Trevor Ariza already feels needed, wanted by New Orleans Hornets

Published: Saturday, August 14, 2010, 10:31 PM
Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune


It would be easy to understand if Trevor Ariza, the newest member of the New Orleans Hornets, often has felt unwanted during his NBA career.

Having been acquired by his fifth team heading into his seventh season, Ariza, 25, a 6-foot-8 small forward, hasn’t had much time to make himself at home in any of his previous NBA spots.

He hopes his latest move will be different.

Ariza was shipped to the Hornets on Wednesday as part of a five-player, four-team trade that sent Darren Collison and veteran forward James Posey to the Indiana Pacers. Also part of the trade, the Pacers sent Troy Murphy to the New Jersey Nets, who sent Courtney Lee to the Rockets.

Ariza said he was caught off guard by the trade, but already he’s feeling at home in New Orleans.

“As soon as I got off the plane, everybody was telling me how happy they were that I am here, and they are looking forward to this upcoming season, ” Ariza said. “Whatever is asked of me, I am going to try and do. I know if I can’t do it, I’m going to go out fighting. I am going to fight trying to do it. I’m one of those people that everybody has always kind of been against a little bit, and I feel that I beat the odds all the time and get better every year.”

Hornets new coach Monty Williams said fans aren’t the only ones excited about Ariza joining the organization.

Williams said he and his players are intrigued by Ariza’s skill set. He is an athletic player who can run, jump, shoot and defend.

“As a coach, whenever you can add someone that’s an asset on the floor and off the floor, especially as a rookie coach as tough as coaching can be, as many guys as you can add to your squad that makes your job easier is welcoming, ” Williams said.

“For me, having someone as versatile as Trevor on our team, offensively and defensively, is going to be great for us and great for this city. All of our guys are excited. It’s funny: We are getting phone calls and text messages from our players really excited about the move.”

Perhaps the best endorsement came from a couple of phone calls Ariza had with All-Star Chris Paul, whose offseason has been filled with rumors that he was unhappy with the organization’s lack of progress in bringing in more talent.

But apparently, Paul is pleased with Ariza’s arrival, as well as the acquisition of shooting guard Marco Belinelli, whom the Hornets obtained in another trade Wednesday that sent forward Julian Wright to the Toronto Raptors.

“(Paul is) excited to have me, ” Ariza said. “And I told him that I’m here ready to play. I’m ready to win, and we are going to win together.”

Ariza won a championship as a starter with the Lakers in 2009 before joining Houston as a free agent last offseason, signing a five-year, $33 million deal with the Rockets. He is expected to step into the starting lineup at small forward and hopefully improve on the career numbers he averaged last season — 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

One negative from Ariza last season was his sporadic shooting. He shot just 39.4 percent (a career low), 33.4 percent from 3-point range.

Those numbers, as well as Ariza’s shot selection, were a bit disconcerting to Williams, but after talking to Ariza, the coach has a better understanding.

“Sometimes those were some of the shots that we needed to take last year because we didn’t have a player we could go to at the time, ” Ariza said. “I was taking some ill-advised shots, but at the time they were good shots for our team.”

Ariza doesn’t expect the same struggles with the Hornets, especially now that he’ll be playing with Paul.

“I’m playing with a point guard now who draws a lot of attention, and he finds players at the right time, ” Ariza said. “He knows where to put the ball, and I’m comfortable to know that I am going to get the ball when I’m ready to shoot it and have a clean look at the basket.”

Hornets new general manager Dell Demps agreed, adding that Ariza was a prime target of the Hornets all along.

“This is a huge improvement, and I can’t wait to get started with Trevor, ” he said. “When we sat and looked at our roster, we felt we needed someone that could bring athleticism, defense and scoring, and basically check a bunch of boxes. That’s what Trevor Ariza brings.

“He’s not a piece; he’s a big part of what we are trying to build here.”

Nakia Hogan can be reached at nhogan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.


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