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The following update came from the Hornets last night:

Hornets guard Chris Paul, who has been out the past five weeks due to left knee surgery, was medically cleared to begin running at half speed yesterday.

Hornets forward James Posey missed last night's game against Denver with flu-like symptoms. He did not travel with the team to Phoenix and is out for tomorrow's game. He is questionable for Monday's game against the Clippers.

Hornets center Sean Marks will undergo right shoulder surgery on Tuesday morning and will be out the remainder of the season.

Hornets forward Peja Stojakovic, who has missed the past two games with a lower abdominal strain, will remain out for a minimum of the next 10 days.

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

In Part Three of our series, we will look at the power forward class for the upcoming NBA Draft. If you missed the earlier installments, check these links for the lowdown on shooting guards and small forwards.

The 2010 crop of power forwards might be the strongest since 1995- a draft that saw Joe Smith, Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, and Kevin Garnett all go in the first five picks. Kurt Thomas also went tenth that year and Theo Ratliff was taken eighteenth. This class has the potential to be as strong.

Power Forward both is and isn't a position of need for the Hornets. They have two players under contract for the 2010-2011 season in David West and Darius Songalia. West is a two time All Star and a top 12 power forward in the league and Songalia is a better than average backup. However both are on the backside of their careers and both only have one year remaining on their contract. Furthermore, both are finesse power forwards who rebound poorly for their position and don't make much of an impact on the defensive end.

Ideally, the Hornets would love either a power forward who could step in and replace West if he opted to leave (or was traded) and/or they could use a backup to West that can offer a different set of skills, namely shot-blocking, rebounding, and toughness. If the Hornets see power forward as a pressing need, they are in luck because this draft will be loaded with impact players.

Here's a look at some power forwards to keep an eye on that could be available when it is the Hornets turn to pick:

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The Nuggets came visiting and though the Hornets fought all game long, the Nuggets executed beautifully at the end behind Carmelo and Billups and took the win at the Hive.  The last two minutes of Hornets posessions were a bit frustrating.  They took lots of what I call "Hero Shots" as multiple Hornets took off-balance three pointers instead of chipping away at the Nuggets lead.  They had lots of chances there - but came up empty on all those poor attempts.

Still, I enjoy watching the team playing hard.  It's why I watch basketball.

Oh, and this was odd . . . the Hornets didn't seem to miss James Posey much.  Any surprise at this?  No?

David West

For the second time in recent games, I came away very happy with David West's play.  He seemed really focused and played aggressively.  Against Nene, he drove hard, picking up fouls on help defenders, and against Andersen, he did exactly what you need to do against a lanky shot-blocker - he put his shoulder into his chest, made it near impossible for him to leap quickly, and powered in a shot over his head.  Even defensively West was working hard, talking and switching and doubling on Carmelo hard in the second quarter.  He even led a fast break, taking the middle of the floor with the ball, and then sprinted ahead of the field for a fast break dunk off a turnover he wasn't even involved in.

Try as I might, I can't really figure out where this West has been all season.  He looks almost joyful out there at times.  I know its a bit of blasphemy, but sometimes I wonder if Chris Paul's intensity and continuous barking sometimes wears on his teammates.  I know if a teammate at work kept vocally pointing out my errors, I'd probably accidentally spill coffee all over his or her laptop.  Not that I make errors.  Really.

The Rookies

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Before the struggling and shorthanded Hornets embark on their season-long, five-game road trip, they have the small matter of dealing with the 43-21 Denver Nuggets tonight at the New Orleans Arena. Game tips at 7 Central.

The Nuggets own the fifth-best record in the NBA, are 15-16 on the road and come in having won four straight. During that streak, they've averaged 117 points per game. Most recently they played the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Wednesday, coming away with a 110-102 victory despite the absence of head coach George Karl. Chauncey Billups led the way with 25 points against the T'Wolves. Carmelo Anthony chipped in with 19 points, but had scored at least 30 in each of his previous three. Denver has also been getting huge contributions from J.R. Smith and Chris Andersen off the bench lately.

This is the third of four meetings between the teams this season, with the final showdown coming next Thursday in Denver. Chris Paul dropped 30 and 19 on the Nuggs back in December as the Hornets pulled out a 98-92 win in New Orleans. The Nuggets got revenge on their home floor in January, as they dominated the glass and had all their starters score in double figures for a 116-110 win.

Both clubs are pretty beat up for this one, especially the Hornets, who are down to just eight healthy bodies since James Posey is out with flu-like symptoms. The good news though is that Chris Paul has finally been cleared to start running again. As for the Nuggets, they'll be without Kenyon Martin (knee), while Ty Lawson has missed the last five games with a shoulder injury and is listed as questionable tonight.

Numbers:

Pace: Nuggets 97.9 (5th), Hornets 94.7 (18th)
Offensive Efficiency: Nuggets 109.1 (2nd), Hornets 104.6 (13th)
Defensive Efficiency: Nuggets 104.2 (16th), Hornets 106.2 (18th)

Linkage:

• Standings: The Hornets are 10th in the West, 6 games behind the 8th-place Blazers.
  
• Rival bloggers: Denver Stiffs | Roundball Mining Company (THN) | The Nugg Doctor

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

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

Last time we took a look at the shooting guards that the Hornets will have to consider when they are on the clock at the 2010 NBA Draft. Today, we shift our attention to the small forward position. On paper, this is the deepest and costliest position for New Orleans, as they have three small forwards under contract for next year at a whopping price tag of twenty four million dollars. To put that in prospective, if LeBron does go to New York for the max, the Knicks will be paying less to their small forward duo of LeBron and Gallinari. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

The good news is that two of those contracts will be expiring at the end of next year and 2009-2010 might be the last full year we have to endure Peja's streakiness and Wright's clumsiness. With Posey overweight and seemingly disinterested, there is a lot of room for playing time at the small forward position if the Hornets draft the right (not Wright) player. Here's a look at some players the Hornets could consider at the end of the lottery.

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