David West: We Need To Get Help for CP3
David West (photo. NBA)
David West can’t openly say that Peja Stojakovic is over the hill, that Rasual Butler doesn’t play with heart, and that Julian Wright stinks. However, his call for New Orleans’ front office to go out and get some talent to lighten the burden on Chris Paul‘s shoulders is just another way of saying those other things.
“We’ve got to get healthy, but outside of that, we’ve really got to bring some guys in here that can take the load off Chris,” said David West. “He’s a great player that’s going to put up great numbers. But he has to know that on some nights he can be able to rely on a second, third and fourth guy to carry the load. There were times this season where I felt we were outgunned and overmatched.”
No beating around the bush. West says that the Hornets were “outgunned and overmatched” at times. He need not lump himself in with the rest of his team. Though he didn’t explode for 35-plus points as we’ve seen him do at times, West was a consistent 18.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg during the Hornets’ embarrassing five-game series with Denver.
So with Paul and West as the only two guys that New Orleans needs to hold on to – clearly they feel like they could do without Tyson Chandler after the non-trade incident – who else should they focus on going out and getting?
Here are some unrestricted free agents who might be appealing:
* Ronnie Price
* Shawn Marion
* Ben Gordon
* Matt Barnes
* Allen Iverson
* Rasheed Wallace
* Jamal Crawford
* Ron Artest
* Von Wafer
* Anthony Parker
* Marquis Daniels
* Trevor Ariza
* Lamar Odom
Source: Real GM
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May 1st, 2009 at 2:41 pm
joe says:
who would want to go to that craphole of a city called N.O.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:44 pm
32 says:
the best point guard in the league certainly didnt mind signing that extension last summer…
May 1st, 2009 at 2:49 pm
BERN BROGDEN says:
@JOE – ’cause one of the best point guards works there doh doh head.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:55 pm
ticktock6 says:
It’s warm. It’s fun. You get to play with Chris Paul, who will up your numbers.
I don’t see the problem.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Metropolitan's Finest says:
JOE
You suck and are stupid and a prejudice loser…
New Orleans is not a crap hole !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just full of odd looking people, i.e. Lil Wayne and your momma
May 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pm
doc says:
I would take Ron-Ron,either Ben Gordon or Crawford,maybe Odom.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pm
ticktock6 says:
From someone who watched him this year AND last year when he was a DNP/CD because he couldn’t shoot AT ALL, I don’t think Rasual Butler lacks heart. What he lacks is consistency. He’s a bench 3 pt shooter. They desperately need a young, fast, athletic havoc-creating 2 to pair with Chris Paul.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:17 pm
G says:
@7. yea I was just thinking that theyd prob love to have JR Smith back. Anyone remember the details of that move? Whatd they get back for him?
May 1st, 2009 at 3:20 pm
patrick says:
Get the man an athletic decent shooter (wafer, ariza or barnes) figure out what’s wrong with chandler and add one more perimeter defender.
Side note. I love new orleans. Try to go once or twice a year, but it is a crap hole. A glory hole if you will.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:45 pm
nerditry says:
I like Crawford more than Gordon because Ben needs the ball in his hands more often to create shots. The Hornets don’t need a second person controlling the ball while CP3 is on the floor, but also need a player that isn’t just going to camp out the way that old ass Peja does not.
Parker reminds me of Posey, just a few years younger.
Let’s also be honest and say that Tyson Chandler is hurting them right now and that he has to come back in great shape next season for them to have a legit squad.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:51 pm
BR says:
Maybe they should take a chance on Marion?
Just like Nash, Paul can get Marion some easy buckets, and maybe he could make up for Tyson Chandler’s slight fall off…
May 1st, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Scott says:
I’m not surprised that Marquis Daniels hasn’t been mentioned. The guy gets crafty buckets, can defend, can handle the ball if need be and has size.
I too first thought that Crawford would be an ideal fit, but his D is usually suspect, and with CP3 rushing the passing lanes, having a SG who can’t gaurd doesn’t seem too ideal.
Marion could be solid, but his shot has really hit the skids in his latter years. Which worked in Toronto cuz Bargs at C could make up with his shooting, but in another system does Marion need to play the 4?
May 1st, 2009 at 4:58 pm
oohbz says:
i’d take gordon..
