Still Firing Blanks

Tonight the Hornets played Indiana in their second preseason game, losing 101 to 96. Again, other than Hilton Armstrong and Ryan Bowen(?), they shot poorly. Some observations:

• Julian Wright again proved he can rebound at a high level, sucking in 10 during his 26 minutes. He also managed to toss out 4 assists, one steal, two blocks and 8 points on 3 of 7 shooting.(2-4 FT) So it appears everything we've heard about the guy all summer long is true. He can do everything - but shoot. Still, his defense is impressive, and may already be better than what Mase gave us last year. It's a bit early to say this, but his game makes me think of Kirilenko a little.
• The starters combined to shoot 18 of 47, or a sad 38.2%. Last game they shot 28.5%, so this is an improvement. Maybe next game they'll shoot 48%, and I'll gurgle happily for a while. Gurgle is a cool word.
• Haluska didn't play, but Trey Johnson, Marcus Vinicius and Anthony Richardson did. In a combined 44 minutes, the three managed 12 points, 3 rebounds, 0 blocks, 1 steal, 2 assists, 4 turnovers, 5-17 shooting and two missed free throws. That's pretty close to what Haluska did in 24 minutes alone, so he and Bowen probably have the leg up for those last few roster spots.
• Okay, I'll say it. Bowen's looked decent other than being a foul machine. I can see him being the fifth big man.
• There were 104 Hornets possessions this game - so the pace continues to be fast.
• Tyson didn't play, and the Hornets were outrebounded by 19. Bobby Jackson and Rasual Butler didn't play either - but they were replaced by Pargo and Vinicius, who produced about the same as they had the game before
• Hilton was solid offensively(16 points, 62.5.% FG, 75% FT) and active defensively(2 blocks, 2 steals), but he's got to cover the boards a little better. Both sides shot poorly and there were 101 rebounds available in the game. He grabbed 6? Still - he's showing a nice game.
• Mo Pete hit his first shots as a Hornet. Yay!