FanHouse Chris Anderson

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

Now that the Birdman (Ka-kaw) is back, the Hornets are really only one or two pieces away from contending for a championship that they could have won last year anyway. Which makes this pick tough -- New Orleans certainly has needs, but whether or not those can be immediately answered at 27 will determine whether they actually end up pulling the trigger on any first rounders.

Picks: #27

Needs: A scorer from the two. They need some frontcourt depth too, but they can acquire that without having to use a draft pick. Not to mention an immediate offensive impact shooting guard takes the pressure off of Peja and Chris Paul (vis a vis Jannero Pargo seeing more minutes at the point).

Best case scenario: Chris Douglas-Roberts or Courtney Lee somehow drops to the Hornets in the first ... which a lot of mocks actually have happening. I think they gets pulled on before then but, oh, the three letter nicknames we'd see. Give me a second, I'll figure something out for Lee.

Here's something to brighten your off-season: According to The Boston Globe, the one, the only Chris Anderson is preparing for a comeback (the video is Anderson playing ball with his number one fan). Anyway, dude's two-year suspension lets up in the middle of this coming season, so get your cameras ready:

Anderson has been working out in Las Vegas getting ready to resume his career, and it's anticipated that the Hornets, who last held his rights, will not reinstate his contract (3 1/2 years left on a four-year, $14 million deal), which will make Anderson a free agent ... Anderson turned 29 in July and has several years of NBA experience under his belt. He would be the first player to come back from a drug suspension and actually play in the NBA.

It's that last sentence that's either weird or potentially historic. I think they're referring to Anderson's being "banned," which, according to the league's rules, involves either multiple steroids suspensions or messing with something harder than weed. The NBA makes its steroids-users public, and Anderson had never been one of those.

In other news, doesn't Roy Tarpley deserve a better Wikipedia entry?

(Hat tip: The Basketball Jones)