Eric Gordon played through bone spurs second half of season (NBC Sports)
The News Eric Gordon missed the first 29 games of the season, skipping out of New Orleans to rehab his knee (following surgery) back in Los Angeles. That didn’t sit well with then Hornets/now Pelicans fans. When he did return, he was on a minutes/games restriction (for example, no back-to-backs until the very end of the season)…
The News The New Orleans Pelicans say guard Eric Gordon has undergone successful arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle. The club says the procedure, performed Thursday by Dr. Richard Ferkel of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles, was aimed at alleviating pain caused by scar tissue. Last summer, he signed a four-year, $58 million contract.
Our View Gordon is expected to begin rehabilitation immediately and return to basketball later this summer. Gordon missed the first two months of the 2012-13 season while recovering from a right knee injury, but still had the highest scoring average on the team after his return, with 17 points per game in 42 games. Gordon played in only nine games the previous season because of his knee injury, for which he also had arthroscopic surgery in February 2012.
The News Gordon scored 25 points in New Orleans' 96-93 loss to the Clippers on Saturday.
Our View Gordon is averaging 23.3 points on 46.8 percent field-goal shooting over his last three games, compared to 17.1 points and 40.7 percent on the season.
2012-13 New Orleans Hornets Officially Improve on Last Year's Record (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | Despite sporting one of the worst records in the NBA, the 2012-13 New Orleans Hornets have given their fans hope for the future. Greivis Vasquez has emerged as a quality NBA starting point guard. Anthony Davis is as good as advertised. And Eric Gordon has recovered nicely from his knee problem. As a result of their win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, April 7, the Hornets have clinched a better record than last year's squad.
Eric Gordon and Monty Williams Face Off in New Orleans Hornets Loss (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | Five things are certain in the Big Easy: death, taxes, good food, good music, and New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams having the respect of his players. However, after a verbal altercation between Williams and Eric Gordon broke out in the Hornets loss to the Utah Jazz on April 5, people in New Orleans may want to get a good meal and take in a concert this weekend because they may live forever without having to pay taxes.
The News The Hornets have their regular starting backcourt of Eric Gordon and Greivis Vasquez available for Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Our View Left ankle injuries kept both Gordon and Vasquez out of the Hornets' victory Monday night over Denver, a result that snapped the Nuggets' 15-game winning streak, but coach Monty Williams says they're ready to return. Gordon is New Orleans' second-leading scorer, averaging 16.5 points.
Gordon, Vasquez, Billups all to play (The Associated Press)
The News NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Hornets have their regular starting backcourt of Eric Gordon and Greivis Vasquez available, and Clippers reserve guard Chauncey Billups also is suiting up for Wednesday night's game between New Orleans and Los Angeles.
The News NEW ORLEANS - Anthony Davis sliced between Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green to tip in a missed layup by Eric Gordon with .3 seconds left to lift the New Orleans Hornets to an 87-86 victory over the Boston Celtics Wednesday night at the New Orleans Arena.
Eric Gordon Disappearing Late for New Orleans Hornets (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | When Eric Gordon made his New Orleans Hornets debut in the 2011-12 season opener, he hit a late shot to defeat the Phoenix Suns. Since then, Gordon has had a few other big moments late in games for the Hornets. But in his last five games, Gordon has been virtually nonexistent in the second half for New Orleans and especially in the fourth quarter.
The News Gordon is hampered by a sore knee that sidelined him for Wednesday's 119-74 loss at Oklahoma City.
Our View Gordon has struggled through knee injuries all season, and they've limited him to 22 games. The current injury doesn't seem to be serious, but the nagging nature of his knee is a major problem for the Hornets.
Davis skips OKC trip with shoulder sprain (The Associated Press)
The News OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- No. 1 draft pick Anthony Davis did not travel with the New Orleans Hornets for Wednesday night's game at Oklahoma City, and guard Eric Gordon was also out of the starting lineup.
Is Austin Rivers Improving for the New Orleans Hornets? (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | The only thing New Orleans Hornets fans can agree on these days is that Anthony Davis will someday be a star. Everything else, from Monty Williams' rotations to whether Eric Gordon fits into the Hornets' long-term plans, elicits fierce debate among New Orleans fans. Even the name change to Pelicans gets Hornets fans buzzing.
