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Hornets BLOG |
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June 2009
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Tom Planchet: April 2009 ArchivesI'm paraphrasing, but after the Hornets fell yet again to Denver - this time keeping it within 25 points - Barkley opined on what happened to the Hornets between last year and this one. He said that last year, Paul got help as West and Chandler had career years and Peja played well, plus they had Pargo off the bench. This year he felt everyone but Paul fell off from the year before and he thinks that Chandler was both physically and mental... Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports basically has hit the nail on the head as to the Hornets struggles.. It's what I've been telling anyone who will listen. I don't think the Hornets have necessarily quit or aren't trying hard - though certainly that wasn't the case in the second half on Monday night. The problem is...they just a... It's pretty much open season on the Hornets, I wouldn't be surprised if Letterman and Leno are sharpening their pens. Ken Berger of CBS Sportsline.com has plenty of slings and arrows to send Among his more colorful: The Hornets have CYO-type facilities. Now, I get it, David West couldn't score and Peja can't shoot because they work out at the Alario Center. How did all the analysts miss this? ...ESPN's John Hollinger slammed the Hornets effort, their lack of class and much, much more. Few people escape his wrath and he's especially hard on David West. ...After a Game 3 that featured four players fouling out and three flagrant fouls, you should expect more of the same in Game 4, according to the Hornets and Nuggets, in a story in the Denver Post by Chris Dempsey. The quote that stood out to me was Tyson Chandler saying that the Hornets weren't getting any layups and the Hornets decided it was time for the Nuggets not to get any layup... You should read the story by Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post on Chris Paul, but not just because Jim Henderson is quoted extensively. It shows Paul's special relationship with a New Orleans woman who was dying of cancer and about how he is the 'real deal' both on and off the court. ...Game 4 of the Hornets-Nuggets playoff series is not yet a sellout with over 1,000 tickets remaining, the team said Monday at 10 a.m. ...
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Chris Paul said he welcomed the physical play against the Nuggets, even the flagrant fouls. On several occasions during the game Paul flung himself into Nugget defenders and drew fouls. Chauncey Billups took down the Hornets' Rasual Butler, drawing blood from his nose for one of the flagrants. Tyson Chandler got another when he roughly fouled a driving Dahntay Jones and James Posey got one for fouling Chris Andersen, though Byron Scott took ex... John Hollinger puts the Hornets on a dubious list with the Jazz and Pistons as teams whose series are basically over. Now, the Jazz did take Game 3 from the Lakers, though not in convincing fashion, so maybe there's hope. ...At least, that's what the article in the Denver Post says. Now, to have any chance, you have to think that way, but I suspect if the Nuggets make a bit of a run and the Hornets get down big early, that confidence could wane. It will be interesting, I expect the Hornets to come out like a buzzsaw. ...The Hornets only have a chance if both West and Paul have big games and neither were their normally sharp selves. The Nuggets Kenyon Martin was praised for his defense on West, who never got going. ...The Hornets are a fairly long shot to win the NBA title. Their longshot status comes in contrast to what they were at the start of the season, which was only 10-1. However, they seem to be a trendy pick to pull a first round upset. That seems strange, since if the season had extended another two weeks, they might not have made it at all. ...True Hoop, sort of an 'out there' basketball blog you can find on ESPN.com's site likes the Hornets upset chances against Denver, mostly because of a healthy Tyson Chandler. One scary note in the blog entry is that 'No matchups are good for the Hornets.' Let's face it, this team will only go anywhere if Peja and Rasual can get some respect for the ou... Vincent Thomas at NBA.com says Chris Paul, he of the New Orleans Hornets, is every bit as good as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. And yet, according to Thomas, CP3 isn't nearly as loved as he should be. Scratch that, loved by anyone outside of Thomas. He has already claimed that he has a man crush on the Paulster. Thing is, I agree. Ce... Chris Paul is stylish on the court AND off and he's featured in this week's Esquire, mostly touching on fashion tips and places to go in New Orleans. ...I can't say that I argue too much with this. Paul has been outstanding, but there is no question that these five players are far and away the top guys in the league right now and the Hornets record just isn't great this year compared to last year. I could see Paul as high as 2nd, but with a 49-31 record, I think the nod this year has to go to LeBron. Don't get me wrong, I wou... Chris Paul and David West had 74 points and hit 30 of 55 shots but watched as teammates hit only 10 of 38 and scored 29 points in a bad, bad loss to an outmanned Warriors team. Golden State had been in a woeful tailspin and was without its three top players and Paul and West had great nights. The Warriors also only played 7 players and still the Hornets couldn't keep up. Scott and Paul would likely say it was mostly defense that wa... Byron Scott says he's very confident in his team when the starting lineup is together. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened too often and who knows if it will again this season. Tyson Chandler will probably give it a go at some point, but if his ankle has major issues, who knows. ... |
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