Patience needed for New Orleans Hornets after early struggles
Written by Ed Daniels
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 09:30
Hornets News
It didn't take long.
After the New Orleans Hornets suffered their third loss in four games, the season (according to some) is allegedly over.
Time to clean house, and get ready for the 2010 draft. Really?
I will be the first to admit I haven't been a bit impressed by the Hornets' collective play.
But I also have to temper greater expectations. Two of the three Hornets defeats were at San Antonio and Boston. Last time I checked, both of those clubs plan to be playing in the Finals next June.
The loss to the New York Knicks was ugly. Playing the second night of a back-to-back is no excuse for allowing 40 points in the fourth quarter.
But then I checked what the Hornets did to start last season.
After a win at home over Cleveland, the Hornets lost at home to Atlanta, lost on the road to a bad Charlotte team. And later in the month, New Orleans lost at home to Sacramento.
It wasn't till November 21 and 22 that the Hornets posted back-to-back victories. And both of those were against less-than-stellar Oklahoma City.
So what I would preach now is a little patience.
Throw in some understanding of the dynamic of what is truly going on in Hornets’ land.
I don't expect head coach Byron Scott to play rookie guards Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton significant minutes anytime soon. Maybe they just aren't ready. But do you expect a coach who is in the final year of his contract not to play his veterans?
To me, what the Hornets asked Scott to do this season is paradoxical. That is, develop young players even though you have no job security.
It doesn't make sense. But it does make cents.
Marcus Thornton, the SEC player of the year, is a legit scorer. He is a player who can drive it to the hole and shoot the three. But, can Thornton at 6-foot-3 (no more, I stood next to him) defend the NBA's big guards? I liked what Collison did at UCLA, but he is awfully light for a physical game.
Just my take.
Those arguing for lots of time for Collison and Thornton point to rookie guards Tyreke Evans and Stephon Curry as Exhibits A and B. They also point to the work of a second round pick (44th overall), forward Chase Budinger with Houston.
But Evans and Curry are super talents on bad teams, and Budinger is averaging a whopping 6 points a game.
The Hornets early-season schedule is difficult. After hosting Dallas Wednesday night and Toronto Friday night, New Orleans goes west on a trip that includes dates with the world champion Lakers and the red-hot Suns.
The Hornets then come home to face a very talented Portland team.
The Byron Scott/Jeff Bower bashers may have it right. Maybe the Hornets roster is bloated with bad contracts and a bunch of guys (other than Chris Paul and Emeka Okafor) who can't defend anyone.
But after four games, I am not ready to make that call.
Give it time.
And is Bobby Brown really a "veteran" anyway? He has no more winning NBA experience than Collison. So while I can somewhat understand Thornton not playing bc he is stuck behind big contracts like Peja and Posey, I just don't understand a journeyman like Brown playing over Collison.
And haven't we seen enough of David West the last few years to know that he isn't going to suddenly start defending and rebounding? And Posey has a history of not caring when he's in a losing situation. And Peja obviously can't defend, and Hilton isn't an NBA player, etc. With all due respect bc I always enjoy your columns and newscasts, I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel for this squad.
The Hornets let their team get old and slow around Paul last offseason, and that is simply a sin that dooms teams in any pro sport.