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The New Orleans Hornets played in Charlotte from 1989-2002 before leaving and moving to New Orleans. The Hornets, a playoff team last season, are the only team moving from the East into the West after realignment in the league. Tim Floyd, the coach of the Hornets after an unsuccessful stint with the Bulls, will have his team ready to bounce back after a 41-41 season last year in the difficult West. Last year’s team was supposed to be led by Jamal Mashburn but he was injured much of the season. Point guard Baron Davis picked up his game and became one of the top players in the entire league after averaging 23 points per game with more than 4 rebounds and 7.5 assists per night. The team also got a surprise contribution from big man Jamaal Magloire who stepped up his play and made the all-star team for the first time in his career. The Hornets had a relatively quiet off-season before arriving at the draft knowing they needed to improve their team’s jump shooting and ball handling on the wings. They selected J.R. Smith out of St. Benedict’s in New Jersey in the first round and Florida State shooting guard Tim Pickett in the second round.
The Hornets will be matched up with the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Memphis Grizzlies, four teams that made the playoffs in the difficult West last year, in the new Southwest division. The Hornets won’t be favored to win the division but know that a bad run could see them sitting out the playoffs for the first time since 1999. The New Orleans Hornets will have Baron Davis and David Wesley teaming up in the backcourt with Jamal Mashburn starting at the small forward position, P.J. Brown at the power forward and Jamaal Magloire at center.
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