Hornets Hype

From Hype reader Mark comes this preview (click to magnify for ultimate detailed view) of Chris Paul’s new sneaker, the Jordan CP3.III. This new version is due out 01/02/10, which is actually less than a year after the CP3.II’s, which, if you remember, hit shelves around Mardi Gras time. My take on this colorway: love the pattern on the upper, not a fan of the speckles. (I’m actually never a fan of speckles, though, so you can take that for what it is. Haha.)

For more views, check it out.

But really, this is all very exciting, because it means we will get another shoe release party. Discerning fans will remember that Ryan Bowen wore a fantastically ugly plaid shirt in 2008, and James Posey continued the tradition by wearing one in 2009. Which Hornet will wear an icky plaid shirt to Chris Paul’s shoe release party in 2010? I cannot wait to find out.

See? We here at Hornets Hype care about the important things. Just kidding. More Chris Paul shoes means another step toward World Domination for our fearless small leader.

James Posey: OMG Chris. You know what could make us best friends MORE THAN EVER this season?

Chris Paul: What?

James Posey: MATCHING MOUTH GUARDS!

Great NBA Moments in Bromance & Matching Accessories

There was a moment just before the final buzzer sounded when I’d forgotten the Hornets just lost.

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably watched me completely spaz out and go crazy when Darren Collison and Lil Buckets checked into the game with six and a half minutes left. And did they ever hit the game with a splash. Thornton had 8 pts and 1 rebound in 6:34, going 2-3 from three. Collison went 6-3 with a steal, running the fast break more times than I think we saw all game. Both rookies hit all their free throws. And they were zipping all over the place, cutting to the basket.

I’ve been mostly Thornton-Thornton-Thornton till now, I know, but there is just a joy and energy that Collison brings that I really enjoyed last night. You can just see it in the bounce of his feet. When he got slammed under the basket by a flagrant foul, he popped right up, clapped his hands, and grinned. And if Byron Scott thinks Bobby Brown brings speed to the lineup? Collison’s speed blows his out of the water. These guys were hungry. It was so contagious even Songaila and Posey seemed to perk up a bit. Hilton was inspired to do at least two things right.

Will people pay to watch a losing team? That’s the question, isn’t it? Clearly one of the answers is you pay to watch Chris Paul, because he’s a future great. But last night I found another answer. I watched Darren Collison steal the ball and zip up court, and Marcus Thornton cut all over the place. And I thought, “I would pay money to watch these kids make mistakes and lose.” If you couldn’t see the difference between those six minutes and watching 4 or 5 guys nearing the end of their careers going through the motions and looking depressed as they realize they might not regain their old form, then you must be blind.

Do I have sympathy? Yes. I do. People get older. I’m getting older too, and the reality is that most of us hate it. My 50-win predictions for this team were based on Posey/Peja/Peterson maintaining some kind of consistency with their career stats. We could probably handle a drop-off from one. But not all three. And you know– this may come as a huge shock so be prepared for it– I don’t include Devin Brown in that bunch. Not today, anyway. Because I think he really tried last night, put in an impossible situation, and he hit his shots. And I love all of these guys. I wasn’t upset when we traded Rasual Butler, because between the Three Ps, the Hornets looked to have that role covered. How do you predict things like this?

But the bottom line is, if Byron Scott really means it when he says he wants the team to run more, if the Hornets take a deep honest look at themselves and finally accept that some players have deteriorated, if the team wants to put a product on the floor that’s exciting for the fans, the last six minutes of Lakers/Hornets is what we need to see. I want to see Chris Paul balling with young kids who are creative, who can keep up with him.

Look, you don’t play the rookies because you think they’re going to be some magical solution, some great mysterious hope that can be plugged in to fix the problems with this team. They won’t. You play them because, even though you may lose with them, you’re already losing without them. The fans who pay the money to sit in the seats deserve to see something fun. They deserve to see something that gives them hope for the future. They deserve to see hustle and heart. Beginnings not endings. The local kid getting his chance and making his dream come true under the bright lights.