The News NEW ORLEANS -- Showing no ill effects from a strained right knee that he suffered two days earlier, rookie Anthony Davis scored 20 points, most of them on dunks in transition, and Eric Gordon added 17 to power the New Orleans Hornets to a 110-95 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday at the New Orleans Arena.
The News Last month's meeting between the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Hornets marked the first starts of the season for Dirk Nowitzki and Eric Gordon.
The News Gordon is sitting out Wednesday night's game against Portland with a sprained right hand.
Our View Gordon participated in New Orleans' shootaround Wednesday morning and the team has not disclosed how or when Gordon hurt himself. Hornets coach Monty Williams did not mention the injury while speaking with reporters about 90 minutes before tipoff. The team announced his absence about an hour later. Gordon is the Hornets' second-leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points, but has been plagued by injuries since joining New Orleans in a multiplayer trade in 2011.
Hornets' Gordon sidelined by right hand injury (The Associated Press)
The News NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Hornets say shooting guard Eric Gordon is sitting out Wednesday night's game against Portland with a sprained right hand.
Vasquez's triple-double leads Hornets past Hawks (The Associated Press)
The News ATLANTA (AP) -- Greivis Vasquez had his first career triple-double and Eric Gordon scored 27 points, leading New Orleans to a 111-100 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night and a rare winning streak for the last-place Hornets.
Eric Gordon is sending the Hornets mixed signals once again (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Last July, New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon became a restricted free agent and promptly did everything in his power to convince the team not to match a four-year max offer from the Phoenix Suns. In Gordon's view, the Hornets disrespected him by not immediately offering him a five-year extension, despite the fact that it was perfectly logical and expected that they would see what other teams would offer a very good player with a questionable history of injuries.
[Also: Celtics' Rajon Rondo could return earlier than anticipated ]
Gordon eventually came to terms with this situation and reported to camp with the misguided but impressively optimistic belief that New Orleans would be a playoff team . Unfortunately, his relationship with the organization got complicated soon after, with a knee injury of uncertain severity . It looked like Gordon and the Hornets had serious communication issues.
He and the team resolved that conflict, too, and Gordon has played in 16 games this season — the Hornets have gone 9-7 in those contests — despite struggling with back problems. He certainly appears to be a part of their long-term plans. Yet he seems unhappy once again. From Sam Amick for USA Today :
New Orleans Hornets G Eric Gordon Has a New Injury (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | Stop me if you've heard this one before, New Orleans Hornets fans. Eric Gordon has an injury. However, this one is not the infamous sore knee that kept him out of action for 86 of his first 95 games as a Hornet. Gordon is now suffering from a sore back.
How is Eric Gordon Playing a Month After Return from Injury? (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | After missing the first 29 games of the season for the New Orleans Hornets, Eric Gordon returned to action in late December. Not surprisingly, the Hornets improved considerably immediately upon Gordon's return. In fact, the Hornets even had a modest four-game winning streak in mid-January.
The News Gordon had 23 points Saturday in a 116-112 loss to Golden State.
Our View Gordon has now scored at least 20 points in four of nine games since debuting late last month. Fantasy owners should see many more nights like this as long Gordon can stay on the court.
Is Hornets Forward Ryan Anderson Destined to Be Traded? (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | Every NBA general manager has some hits and misses. New Orleans Hornets GM Dell Demps is no exception. Hornets' fans have questioned Demps trading Jarrett Jack, drafting Austin Rivers, and signing Eric Gordon. But no one can question the brilliance of Dell Demps bringing Ryan Anderson to New Orleans in a sign-and-trade for Gustavo Ayon.
Is it Too Late for the Hornets to Make the NBA Playoffs? (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | The NBA Southwest Division is arguably one of the toughest divisions in all the North American major pro sports leagues. In their last two games, the New Orleans Hornets defeated two of their Southwest Division rivals. The Hornets' inspired play and the return of Eric Gordon have utopian New Orleans fans like me dreaming of the NBA Playoffs again.
Hornets PG Greivis Vasquez was pretty stoked to beat the Spurs (VIDEO) (Ball Don't Lie)
The News As a rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2010-11 season, Greivis Vasquez experienced some success against the San Antonio Spurs, going 3-1 in four regular-season meetings with Gregg Popovich's team and notching a first-round upset of the top-seeded Spurs in the playoffs. (Granted, guys like Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley had more to do with that than a rookie who averaged just over nine minutes per game in their nine meetings, but still.)