May 1st, 2009 at 5:32 pm
knock knck says:
they just need to play DEFENSE and maybe they’d win a series. jesus chris paul wasn’t playn no d, neither was the rest of the team. had new orleans been in the east they would be contending for a championship over lebrons dumbass
May 1st, 2009 at 5:49 pm
ctkennedy says:
they need crawford or iverson a player who respects paul but at the same time when they need to get it in they dont care he on the team chandler have to get healthy cause west is good at what he does but he cant do no better
May 1st, 2009 at 6:02 pm
jp says:
Jannero Pargo. Sign him up again.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:06 pm
ticktock6 says:
@8 I believe they actually forced Chicago to take JR Smith when they traded for Chandler. Byron Scott couldn’t stand his boneheaded ways. I don’t know that they’d take him back. He had a good series, but he always has good games against the Hornets. Or tries to, and jacks shots.
Brandon Bass I like to think they’d take back with a do-over. But I think Byron was REALLY fed up with JR.
@14 I doubt Iverson would respect Paul enough to play his role the way the Hornets would want him to play it.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:17 pm
A$$Cube aka French Quarter says:
If they were ready to kiss Ty -and his large contract- goodbye for a couple of expirings, i’m really doubtful about the Hornets spending their MLE this summer. Their two last signees -MoPete & Posey- haven’t really panned out like they would have liked.
They should focus on the draft and give a serious look at G Beaubois (Cholet, France). He tends to be overlooked despite a strong showing at the euro finals against Bologna last week, but I do think he’s the kind of guy the Spurs would make a late first rounder of. That’d be a cheap way to fix NO’s 2guard spot, in the relatively near future.
Trust me. Beaubois’s a name to remember.
And about JR Smith, they traded him for… Chandler, then Chicago sent him to Denver for expirings and/or a 2nd rounder i guess.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:56 pm
the cynic says:
Someone tell West and Paul help isn’t coming. Peja is making big money for 3 more years when he is worth about a quarter of what he is making. They need wing help in the worst way and they need to find it on the cheap. Maybe Anthony Parker might help, but this team needs a gunner, someone like Pargo. Crawford would be great, but Hornets can’t afford him
May 1st, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Baby Huey says:
I think it must be rebuilding time for the Hornets, feel free to send CP3 up to Portland while you’re at it.
Signed – Every Blazers Fan
May 1st, 2009 at 7:43 pm
xx says:
arenas and blatche for paul
May 1st, 2009 at 8:28 pm
siree says:
what do you think about iverson to new orleans? i feel like he might be a good fit since west is a big man so he wouldnt interfere with ai’s game and paul has never been someone who needed his shots. i dunno its just a thought…
May 1st, 2009 at 8:30 pm
siree says:
plus cp3 would require the d’s attention so ai could get the same touches as a #1 option but teams wouldn’t be able to focus their entire d on him. even if ai loses a step he can still take anyone 1 on 1 off the dribble
May 2nd, 2009 at 5:30 am
Bulls Fan says:
@ xx – that is actually not a bad idea, Washington would probably become instant Eastern Conference finalists with Jamison/Butler/Paul and a bunch of nice young kids
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:18 am
ticktock6 says:
As a Hornets fan I know AI can still score. It’s an interesting option (that won’t happen because of how much they’d have to pay for him). However, I do not want a 5’11-6’0 starting backcourt. Especially in the West. (I’ve stood next to CP. He’s not six feet tall. Probably neither is AI.)
May 2nd, 2009 at 10:59 am
Kudabeen says:
Crawford is prime for a big season after having to suffer through his Warriors time…grab him
If artest doesn’t stick with Houston adding him to a lineup with Posey would put Hornets right back in the mix…
Hornets need more than anything an enforcer. Ron can be that guys, but you need a big guy that won’t let NeNe knee, push, bump your PG around with no repercussions…
Isiah had enforcers…CP3 needs enforcers…
Ben Gordon off the bench would more than fill the void Pargo’s depature left. When they would be getting roasted last he would go on 6-8 point runs by himself to spark runs.
They need Crawford at the two and Artest. Odom maybe to too attached to Kobe and his great situation in LA to get.
Any worthy bigs available this summer??
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Scoob says:
Um…Lamar and CP3 might be a problem….
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Scoob says:
or Ron Ron…dunno bout Matrix though..
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
flavur says:
I say they get jamal Crawford they could use someone who provides instant offense.
May 4th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
KWAME says:
jamal crawford would give them another much needed scorer