If you’re not giving us a championship this year, give us something we can love. That’s all I ask.

Oh, and pssstt. Byron. You looking for answers? Here’s a freebie: Thornton is your starting 2.

Sad news from the Hornets family today. Owner George Shinn has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. OK, fine, we are guilty of criticizing the Man In Charge at times, and we wouldn’t mind ditching the pregame prayer (or at least mixing it up with a little religious diversity anyway). But regardless of all that, he is the owner of the team and this is unfortunate news. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, and Shinn is not. He is the man who brought us a basketball team. We wish him luck with his cancer treatment.

Here’s the statement Shinn and the Hornets released today:

“My wife, Denise, and I remain strong in our faith and will maintain a positive attitude as I battle this with intense fervor and drive,” Shinn said in the statement. “This is not the first obstacle that I have had to overcome in life, but it will be another one that will be conquered. Those closest to me understand my commitment to God and belief in the power of prayer, so all that I ask is for people to add me to their prayers. I’m proud of the fact that I will be joining the ranks of cancer survivors around the world who exemplify the greatest strength and resilience. I am consulting with the finest doctors and they are also optimistic that this will be another example of overcoming the struggles that life can throw your way. Thanks to the medical staff at Ochsner where I am convinced many of the finest doctors in the country are employed.”

Good luck to Mr. Shinn, and good luck to the Hornets tonight as they take on the Raps at home!

• ESPN’s Daily Dime – the usual. Except everyone seems to be mentioning that he smacked/kicked/whatever Al Harrington. Hello, that’s probably more a result of Harrington grabbing Chris around the leg than it is indicative of some deep, secret, frustrated desire to be out of New Orleans.
• At the Hive talks about Byron Scott’s lack of adjustments over the past two years and how this does not bode well for the future.
• Paul’s Frustration Grows, Even as he Hides It – Hornets are a mom and pop organization, Shinn is a liar for claiming credit for coming back after Katrina (we knew this), maybe Paul should start holding them to higher standards as a franchise player like Kobe and LeBron do.
• Dime: Chris Paul has lost his smile
• Frustration, losses mounting for Hornets’ Paul – Ken Berger has been a perennial Shit List resident in the past because of stupid factual errors, but I have to say I agree with him and his column is probably the best of the lot. No, not just ’cause he hit all  my major gripes and agreed with me. Well, maybe a little bit because of that…

“One of the best potential recipients of Paul’s assists, rookie Marcus Thornton, languishes on the bench because Byron Scott wants the team to defend first and score later. At this rate, though, there won’t be a later.

…On one hand, Paul says things will be fine — “It’s a long season,” he said — and in his next breath he laments that the Hornets are a team without a style. That’s code for “team with a stubborn coach.” Scott wants a rugged, defense-obsessed, insanely conditioned team. He wants this all the time, with no exceptions. But if a week goes by, and then a month, and it’s not working, he’ll have to try something else or he will lose the team”

I don’t know. Maybe I’ll come back later and add some commentary, but for now I’m not going to. Peja was on from deep, West and Okafor had 21+ points apiece, and CP had 32. We lost last night because our interior defense and teamwork was horrendously, eye-searingly awful, not because “ha ha the Hornets suck, who’s gonna score for them?” like a lot of the mainstream sources seem to think. It was already bad enough that New Orleans does a poor job of defending the three, but it was infinitely more excusable than allowing junky teams to get layup after layup. 4o points in the 4th quarter to the Knicks? And this is not the Bobby Browns of the team. (Well, it’s that too.) It’s the starting lineup.

Chris Paul wasn’t exchanging words with Tom Thibodeau the other night because he was pissed at Rondo. He was probably trying to smuggle him on the freaking plane.

