OK. Something’s going on here and I’m not quite sure I can put my finger on it. We’ve seen him rip off 360-dunks in a game. We’ve seen him drop no-look dimes that drew comparisons to Magic Johnson. We’ve seen him with the ball in his hands and the game on the line. We’ve seen him rain fade-away jumpers from the baseline and seen him battle guys five inches taller and 50 pounds heavier for rebounds. He, of course, is former Jayhawk Julian Wright, and for some reason the guy can’t find his way onto the floor for the New Orleans Hornets. In, this, his second year in the Association, Wright has plummeted from wowing rookie with unlimited potential to a second-year pro known best by three simple letters: DNP. As in “Did Not Play.” Such an entry in the box score is usually followed by two qualifying words that only make things worse, “Coach’s decision. Ouch. So what gives. I know the Hornets are loaded with talent and I know head coach Byron Scott can be a tough man to crack. But I also know that Wright has the kind of skills that should make him a commodity in the NBA, and he’s not getting the chance to use them. Wright has only played in 14 of the Hornets’ 20 games this season. And, to be honest, using the word played is probably a poor decision on my part. In five of those 14 games, Wright has played five minutes or less. In seven of the 14, he’s played less than 10 minutes. And his season-high for minutes played came in a 105-80 beatdown of Oklahoma City in November. Wright played 19 minutes in that one, shot 3-of-6 from the floor, grabbed three rebounds, dished three assists and had three steals. Since that game, his longest outing was a 12-minute performance in a big win over the Clippers. Wright is quickly becoming that player — the guy who only plays big minutes in blowout victories, kind of like Nick Bradford early in his KU career. I’m not sure what the story is here, but I have a feeling it’s tied to defense. Maybe Wright — even with his freakish athletic ability and outstanding basketball instincts — just hasn’t learned how to play defense in the NBA. But to be honest with you, I didn’t know anyone knew how to play defense in the NBA. What gives?
