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It is officially draft day for the New Orleans Hornets and the open thread has arrived. After an unusually stressful day of Chris Paul trade speculation fueled by a long distance interview and a statement from current owner George Shinn, Hornets fans everywhere are probably ready for some potential good news.

Television coverage for the event begins on ESPN at 6PM Central time. If the Hornets stand pat and pick 11th, the decision should be announced around 7:20 in the evening.

Ryan told you what to expect, but there's more to talk about. What is your dream scenario? Who do you really not want to see taken? Which player is a steal in the second round?

If this awesome thread wasn't enough to get you excited, Hornets247 is proud to bring you live coverage from the Alario Center on draft night, where Monty Williams, Jeff Bower, and other Hornets personnel will be gathered to make their decision. Coach and GM both are expected to address the media, answer questions and talk about the pick. I'll be right there to keep you posted with live, breaking information starting at 5:00 and continuing all the way through

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Game 82. End of the road. The rookies are about to be rookies no more. The Hornets will wrap this one up in Houston, game tipping at 7 Central.

The Rockets are 42-39 on the season, 23-17 at home and have won five of their last seven. On Monday they beat the Kings 117-107 in Sacramento, with Kevin Martin dropping 39 points on his former team.

The Rockets will finish ahead of the Hornets in the standings, but about seven games out of the playoff picture. They hadn't missed the postseason since the 2005-06 campaign.

The Hornets have beaten the Rockets twice in three tries this season, most recently on February 21 when both Darren Collison and David West put up big numbers en route to the 102-94 win.

A win tonight would give the Hornets a final record of 37-45. Their lowest win total in the Chris Paul era was 38, set in CP3's rookie season.

Numbers:

Pace: Rockets 96.5 (6th), Hornets 94.8 (16th)
Offensive Efficiency: Rockets 104.4 (19th), Hornets 104.8 (16th)
Defensive Efficiency: Rockets 105.2 (17th), Hornets 107.2 (19th)

Linkage:

• Earlier on the blog: Jeff Bower's final interview?
• Lagniappe: How the Hornets rookies stack up against the rest
• Rival bloggers: Houston Chronicle | Red94 (THN) | The Dream Shake

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

This eve at the Hive: Hornets vs. Timberwolves in the last home game of the season. Tons of giveaways and a t-shirt for everyone in attendance. Tip off is at 6 Central.

The T'Wolves are the worst team in the West, and it's not even close, as their 15-64 record puts them 9 games behind the Golden State Warriors. Minnesota has only won five road games all season and have just one win (home or away) since February.

However, the Hornets have struggled against these guys recently, winning the last two meetings by only a combined 3 points. You may remember the Hornets using the same sideline out-of-bounds play to score the game winner in both. First it was Paul, then it was Posey.

Big Al Jefferson has averaged 21 points and 14 boards in three games against New Orleans this season. He has missed Minnesota's last two games due to a family matter, but is with the team on the road trip and is expected to play tonight.

The Hornets are 35-45 on the season and have lost five straight. Chris Paul is done for the season and Peja Stojakovic is unlikely to return from injury at this point.

Numbers:

Pace: T'Wolves 98.4 (3rd), Hornets 94.7 (16th)
Offensive Efficiency: T'Wolves 98.9 (29th), Hornets 104.7 (17th)
Defensive Efficiency: T'Wolves 109.8 (28th), Hornets 107.5 (24th)

Linkage:

• Earlier on the blog: Marcus Thornton and Vinnie Johnson
• Rival bloggers: Cannis Hoopus | Howlin' T-Wolf (THN) | TWolves Blog

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

The Hornets host the Jazz tonight in the third-last game of the season, and their penultimate home game. Tip off is at 7 Central.

The Jazz are 51-28 on the season, 19-20 on the road and have lost two of their last three. On Wednesday they got blown out by the Rockets in Houston, 96-113. Carlos Boozer led the Jazz with 18 points and 11 boards, but his team never really challenged in the second half.

As things currently stand, Utah are the fifth seed in the West, but are just a game behind the Nuggets for the second seed, so they've still got plenty to play for.

The Hornets trail the season series 1-2, having lost the last two meetings. The most recent was March 20, at the Arena. The Jazz won that one 106-86, getting double-doubles from Deron Williams and Paul Millsap.

As regards injuries, Andrei Kirilenko (strained left calf) is out for the Jazz, while Mehmet Okur (left Achilles' tendinitis) is questionable tonight. For the Hornets, Chris Paul (torn finger ligament) has been shut down for the season, while Peja Stojakovic is still out indefinitely.

Numbers:

Pace: Jazz 95.9 (10th), Hornets 94.7 (16th)
Offensive Efficiency: Jazz 108.8 (8th), Hornets 104.7 (16th)
Defensive Efficiency: Jazz 103.0 (11th), Hornets 107.3 (23rd)

Linkage:

• Earlier on the blog: Trading George Shinn for Gary Chouest
• Journals: Marcus gets dunk of the night on NBA.com
• Rival bloggers: Salt City Hoops (THN) | SLC Dunk | True Blue Jazz

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

With just four games left in the season and distractions abound, the Hornets take on the playoff-bound Bobcats at the New Orleans Arena this evening, tip off at 7 Central.

The Bobcats are 41-36 on the season, but just 11-27 on the road. They've won six of their last eight, but only two of those games have been away from Charlotte. Just last night the Bobcats came up with a big home win over the Hawks, 109-100. Gerald Wallace scored 28 to lead Charlotte, while Boris Diaw almost got himself a triple-double.

The only other meeting between the Hornets and Bobcats this season was back on February 6 in Charlotte; Darren Collison led the Hornets to a 105-99 win with 24 points, overcoming a 26-point night from Stephen Jackson.

Tyson Chandler did not play in that February game due to injury, but he will be playing tonight, making this his first game against the Hornets since being traded for Emeka Okafor last summer. He's been coming off the bench lately for Charlotte, splitting time in the middle with Theo Ratliff. However, Chandler is expected to start tonight with Ratliff excused to attend his grandmother's funeral. Tyson's season averages are 6.1 points and 6.2 rebounds. Last night against Atlanta, he finished with 12 and 8. Should be interesting to see how much he gets up for this one.

Numbers:

Pace: Bobcats 92.8 (26th), Hornets 94.7 (17th)
Offensive Efficiency: Bobcats 101.3 (24th), Hornets 104.6 (16th)
Defensive Efficiency: Bobcats 99.9 (1st), Hornets 107.3 (22nd)

Linkage:

• Rival bloggers: Queen City Hoops (THN) | Rufus on Fire

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