But it still looks like Rondo started it. And if Chris Paul tried to follow anyone into locker rooms and had to be prevented by security, it’s not on this video. (This is from the Celtics’ feed, by the way, since CST didn’t show the end-of-the-game scuffle.) It looks like CP and Paul Pierce were talking when Rondo butted in and got up in Chris’ face. CP immediately sticks his hands in the air and backs up, talking the whole time. Pierce steps between the two, and meanwhile Eddie House grabs Rondo and hauls him off. And then a couple of seconds later, Devin Brown comes and drags CP off in the other direction and that appears to be the end of it.

Yawn. And there we have the genesis of yet another exaggerated headline featuring Chris Paul.

It makes me LOL every time I look at it. Every once in a while someone will do something, and I will think, “I totally wish I’d thought of that first.” At the Hive’s “visual recap” of last night’s Hornets/Celtics game is that thing. It is also probably the funniest thing I’ll see all month. Which is sad. Because it went up November 1.

Oh, November, I’m sorry… you’ve got nothing left to live for.

Speaking of our man Bobby Brown, I am now going to engage in a feat of AMAZING STATISTICAL ANALYSIS.

Game 1 @ Spurs: Bobby Brown takes 12 shots. Hornets lose.

Game 2 vs. Kings: Bobby Brown takes 4 shots. Hornets win.

Game 3 @ Celtics: Bobby Brown takes 12 shots. Hornets lose.

Are you starting to see what I’m seeing? What? The two losses were on the road against contenders? What’s that you say? The sample size is too small? There are other things wrong with the Hornets’ starting lineup that don’t even have to do with Bobby Brown?

I will have none of this. You know I’m right. Now, don’t question me or I shall call you a Dusche Bagel.

I’m sure some of you remember the infamous Rafer Alston/David West/Chris Paul incident from 2007-08 (Rafer went on national TV the day before the Rockets arrived in New Orleans to play the Hornets and said David West wasn’t a star, the Hornets kicked their butts into next week, and Chris Paul was very, very sarcastic in his postgame comments– actually, it’s by far the rudest I’ve ever seen him in a press conference).

Well, the Hornets play the 3-0 Boston Celtics on Sunday. And, coincidentally or perhaps not, this happened to pop across my Twitter feed last night:

Do they not know that this is dangerous?

Look, forget about what Rondo said. I’m sure every point guard– in his own mind, anyway– thinks he’s the greatest. Forget about the fact that he totally has it backwards; put Chris Paul on the Celtics with Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, and they’d win like 75 games, is more like it. The funniest part about this is, I cannot imagine what Perkins was thinking, telling that to a media guy. I mean, what did he think was going to happen there?

This is terrifyingly like poking a dragon with a stick. OK, the Hornets look like a massive work in progress still, while the Celtics already seem to be clicking the best out of the potential title contenders in these early days of the season. So it’s not like we’re expecting a huge victory Sunday, or anything. But the fact remains that you don’t poke a dragon with a stick. It breathes motherfreakin’ fire. It’s not safe. I’m not saying the Hornets are going to come out and win this game, bulletin board material or not. I’m just saying if they do, the Celtics will know who is to blame.

As for the Hornets, I would print this out. I would stick it up on the wall wherever. And I would make certain Chris Paul sees it.

Edited to Add: As I’d hoped, here’s At the Hive with the statistical debunking of Rondo’s statement.

Lo, the delicious scent of basketball about to be played! (photo courtesy of @hornetsdotcom)

I think there are still some walk-up tickets available. Get on out there and grab your free t-shirt! See you all at the game!

P.S. And you can also check out our preview with Cowbell Kingdom.

Now that’s a pretty NOLA.com background! Um, if a little Myspace-esque in its clashing… (Click to biggify.)

*Disclaimer: Look, I know the team probably paid them to put that up. But. Whenever NOLA.com/Times Picayune acknowledge the Hornets exist, I still get overexcited. Sorry. It’s a holdover from these days.

NOLA.com: Looking Good in Teal