Since being traded to the New Orleans Hornets before last season, though, the Venezuelan point guard hasn't had quite so much luck — heading into Monday night's matchup, he'd yet to snag a W against the men in black in six tries since coming to Louisiana, including two losses earlier this season. So after the Hornets knocked off San Antonio, 95-88 , on Monday night, Vasquez was pretty pumped to join Fox Sports New Orleans' postgame coverage:
The broad smile Vasquez flashed after he thanked his deity of choice for a "huge win" for his 9-25 Hornets apparently carried over from the day before, because he knew that this time he'd be running with the just-back-from-injury Eric Gordon, according to Darrell Williams of The Advocate :
The News NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Hornets waited two months for Eric Gordon to return to the starting lineup from a right knee injury, and it was well worth the wait.
Gordon shines to lead Hornets to 99-96 OT win over Mavericks (The SportsXchange)
The News DALLAS -- With the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Hornets each welcoming back their star player to the starting lineup, it was Hornets guard Eric Gordon who provided the late fireworks in leading his typically hard-luck Hornets to a 99-96 overtime win Saturday night at the American Airlines Center.
The News DALLAS -- With the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Hornets each welcoming back their star player to the starting lineup, it was Hornets guard Eric Gordon who provided the late fireworks in leading his hard-luck Hornets to a 99-96 overtime win Saturday night at the American Airlines Center.
Hornets 99-96 in OT over Mavs in Dirk's 1st start (The Associated Press)
The News DALLAS (AP) -- Eric Gordon completed a three-point play with 4.7 seconds left in overtime and the New Orleans Hornets won 99-96 Saturday night at Dallas to spoil the Mavericks' first game this season with Dirk Nowitzki in the starting lineup.
Hornets Coach Monty Williams Needs to Settle on One Rotation (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | To say that New Orleans Hornets' fans are frustrated with their team's 7-25 record would be an understatement. An offseason of promise that included a new owner, a long-term lease to stay in New Orleans, the drafting of Anthony Davis, and the signing of Eric Gordon has degenerated into a nightmare of a season. Although fans are frustrated, no one is more frustrated than Hornets coach Monty Williams.
Hornets extend Bobcats' skid to 18 games (The Associated Press)
The News CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Eric Gordon made his return to the lineup Saturday night. And for the better part of 24 minutes, he looked as if he'd never been away.
The News CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Eric Gordon scored 24 points in his season debut and the New Orleans Hornets rallied from a 21-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 98-95 on Saturday night.
The News New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams says Gordon will play for the first time this season Saturday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Our View Gordon only played in nine games last season for the Hornets after being acquired in a trade. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee last season because of a bone bruise. Williams wouldn't say how many minutes Gordon will play, but says he doesn't plan to reign him in.
Williams: Gordon to play, won't start vs. Bobcats (The Associated Press)
The News CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams says guard Eric Gordon will play for the first time this season Saturday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.
The News Gordon, who has not played this season because of knee surgery, has been cleared for contact practice.
Our View Shortly before the Hornets were to face Indiana on Saturday, Hornets general manager Dell Demps said Gordon would begin full contact practice with the team next week and officials would monitor his progress.
Gordon set for contact practice (The Associated Press)
The News NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon, who has not played this season because of knee surgery, has been cleared for contact practice.
New Orleans Hornets G Eric Gordon's Return May Not Be so Near After All (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | With the lack of any real news coming from the New Orleans Hornets on injured G Eric Gordon, you'd think he was rehabbing in Siberia instead of Los Angeles. But Hornets' fans finally received a slight ray of light from Eric Gordon himself this week. He tweeted that he'd be returning to New Orleans next week.
New Orleans Hornets Reserves Must Take Advantage of Injuries (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | The New Orleans Hornets are treating their injured superstars more carefully than an Operation game board. Eric Gordon is out four to six weeks with a sore knee and Anthony Davis could miss another two weeks with a stress reaction in his ankle. To no one's surprise, the injury-riddled Hornets are now 3-9.
'Armagordon' May Strike New Orleans on December 15 (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | According to a popular interpretation of the Mayan calendar, the world may end on December 21, 2012. However, the end of Eric Gordon's tenure with the New Orleans Hornets may end six days earlier. On December 15, the Hornets have the right to trade their disgruntled, injury-prone shooting guard.
