Hornets Swarm All Over Phoenix 111-106

New Orleans Hornets center Tyson Chandler, and veteran guard Bobby Jackson scored 19 point each as the Hornets eclipsed the Phoenix Suns 111-106 Saturday. Chandler was taken with the second pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the L.A. Clippers who immediately traded his draft rights to the Chicago Bulls. Chandler was one of a handful of first round picks in that draft coming straight out of high school, starting with number one selection Kwame Brown who was taken by Washington. The theory was that these young men were?going to “Revolutionize the NBA” and in effect they did. Probably a big factor in Commissioner David Stern’s “20 year old minimum rule ” was the way that most of these guys straight out of high school, with maybe the exception of Eddy Curry(It still boggles my mind to think that former?Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager Jim Paxson took DeSagana Diop with the eighth pick and?San Antonio got Tony Parker at number 28!) Chandler who has averaged a not spectacular 7.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in his six years in the NBA went to the Hornets before last season.

However Chandler Saturday showed that he has the potential to be the player the Bulls saw all those years ago! In just over 24 minutes of play, Chandler went 6-8 from the field, 7-9 from the free throw line, with nine boards, a steal and a blocked shot. ?Jackson the much travelled veteran guard shot 7-15 including 3-7?from the three point arc, and went 2-4 at the line, with 2 steals and an assist. Although Phoenix had six players in double figures led by Shawn Marion with 18, they seemed a tad off all night. The Hornets are now 2-1 in the pre-season while Phoenix evens up their record at 1-1.