News: Hornets C Emeka Okafor, who went three games without scoring in double figures, finally got back on track with 13 points and 12 rebounds Thursday against the Suns. The double-double was his sixth of the season.

Analysis: Okafor recorded double-doubles in four of his first five games, but his numbers have been pretty pathetic since then. He's still worth starting in most Fantasy formats since he's a good source of rebounds and blocks, but he's playing more like a No. 2 Fantasy center than a No. 1

Okafor produced a 13-point/12-rebound double-double with two steals and a blocked shot in a victory over the Suns.

Spin: Okafor has been strong on the glass of late, as this was his third straight game of 12 or more rebonds.Thu, Nov 19

Okafor tallied seven points (2-5 FG, 3-6 FT) and grabbed 14 rebounds in Tuesday's win over the Clippers. He also had two blocks.

Spin: The recent trade rumors swirling around that he may be dealt to the Kings haven't affected his performance on the court, as Okafor remains a rock solid option.Tue, Nov 17

David West, fresh off a 24-point effort on Tuesday, went back to his struggling ways with a 2-of-11 shooting mark and a lackluster six-point, four-rebound, and five-assist line on Thursday. Games like this are certainly going to make buying him low an easier feat, and for his owners all we can say is to have patience. There are a lot of moving parts in N.O. right now as Darren Collison gets brought up to speed, and Peja Stojakovic is being featured more prominently. Once things settle he should improve.

David West, fresh off a 24-point effort on Tuesday, went back to his struggling ways with a 2-of-11 shooting mark and a lackluster six-point, four-rebound, and five-assist line on Thursday. Games like this are certainly going to make buying him low an easier feat, but we'd implore owners to continue having patience. There are a lot of moving parts in New Orleans right now as Darren Collison gets brought up to speed, and Peja Stojakovic is being featured more prominently. He should improve.

West had one of his most productive games of the season Tuesday, with 24 points (9-14 FG 6-6 FT), 10 boards, five assists, and one steal in 36 minutes.

Spin: This was the type of production fantasy owners were expecting when they drafted West in the early rounds of their draft. Rookie Darren Collison did a good job distributing the rock and setting West up for his patented mid-range jumper, which is automatic for him.Tue, Nov 17

ESPN.com reports that the Hornets have fired head coach Byron Scott. GM Jeff Bower will assume head coaching duties with Tim Floyd as his top assistant.

Our View: The Hornets have gotten off to a 3-6 start, but have played one of the toughest schedules in the league, with six road games. For fantasy purposes, we could see some of Bowers younger players like Julian Wright get more playing time in place of Peja Stojakovic.

Julian Wright scored zero points in just seven minutes of action on Wednesday night, as New Orleans got trounced 124-104 by Phoenix.

Our View: Wright has been phased out of New Orleans' rotation, and currently has no fantasy value.

Hornets swingman Julian Wright played less than six minutes of garbage time in Monday's game. Wright could fight his way back into a significant role in the rotation, but we're not holding our breath. Cut him, if for some reason you haven't already.

Digou (knee) plans to resume practicing on Friday, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Spin: Diogu's sprained left knee has prevented him from practicing for the past two weeks. He's missed the entire preseason and all 12 regular season games thus far, but it looks like he may be ready to return next week.Wed, Nov 18

Ike Diogu will return to practice for the Hornets on Friday after resting his strained left knee. He was shut down for the last two weeks in order to let his knee heal sufficiently, but he still has plenty of work to do before he makes an NBA impact.Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune

News: Hornets PF Ike Diogu missed another game Tuesday against the Clippers and has yet to play this season, but he told the New Orleans Times-Picayune his sprained left knee is well enough for him to return to practice this week.

Analysis: Diogu will likely need some time to get back into playing shape, and he'll play just a minor role off the bench even when he does return. Leave him on waivers in Fantasy

Sean Marks was among the inactives for the Hornets in Wednesday's season-opening loss to the Spurs. Rookie guard Marcus Thornton and forward Ike Diogu joined Marks on the inactive list. Both appear to have been healthy scratches.Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune Related: Ike Diogu, Marcus Thornton

Marks started at center in Wednesday's preseason game against the Hawks, finishing with three points and 11 rebounds.