Reports: Hornets' Gordon our 4-6 weeks (The SportsXchange)
The News New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon will be out of action for four to six weeks because of ongoing problems with his right knee, multiple media outlets reported Friday.
Hornets G Eric Gordon says knee injury legitimate (The Associated Press)
The News NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Disputing speculation that he's unhappy in New Orleans, Eric Gordon said Thursday that the injury to his right knee is legitimate and he wants to play for the Hornets.
Eric Gordon attempts to clarify his injury situation, fails (VIDEO) (Ball Don't Lie)
The News On Wednesday, the New Orleans Hornets and max-salary shooting guard Eric Gordon made news for a particularly confusing injury update . Gordon, who has struggled with knee issues over the past year, would be out indefinitely with knee pain. What was weird, though, is that head coach Monty Williams seemed to suggest that Gordon had been cleared by doctors and simply didn't want to play. On top of that, Gordon was kept from speaking with the press. To an outsider, it looked like there was a pretty substantial disagreement between the franchise and one its marquee players.
The Hornets must have acknowledged this problem, because Gordon addressed the media on Thursday. Unfortunately, he utterly failed to clarify the situation. Check out the video above from Hornets247.com to see him speak, and check out this report from Jimmy Smith for The New Orleans Times-Picayune for more (via EOB ):
New Orleans Hornets 2012-13 NBA TV Schedule (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News The New Orleans Hornets finished the 2011-12 season with an overall record of 21-45. Eric Gordon led the team with 20.6 points per game, Emeka Okafor led the team with 7.9 rebounds per game, and Jarrett Jack led the team with 6.3 assists per game. The Hornets ranked 29th overall averaging 89.6 points per game while ranking 8th overall allowing 93.4 points per game.
New Orleans Hornets 2012-13 TV Schedule (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News After finishing the 2011-12 NBA season with a 21-45 record and fifth in the Southwest Division, the New Orleans Hornets hope to succeed during the 2012-13 regular season with Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Austin Rivers, and Anthony Davis. This season, the Hornets have seven nationally-televised games, including five games on NBATV and two on ESPN.
Phoenix and New Orleans finally sign off on their three-team deal with Minnesota (Ball Don't Lie)
The News There are other sides to this story, two of 'em in fact, to the three-way deal that is helping to put Andrei Kirilenko in Minnesota . The New Orleans Hornets have traded for restricted free agent Robin Lopez at the rate of three years and $15.3 million, while the Timberwolves are sending former lottery flameout Wesley Johnson and a super-protected first round pick (originally culled from Memphis, sent through Houston) to Phoenix. Hakim Warrick will also head to the Hornets.
Seems like a lot of movement, considering this weather. I hope these guys are drinking water.
It also seems like a bit of a head scratcher for the Suns, who apparently are going a bit rudderless after losing out on signing Eric Gordon and retaining Steve Nash. It's also worrying, to me, that these are the sorts of machinations small market teams have to focus on, even with the increased attention on the soon to be super-punitive luxury tax. Clearing up an offseason's worth of cap space to lure Andrei Kirilenko to an eight figure deal? Having to let go of Robin Lopez for a middling first round pick? Watching a summer go to waste because other teams decided to match offers? Ugh.
Roy Hibbert plays Laser Tag with Indiana Pacers fans (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Over the course of this offseason, we've seen several restricted free agents grow unhappy as they didn't end up in their preferred destinations. Both New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon and Portland Trail Blazers wing Nicolas Batum signed big-money offer sheets with other clubs and professed great desire to move on, only to have those deals matched by their present teams. While everyone claims to have moved on with the intention of acting perfectly professionally, the whole situation is a little awkward. It's hard for player and team to act like everything is ideal.
Center Roy Hibbert, who inked a four-year, $58-million max-level offer sheet with the Blazers at the start of the free-agency period, will not deal with any awkwardness when he returns to the Indiana Pacers next season . In part, that's because Hibbert has found a home for himself and given no indications that he loves any other team more. But it's also because Hibbert is a supremely likable All-Star who knows how to show his fans how much he appreciates them.
