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Jim Eichenhofer ‏@Jim_Eichenhofer
Draft workout #1 has begun:UNC's John Henson/Tyler Zeller; Illinois' Meyers Leonard; Kentucky's Terrence Jones;Miss. State's Arnett Moultrie

Jim Eichenhofer ‏@Jim_Eichenhofer
Hornets draft workout #2 today features Duke's Austin Rivers, UConn's Jeremy Lamb, Washington's Terrence Ross and Maryland's Terrell Stoglin

Hornets future bright under Williams say players in for pre-draft workout

WESTWEGO, La. – Hornets general manager Dell Demps roved around the Alario Center on Monday, watching nine NBA prospects work out in preparation for the June 28 draft.

In the stands, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, who also is expected to advise incoming new owner Tom Benson on Hornets matters, sat and watched while talking with shooting guard Eric Gordon.

The focus for those nine players, however, was on none of those folks on the periphery.

Instead, they’re attention was firmly on Monty Williams, New Orleans youthful and well-respected coach.

“You can tell he watches every little thing,” former Duke guard Austin Rivers said. “I think coaches just let things go. They just put them through workouts and see who they like the best. I think Monty really coaches everybody. He watches every little thing and I think that’s what the great coaches do.”

The one sentiment that colored each players’ comments on the Hornets was that New Orleans is an up=and-coming place, somewhere with a bright future of playoff runs.

Hornets host draft prospects

WESTWEGO, La. -- Terrence Jones likes the idea of playing in New Orleans with Kentucky teammate and consensus top overall NBA draft choice Anthony Davis.

There's a chance that could happen.

Jones was one of nine prospects the Hornets invited to their suburban training center on Monday for the first pre-draft workouts since they learned in the NBA lottery that they would be picking first and 10th overall.

"I already have a relationship with him, being teammates and winning a national championship together," Jones said of Davis. "It would just be a great thing to continue on our next careers together."

The 6-foot-9 Jones worked out with four other fount court players: 7-foot Tyler Zeller and 6-11 John Henson of North Carolina, along with Illinois 7-1 center Meyers Leonard and Mississippi State 6-11 forward Arnett Moultrie.

The guards working out for coach Monty Williams and general manager Dell Demps were Duke's Austin Rivers, Connecticut's Jeremy Lamb, Washington's Terrence Ross and Maryland's Terrell Stoglin. Demps said there are probably fewer than 10 other players he wants to see in person, and that the club probably will schedule more workouts in about two weeks, after next week's NBA draft combine and another similar event for European players.

Williams has coveted an abundance of length in the front court ever since seeing how the Los Angeles Lakers' combination of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum frustrated the Hornets' in the 2011 playoffs. New Orleans has 6-10 Emeka Okafor, 7-foot Jason Smith and 6-10 Gustavo Ayon under contract for next season. Davis is 6-11, and the Hornets could easily envision adding another big player.

"It's a real possibility," Williams said. "That's why we brought those guys in, because there's so many bigs that can go in the top 10, so we've got to take a look at all of them."

The big men in this draft might be better off as the only first-round choice of another team, rather than playing in Davis' shadow. Yet those who worked out for New Orleans seemed confident in the vision the Hornets had for them.

ChrisTheFuturePaul wrote:Hmmm, I was starting to like the idea of Kendall Marshall finally, but they didn't bring him in? Nor Lillard, yet brought in the SG's. Interesting insight possibly.

Jim Eichenhofer ‏@Jim_Eichenhofer
Hornets draft workout this morning includes two players: Perry Jones of Baylor and Jared Sullinger of Ohio State

The players are forward Justin Hamilton from LSU, guard Quincy Roberts from Grambling, guard-forward Alex Young from IUPUI, center Henry Sims from Georgetown, center Dusan Cantekin, who is from Sebia and forward/center Robert Sacre from Gonzaga.

Jim Eichenhofer ‏@Jim_Eichenhofer
Hornets workout #7:Dee Bost (Miss. St),Marcus Denmon (Mizzou),Larry Anderson(Long Beach),Tornike Shengelia (Belgium),John Shurna (N'western)