New Orleans Hornets' Frontcourt Breakdown

 

Projected Starters:

SF: Al Farouq Aminu– Third year player and former number eight overall pick, Al Farouq Aminu, has yet to find his niche in the NBA, but being traded after his rookie year, was an extremely difficult position to be in. The small forward position is his, only for a lack of better options, but he is an amazing athlete and could become a dominant defensive player. He has to stop taking so many jump shots and focus on easy points, but if he finally starts realizing his massive potential, he could become a very big part of the New Orleans Hornets.

PF: Anthony Davis– All off-season most expected Davis to be starting at center to make room for Ryan Anderson at power forward, but if the preseason is any indication, they are wisely leaving Davis at his natural power forward position. He would take a beating at center and would not be able to play his finesse game and would not be as effective. Now as the team’s new savior and as a possible future superstar, they should play to his strengths. It is well known that Davis is a fantastic defensive player and one of the best shot blockers to ever play at the college level. He is also a very good offensive player, with a very nice set of inside moves and a silky smooth jump shot. He should be a great two-way player from day one and instantly become one of the team’s top players.

C: Robin Lopez: It is a pleasant surprise to see Robin Lopez in the starting lineup, keeping Davis at power forward. He may not be an offensive stud like Ryan Anderson, but he is a fantastic defensive player, shot-blocker, rebounder and hustle guy and will create a very good defensive frontcourt with Davis. He will not only help defensively but will score off of double teams that will come to Davis and score on second chance opportunities that he will create. He has never played over 20 minutes per game, but if he does, he will have a career year and be a valuable role player.

Backups:

PF: Ryan Anderson– Most assumed that Anderson would start at power forward, but now he will have a clear role of bench scorer. He will shoot his normal high amount of three pointers and will score a lot of points, but he has to be disappointed that he is not in the starting lineup. He could be a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.

PF: Jason Smith– Smith is another offensively gifted big man, with a sweet jump shot and solid low post moves. He will simply be in the game to score points and grab rebounds.

SF/PF: Hakim Warrick– Warrick Will serve as the team’s bench combo forward for now. He is one of the league’s premier athletes, but is not too skilled. However, when the Hornets play small ball, Warrick will shine, as he will use his athleticism to score his fair share of points. He will not have the playing time he has been accustomed to getting, because of the depth of the team up front.

PF: Lance Thomas– Lance Thomas is an undersized power forward, but he is the team’s toughest big man. He is a poor mans’ Taj Gibson, as he will fight for rebounds, bang inside on defense and can score inside. He may not have a big role, but will make the most of his minutes, as he is such a hard worker.

SF: Darius Miller- Miller may be at the back of the rotation for now, but he will move up the rotation by the end of the season. Although he was just a mid-second round pick, he has played a key role on some of the best teams in the country over the last four years. He does all of the little things to help his team win and coaches love players like him. He can shoot, is a willing defender and is efficient. He could become the starting small forward if Aminu continues to struggle. He is simply a team-first player that every team really needs.