Spin: Marks saw over 30 minutes of floor time because the Hornets were without both Emeka Okafor and Hilton Armstrong. Once those two are back, Marks will return to being a bit player.Wed, Oct 7

Sean Marks had three points and 11 rebounds in a start at center in Wednesday's preseason loss to the Hawks. Emeka Okafor and Hilton Amrstrong were both out tonight, which is the only reason you heard about Marks' line.

News: Hornets rookie PG Darren Collison, getting an opportunity to start with Chris Paul sidelined by an ankle injury, had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists against the Suns on Thursday. He shot only 4 for 15 from the field, however.

Analysis: Aside from the field-goal percentage, Collison had his best game as a professional Thursday and will get a chance to strut his stuff with Paul sidelined. He likely won't keep the job long enough to matter in standard leagues, but you can take a flier on him in deeper leagues

Collison started at point guard again in place of the injured Chris Paul, and he responded with 15 points, five assists, five boards and a trey in his 32 minutes of action.

Spin: Collison is getting unlooked for playing time this early in his career, and he is taking advantage of it to produce solid numbers.Thu, Nov 19

Darren Collison continued to slowly improve his fantasy production in his third game as Chris Paul's replacement, posting 15 points on 4-of-15 shooting (including a three) with five rebounds, five assists, and one steal on Thursday. Collison fought off a slow 1-of-11 shooting start to hit his final four shots, and was instrumental in the fourth quarter while leading the Hornets to the win. The shooting obviously leaves a lot to be desired, but he distanced himself from guard Bobby Brown tonight, who played just 11 minutes.

Peterson, recently demoted from his starting shooting guard spot, was inactive for Sunday's game against the Lakers.

Spin: The fact that coach Byron Scott didn't even have Peterson dress indicates just how displeased he's been with Peterson's performance, but he might have to rethink that decision after watching Peterson's replacement -- Devin Brown -- play on Sunday. Brown looked absolutely helpless defensively against Kobe Bryant, so we'll see if Peterson gets a second chance eventually.Sun, Nov 8

Peterson has lost his starting shooting guard spot to Devin Brown and will come off the bench in Sunday's game against the Lakers, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Spin: "It's a 2-4 start and I'm not really getting anything out of Mo at the starting two guard," coach Byron Scott said following practice at the Alario Center. "It just might be by committee right now; give Devin a chance then six games from now, maybe give Marcus (Thornton) a chance and just go with (the most effective) guy." Peterson is averaging just 6.5 ppg this year, and this demotion robs him of the limited value he had.Sat, Nov 7

Peterson has lost his starting shooting guard spot to Devin Brown and will come off the bench in Sunday's game against the Lakers, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Spin: "It's a 2-4 start and I'm not really getting anything out of Mo at the starting two guard," coach Byron Scott said following practice at the Alario Center. "It just might be by committee right now; give Devin a chance then six games from now, maybe give Marcus (Thornton) a chance and just go with (the most effective) guy."Sat, Nov 7

Rookie Marcus Thornton chipped in 19 points off the bench in the Hornets' win on Thursday, hitting 7-of-12 from the field (2-of-5 from 3-point land) to go with four rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Not bad for just 20 minutes of action. While he probably won't score this much every night, he should continue to see this much run as the first backcourt option off the bench. His counterpart, starter Devin Brown, is playing well right now which should keep Thornton on the wire in most leagues.

Rookie Marcus Thornton hit 4-of-10 shots for 12 points, three boards and two 3-pointers in 21 minutes off the bench Tuesday. He's an appealing prospect in deeper leagues, but will only offer true value if he unseats Devin Brown for the starting shooting guard job. And as of now, that doesn't look likely.Related: Devin Brown

Thornton scored 12 points (4-10 FG, 2-5 3PT), with three rebounds in Tuesday's win against the Clippers.

Spin: One of the major knocks on former head coach Byron Scott was his unwillingness to play youngsters Thornton and Darren Collison. Bower, who drafted Thornton, seems to have confidence in his ability, and the rookie hasn't disappointed - averaging 20 minutes, 14.6 ppg and 1.6 3's per game in the three games since Scott's dismissal.Tue, Nov 17