he was drafted by the charlotte hornets with the 19th pick of the 2000 nba draft, and filled a reserve role for his first two seasons in which he averaged 6.5 points in 16.8 minutes per game. in the 2002–03 season, the hornets' first year in new orleans, he started all 82 games, averaging 10.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.