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The following is a guest post by Michael McNamara (a.k.a. loveforthehornets).

So far we have looked at shooting guards, small forwards, and power forwards; so in our fourth and final installment we take a look at the centers that the Hornets might consider in the 2010 NBA draft. The Hornets are very thin at the center position, with Emeka Okafor as the only legitimate center on the team, and some say he might even be better suited as a power forward.

The crop of centers this year is average, at best, with three to four guys who could be first round picks- none of which are expected to be franchise building blocks or multi-time All Stars. Center is, without question, the most overpaid position in the game and that is because legitimate big men are so hard to find that teams have to overspend to acquire one or keep one. Therefore, getting a solid big on a rookie contract for the next 4-5 years could be of huge value to any team.

Ideally, the Hornets would like to add a center with some athleticism that would have the ability to make an impact on the defensive end- both blocking shots and grabbing boards. A center who could play in both the high post and low post would also be a plus, as this would allow him to be on the court with either West or Okafor.

So having said that, let's take a look at the Centers we should keep an eye on this month:

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Just what the doctor ordered. The Hornets got just their third win in 13 tries tonight, ending a 7-game road losing streak in the process. It was their fourth win of the season against the Clippers, and 13th consecutive overall against them. If only we could play Baron and the boys every night.

The game was tight throughout the first half with David West and Emeka Okafor keeping the Hornets in it. In the third quarter, Darren Collison turned it up a notch and the momentum started to swing permanently in the Hornets' favor. Once Marcus Thornton joined in the fun in the fourth quarter, the Clippers were done.

108-100 the final (box).

Darren Collison

We witnessed perhaps DC's best Chris Paul imitation tonight in the third quarter. He'd dished out 6 assists in the first half, but had attempted just four shots and had been overshadowed by Baron Davis. But Collison came out of halftime aggressive, and within six minutes he'd knocked down 5-of-6 shots for 12 points and had the Hornets on track.

Later in the quarter, he ran a pick and roll with David West and whipped a gorgeous behind-the-back bounce feed to him for an easy 2 when the Clippers tried to trap. Jogging back on defense after that, Collison noticed Drew Gooden jogging behind him but not paying much attention, so he put on the brakes and let himself get clobbered. Offensive foul on the Clippers. Less than a minute later, Emeka Okafor got called for an iffy foul on defense, and Collison worked over the ref who called it during the ensuing free throws, being bold enough to put his arm around the official's shoulder as he pleaded his teammate's case.

Next thing you know, Collison will be purposely getting defenders on his back, sporting a mouthpiece and letting his eyebrows meet in the middle.

DC's final numbers tonight: 18 points, 8-13 FGs, 14 assists, 4 turnovers and 3 rebounds without a single breather.

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Rejoice! Here comes an opponent struggling even more than the Hornets. We shall see who sucks less tonight at 9:30 Central.

The Clippers are 25-42 on the season, 18-14 at home and have lost their last seven straight. They've been outscored by an average of 20 points per game during that losing streak, and D.J. Foster of ClipperBlog.com notes that the they've been just awful defensively. On top of all that, Baron Davis is disgruntled (surprise!) and Mike Dunleavy was recently fired twice.

The Hornets have beaten the Clippers three times already this season, most recently on January 13. Six Hornets scored in double figures in that one as they cruised to a 108-94 victory. The Hornets have also beaten the Clippers once without Chris Paul this season, back in mid-November for Jeff Bower's first win as head coach. 

Numbers:

Pace: Clippers 94.8 (16th), Hornets 94.9 (15th)
Offensive Efficiency: Clippers 100.8 (26th), Hornets 104.4 (16th)
Defensive Efficiency: Clippers 106.6 (19th), Hornets 106.4 (18th)

Linkage:

• Just launched: Morris Peterson's brand new website
• Lagniappe: Among other things: Should Chris Paul play again this season?
  
• Standings: The Hornets are now 8 games behind the Blazers for the final playoff spot. 15 games left on the schedule for New Orleans.
  
• Rival bloggers: ClipperBlog.com (THN) | Clips Nation

(Many thanks to Dariusz for today's banner featuring Brandon Bass. Be sure to check out more of Dariusz's designs in our Wallpapers vault.)

The Hornets kicked off their road trip in Phoenix tonight, and despite pulling off the rare feat of shooting 17 more times than their opponent due to their 9 more offensive rebounds and 5 fewer turnovers, still lost by 14.

The problem hasn't changed.  It's been there from the start of the season.  The defense as a whole is weak.  The guards frequently lose their guy on the perimeter, and the interior defender either helps and his guy gets an easy dunk or putback, or he doesn't help and we see a dunk or layup.  Amare took advantage of that tonight, earning 36 points on 17 shots.  Yes, that's more than 2 points per shot, and he didn't shoot any threes.  14 free throws do that for you.

Marcus Thornton

Other than West, only Buckets was truly on his game tonight.  What's more, he looked downright pissed off in the fourth as the team tried to make one last push and failed.  He was gesturing furiously at teammates, directing traffic, attacking aggressively, and threw up his hands in disgust several times when the Suns scored to push the lead out.  I'm a little worried that next year the combined glares of Paul and Thornton might actually kill a teammate who fails to rotate.  A lot of intensity there.

Thornton finished with 28 points on 21 shots, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block.  He got no free throws at all.  Now, considering how often he drives, that may seem weird, but I'm not sure I can argue tonight.  Thornton is the best rookie I've ever seen at changing the angle of his release or double-clutching at the basket to get a clean shot off.  That does tend to cut down on the fouls called, since he's simply making his defender whiff.

David West

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Perhaps the toughest stretch of the season for the Hornets starts tonight in Phoenix (tip off at 8 Central): Five games, seven days, all on the road, three against Western Conference playoff teams. Not exactly a welcome sight when your team is banged up and has lost eight of its last ten.

The Suns are 40-26 on the season, 24-9 at home and have split their last six games. The had a big showdown with the Lakers on Friday in Phoenix but came out on the losing end, 96-102. Amare Stoudamire led the Suns with 29 points and 16 rebounds, doing most of his damage in the first quarter. Head coach Alvin Gentry was ejected during the fourth quarter for arguing with officials.

Steve Nash has been struggling in March, averaging 10 and 10, but also coughing the ball up more than four times per game and shooting well below his averages, especially from three (3-17, 17.6%). He'll be playing in his 1000th career game tonight.

This will be the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two teams. The Hornets won just one of the previous meetings, 110-103 in New Orleans in November behind seven triples from Peja Stojakovic. On February 1, also in New Orleans, Marcus Thornton led five Hornets in double-figure scoring with 25 points, but the Suns got up big in the first half and had six guys finish with 10+ points en route to the 109-100 win.

Injuries:

The Hornets will be without James Posey, Peja Stojakovic, Chris Paul and Sean Marks. We posted a full report on them earlier. The Suns' Leandro Barbosa has missed the last six weeks with a wrist injury, but is very close to returning and is listed as a game-time decision for tonight.

Numbers:

Pace: Suns 97.9 (4th), Hornets 94.8 (15th)
Offensive Efficiency: Suns 111.6 (1st), Hornets 104.4 (15th)
Defensive Efficiency: Suns 107.7 (25th), Hornets 106.2 (18th)

Linkage:

• Standings: The 32-34 Hornets are 10th in the West, seven games behind the 8th-place Blazers.
  
• Rival bloggers: Bright Side of the Sun | Valley of the Suns (THN)

(Many thanks to Dariusz for today's banner featuring the rooks. Be sure to check out more of Dariusz's designs in our Wallpapers vault.)