The New Orleans Hornet's front office made a sneaky good trade for reserve third year PG Jarryd Bayless. Bayless has had trouble finding playing time in Portland, buried beneath a bevy of talented guards. Now, in New Orleans, Bayless will back-up all-league PG Chris Paul. New Orleans gave up a future first round draft pick in the deal. The move strengthens the back court for New Orleans, as the Hornets were without a true back-up PG after trading last year's rookie standout Darren Collison for Trevor Ariza. The team had traded for Willie Green previously, but now he will be able to back-up the two-guard, a more natural fit for Green.
Bayless has shown a knack for scoring in his brief opportunities, scoring 8.5 points in 17.5 minutes per game last season. As the playoffs came, Bayless was given an extended role, playing 27.7 minutes and scoring 13.5 points per game. With tutelage from Chris Paul, Bayless' game should improve dramatically in his third season, especially in the later part of the year. Point guards typically make a leap in their third NBA campaign, having learned much of the nuances of the pro game. Will this move put the Hornets over the hump to get back into the playoffs? Maybe, more likely though they'll rely on Chris Paul staying healthy for any talk of playoffs.
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