Al Horford is fighting an uphill battle. That's the basic gist of what I found out from talking to people around here today. Everyone seems to agree that Horford is having a tremendous season and is a future All Star, but people seem convinced (as I suspected) that because Kevin Durant gets so much attention, it will be tough for Al to overcome him. Still, things can change. We were discussing this in the office the other day - I like to think this year's battle for top Rookie honors will be like 1991, when Dikembe Mutombo set the pace for most of the season before Larry Johnson finished strong and wrestled the title away from him. Maybe Horford can pull something like that off.

Anyway, it was a busy morning. Horford and the rest of the participants in tonight's Rookie-Sophomore Challenge spent some time assembling mailboxes and took kits and other supplies for local schools as part of the NBA Cares Day of Service, and it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves. I know Rasheed Wallace would prefer not to be here, but not the rookies - they definitely seem genuinely appreciative of the recognition they are getting by being here.

After the community service project, the players headed down to practice, where they first had to contend with the media hordes that have descended on New Orleans for the weekend. The media sessions really give you a sense of just how globalized the game has gotten, as there are people speaking several different languages tossing questions out to these guys left and right. These people are aggressive too - Al Horford started the session speaking at one spot on the court, but by the time he was finished he had backed up several feet.

I mentioned earlier my conversation with Mike Conley, and here it is. He seems like a very good kid, and I love that he has respect for Horford.

It's funny - while Joe Johnson is able to maintain a very low profile during these types of events (which is no surprise - JJ is one of the most low-key people I've ever met), Horford's time is booked solid. As soon as the practice was over, he immediately transitioned to a basketball clinic he helped put on for some fans along with Conley, Luis Scola, and Jeff Green. While we were waiting for it to begin, I got a chance to sit with him and get his thoughts on his expectations for the weekend. I really want to see him do well tonight - here's to Kevin Durant missing a ton of jumpers.

Another highlight of the morning was spending a few minutes with Hawks legend and Hall of Famer Bob Pettit, who lives here in New Orleans and is acting as an assistant coach for the Rookie team tonight. I have spoken to Pettit a couple times in the past, and he is really one of the nicest guys around. Incidentally, he'll be in Atlanta on April 12th as the Hawks celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1958 NBA title winners.

I left Horford at the clinic and headed straight over to the players hotel, where media availability was scheduled for the East and West All-Stars. There were huge swarms around Jason Kidd and LeBron James as I walked in, but only a couple people hanging around talking to Joe, which is I'm sure how he'd prefer it. In my quest to continue gathering info on Horford's R.O.Y. chances, I took the opportunity to get Rip Hamilton's thoughts on his game, especially since he just had 12 and 16 against them on Tuesday.

It was tough getting in to ask people questions with all the activity around, but when I saw Chris Bosh open for a moment I streaked towards him. I am a huge fan of Bosh's, not just for his game, but because he really gets the power of the Internet. His self-made commercial promoting himself for the All Star game is legendary, and I figured he'd be a great person to ask about how to gain some recognition for Horford's exploits. His response was classic. I tell you what - I am pretty sure he was kidding, but I'm not entirely sure we shouldn't take him up on the offer.

The action picked up around Joe for a little while, with most people asking him about the Hawks performance and what the team needs to do to get to the next level. The best was when Sekou Smith asked him if he thought the team had slid too far to come back, and JJ shot back, "Nah man. This is the East." True dat.

More to come tonight, as Horford and the Rookies try to break a five-year losing streak to the Sophomores. I don't love their chances, but I'll be live-blogging it in case anything amazing happens. Horford for MVP!