For proof, watch this clip from Fox 59's Larry Hawley in Indianapolis . (EDITOR'S NOTE: We'd show it to you here, but the embed code's not playing nice, it seems.) This weekend, Hibbert hosted the members of his Area 55 cheering section for a private game of laser tag. Hibbert says he went 3-0, which makes sense when you consider he can probably see over every barrier on the neon-lit battlefield.
The News The Hornets say they've matched the Phoenix Suns' four-year, $58 million offer to Gordon, keeping the restricted free agent guard in New Orleans.
Our View The Hornets hope the 23-year-old Gordon can be the center piece of a rebuilding effort that includes first-overall draft choice Anthony Davis and 10th overall pick Austin Rivers.
Hornets match Suns' offer and retain Eric Gordon (The Associated Press)
The News NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Hornets have matched the Phoenix Suns' four-year, $58 million offer to Eric Gordon, keeping the restricted free agent guard in New Orleans.
Hornets match Suns offer and retain Gordon (The Associated Press)
The News NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Hornets say they've matched the Phoenix Suns' four-year, $58 million offer to Eric Gordon, keeping the restricted free agent guard in New Orleans.
Eric Gordon really wants to play in Phoenix, tries to scare the Hornets (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Four years into their careers, NBA first-round draft picks are allowed to become free agents. Except it's not quite that easy, and various rules restrict their ability to play wherever they want. For instance, they're allowed to accept a qualifying offer after the fourth season, at which they point they must play one year before becoming unrestricted free agents. If they don't take that offer, they can sign offer sheets with anyone with the cap room to do so, though their current teams have the option to match any deal.
These are common rules known to every player and franchise, and even most fans. Nevertheless, players often get upset when they're not allowed to go exactly where they want. New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon, who reached a four-year max-level offer with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday , really doesn't want to return to New Orleans despite the fact that they've made it very clear that they plan to match any offer for his services.
Faced with the prospect of playing in the Big Easy for another election cycle, Gordon has taken to the media to force NO's hand. From Jimmy Smith for The Times-Picayune :
The Phoenix Suns aren’t done rebuilding, in the wake of the team’s Steve Nash deal (Ball Don't Lie)
The News The Phoenix Suns had to cut ties with Steve Nash eventually. And though there will be no potential lottery picks or a youngster to hand a new uniform to in the deal that sends Nash to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Suns did as well as could be reasonably expected in trading the player they drafted all the way back in 1996. Steve Nash's second term with the Suns, starting in 2004 and ending officially sometime next week, did not result in Phoenix's first championship. But we'll remember the various permutations of the Nash-led Suns team from 2004-12 far more than we'll remember half of the NBA Finals games we watched and re-watched over that span.
The Suns got draft picks, not great ones, from the Lakers. And retained salary cap space. They couldn't pull in an Iman Shumpert-type in a sign-and-trade deal, but the "sign" has to come before the "trade," and Nash chose Los Angeles over New York. The early returns, even after that, are a little worrisome. The New Orleans Hornets are sure to match Phoenix's somehow-reasonable max offer of four years and $58 million for restricted free agent Eric Gordon. Goran Dragic, whom the Suns once dealt with a first round draft pick for the rights to acquire the long-forgotten Aaron Brooks, is back for four years and $30 million guaranteed. And major head case Michael Beasley was just handed three years and $18 million.
Yet, for whatever reason, we can't bring ourselves to destroy Phoenix's initial attempts to make up for Nash's loss. Partially because they've brought in some good talent. But mostly because there is still room to grow. Provided the team executes this rebuilding the right way.
Gordon signs offer sheet with Phoenix (The SportsXchange)
The News New Orleans Hornets restricted free agent Eric Gordon has agreed to a maximum-salary contract with the Phoenix Suns worth $58 million over four years.
The News A person familiar with the talks says restricted free agent Gordon has agreed to a four-year deal with the Phoenix Suns worth about $58 million.
Our View The New Orleans Hornets have the right to match the deal and keep Gordon. He was in Phoenix meeting with the Suns front office. The agreement to the offer sheet was confirmed by a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because free agent acquisitions can't be revealed publicly until next week.
AP Source: Gordon agrees to max deal with Suns (The Associated Press)
The News PHOENIX (AP) -- Restricted free agent guard Eric Gordon has agreed to a four-year deal with the Phoenix Suns worth about $58 million, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press. The New Orleans Hornets have the right to match the deal and keep Gordon.
NBA DRAFT LOTTERY SIM
MADNESS!
