averaged 27.8 minutes, 12.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He shot 40% from three point range this season which is also outstanding. Collison’s emergence could make the Hornets comfortable in trading Chris Paul which is crazy when you think about it. 22-year old shooting guard Marcus Thornton was also outstanding this year for the Hornets. Thornton played in 73 games (17 starts) for the Hornets this season and he averaged 25.6 minutes, 14.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. No team did better in the NBA Draft last season overall than the Hornets did, period.