PG Darren Collison and SG Marcus Thornton are both playing well when they get a chance to play. Collison has played in 28 games (8 starts) for the Hornets so far this season and he is averaging 17.9 minutes, 7.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. When you are playing behind Chris Paul you don’t get many minutes so the Hornets are very impressed that Collison is staying sharp. Marcus Thornton has played in 26 games (0 starts) for the Hornets this season and he is averaging 17.4 minutes, 8.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game this year. He is only shooting 39.6% from the floor and that will need to improve if he’s going to start playing more at some point this season. Still, the Hornets couldn’t be much happier with their rookies than they are right now.

Head coach Jeff Bower (and G.M.) drafted Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton so you know that he likes those guys. That should mean more playing time for them in the near future. 22-year old Darren Collison is stepping into the starting lineup starting tonight as he is replacing the injured Chris Paul at point guard. He has played in 6 games (0 starts) so far this season and he is averaging 11.8 minutes, 6.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. 22-year old shooting guard Marcus Thornton has played well this season and he is pushing for more P.T. He has played in 5 games (0 starts) so far this season for the Hornets and he is averaging 12.6 minutes, 8.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Thornton could be in the starting lineup soon at shooting guard as the Hornets have not gotten a lot of production there this season.

The Hornets didn’t have a lot of minutes left for rookie Julian Wright but he played well when he did get on the court. Wright played in 57 games (1 start) for the Hornets this season and he averaged 11.2 minutes, 3.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Wright shot 53.3% from the floor as he did a good job of selecting when to shoot. He has the potential to start in the future but it’s likely down the road as he is blocked at forward by Peja Stojakovic and David West.

Julian Wright has a bright future for the Hornets but he’s going to have to wait a while to prove it as the Hornets are having an outstanding season. Wright has played in 34 games (1 start) this season for the Hornets and he is averaging 7.8 minutes, 2.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Wright is shooting 52.4% from the floor this season but he’s been awful from the free throw line hitting only 43.8% from the charity stripe.

The Hornets are a veteran team that’s on a roll so they don’t have much playing time for the rookies. Forward Julian Wright was the Hornets #1 pick this season but he hasn’t gotten an opportunity to show what he can do quite yet. He has played in 20 games this season and he is averaging 10.1 minutes, 2.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. On a bright note he’s shooting 47.5% from the floor which is pretty decent. The Hornets other rookie is guard Adam Haluska who hasn’t played in a game this season due to injury.

Rookie guard Adam Haluska will miss up to the next two months for the Hornets with a severely sprained ankle. Haluska hurt his ankle in practice which has been his only action this season as he has yet to play in a game. The veteran Hornets won’t miss Haluska much while he’s out.

The Hornets rookies never stepped up this season despite the Hornets being decimated by injuries.  C/F Hilton Armstrong played in 56 games and he averaged 11.4 minutes, 3.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game.  Armstrong did shoot 54.4% from the floor so that was a positive, but he should have took charge when David West was injured but he didn’t.  F/C Cedric Simmons played in 43 games and he averaged 12.4 minutes, 2.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.  He also failed to play important minutes for the Hornets this season.  Forward Marcus Vinicius played in 13 games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.  He averaged 8.0 minutes, 1.7 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game this season.

The two big men that the Hornets drafted in the first round started out the season o.k. but they have not played well lately.  Cedric Simmons has played in 34 games and is averaging 14.3 minutes, 3.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists.  The Hornets expected much more from him.

Hilton Armstrong has also been a disappointment for the Hornets.  He has played in 28 games and he’s averaging 11.5 minutes, 3.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.2 assists.

Marcus Vinicius’ season is now over because of a torn ACL.  Vinicius played in 8 games and averaged 6.3 minutes, 1.4 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists.

The Hornets wanted size so they drafted Cedric Simmons and Hilton Armstrong in the first round.  Cedric Simmons has played in 20 games and has averaged 15.9 minutes, 3.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.9 blocks per game so far this season. 

Hilton Armstrong has played in 11 games and has averaged 10.2 minutes, 4.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game so far this season.  Armstrong has hit an outstanding 66.7% of his shots from the floor.

Marcus Vinicius has only played in 5 games and has averaged 5.8 minutes, 1.0 point, 0.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game so far this season.

The Hornets look like they got a nice haul in the draft this season.  Both Simmons and Armstrong could be starters one day for New Orleans.