Hornets Hype

I don’t care what you or anyone thinks.  This game was fucking embarrassing.  TT6 thinks I was embarrassing because I was so angry about this game. I think everyone in the stands should have been furious.  The Knicks scored the last 18 points.  Let that sink in.  A team with 3 wins last week just torched us.  Think about it.  The last few sloppy games haven’t been “off games.”  Nope They are us.  TT6 also says I can’t “Shit List” our own team.  Too bad.  They deserve it.

I’m sorry, did I miss something?

A screenshot of ESPN's front page last November

I thought Chris Paul hated Byron Scott. I thought this had been established. Like, mainstream established. I mean, I saw it on ESPN. They’ve been mentioning something about it every third day since last November. But then I get up and here are all these articles saying he’s terribly upset over Scott’s firing.

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE, PEOPLE?

Previously, on Lifestyles of a Small Market Team With a Top 5 Star Who Everyone Thinks Is Being Wasted In a Small City and Oh My God It’s So Horrible How Dare They Want a Star? Who Do They Think They Are, New York? … Bill Simmons went to a Clippers game in November 2008 and wrote his usual sports humor column. I’ll excerpt the relevant parts:

“The way players walk toward the bench after a timeout. (Goes one of three ways: “I’m interested to hear coach’s thoughts,” “I look forward to sitting down” or “Great, I get to listen to this bonehead again.”) How fast someone jumps up when the coach calls for them as a sub. (If they jump up fast, that means they’re totally in the game; if they jump up slow, that means they were either daydreaming about that night’s sexual conquest or imagining he’s punching the coach in the face.) Whether they listen or don’t listen in the huddle. The body language of the coach himself. And the telltale sign … what happens when a top player gets called over by coach when someone is shooting free throws.This can unfold one of three ways:

A. Player runs over respectfully and seems genuinely interested in the coach’s wisdom. Watch what happens when Popovich calls over Duncan or Parker in a Spurs game. Total respect. They look like someone jogging over to a police officer.

B. Player jogs over, doesn’t seem totally interested, but doesn’t want to seem like a jerk either. This usually sums up 75 percent of the league.

C. Player does a double-take and his head kicks back briefly (like he’s thinking, “Really, I have to talk to this guy again???”). He saunters over disdainfully. When he reaches the coach, he makes eye contact for the first two seconds, then starts subconsciously pulling away (first with his eyes, then with his body leaning back toward the coach), and at about the six-second mark, he just starts walking back toward the court whether the coach is finished talking or not. Everything about the exchange says, “I’ve just had it with this freaking guy.”

I mistakenly believed that Chris Paul and Scott had an “A” relationship but in the second half of Monday’s game, it was revealed that they were a “C.” At least right now. Translation: I am no longer sold on the 2009 Hornets.”

Basically, Simmons thought the Hornets as a team were in trouble– which turned out to be true– way back in the beginning of last season. I am back and forth on this. He went to one game, didn’t talk to any of the players, and just looked at body language. As a bench-watcher myself, I get that. I sit close enough to the Hornets bench (I’m not saying I sit low down, but I do sit on that end of the arena) that I can see who interacts with who, but unlike Bill Simmons, I see them for 41+ games a year. What he neglected to mention in his column, for instance, is that the game in question was at Staples Center back when the Clippers were abysmal and the Hornets were expected to contend in the Western Conference. The Hornets ended up winning that game, but they were down by around ten points for a big chunk of it, and understandably pissed about it. Simmons skipped over that part. That Byron Scott, by the end, had maybe lost David West and some of the Hornets is true. But it seems he never lost Chris Paul.

For his part, when this Simmons thing took off like wildfire through the articles and blogs, Chris Paul even came right out and told the media it wasn’t true. “I would think me and coach might have one of the best relationships out of the entire NBA. I guess people got to have something to talk about. Maybe he should come to a game. Let’s talk. If I had a problem with coach, I’d say it. I guess he comes to one game, and he can figure it out.” But of course, no mainstream media outlets ran with that story. It stayed buried halfway back in the sports pages of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Let’s be crystal clear here. My issue is not that Bill Simmons wrote an opinion column. My issue is that every mainstream media outlet and their mother, brother, and sister ran with it. “Sources say Chris Paul and Byron Scott are not seeing eye to eye.” “Reports are that Byron Scott has lost Chris Paul.” “Amid reports of conflict between Byron Scott and his star player…” Etc. It was in the Daily Dime. It was in the NBA Rumors section of every site. It was thrown in as a little parenthetical aside in articles about the Hornets losing games. My problem with it then is still my problem with it today: Bill Simmons is a guy who writes a humorous internet column. What he is not … is a source.

It’s also the selectivity of the headlines and news items that pisses me off. Simmons’ column was about the Hornets team chemistry as a whole, and it asked the question of whether they were tuning out their coach. I didn’t think it was true at the time– that was very early in the season, and the team would make a few more good runs before the season ended in rescinded trade drama, injuries, and a devastating playoff loss. Plus for every instance of the Hornets not looking like they liked each other, I had 41+ instances, personally witnessed, that told me they did. But most of the reports that pushed along Simmons’ observation and misrepresented it as fact, like a bizarre game of media telephone, weren’t worried about the rest of the Hornets team chemistry. Instead they saw the words “CHRIS PAUL” and “BYRON SCOTT’ and salivated, like wolves lunging for scraps of meat.

And here’s, really, why I’m such a big supporter of fan blogs, social media, and beat writers. In this age of the internet, when firsthand information about every team, observed by people who actually watch the games, is right here in my blogroll and my twitter feed, why should I trust these national aggregators of “news” and “rumors”, citing their “sources”, to tell me what I should believe? I haven’t included ESPN, with the exception of True Hoop, as a daily read since spring of 2008. To me, they’re a dinosaur. Don’t even get me started on the Associated Press, which will quote a blog or a Twitter account and not even put a link to it. Me, I want a trail of hypertext leading back to my source. Scratch that, I don’t just want it– I demand it.

And so today you will see the same mainstream media giants, whose team preview for the 2009-10 Hornets probably included a snippet about “if the Hornets can overcome the rumblings of friction between Chris Paul and Byron Scott,”  pound out columns. How could the Hornets do this to Chris Paul, fire the coach who was his best friend and father figure without telling him? How can a franchise be so small-time and clueless? Not a single one of them will mention how wrong they were about any of this.

Dolla dolla bills, y’all.

If the media had its way, the Hornets season would be over.  That way, big markets like New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago could get back to winning championships.  Never mind those pesky San Antonio, Orlando, or New Orleans teams that think they can win it all.  But that annoyance aside, New Orleans does have problems.  Nowhere is that more apparent than at the shooting guard position.

The word from Nola.com is Mo Pete is getting the hook next game in favor of Devin Brown.  If we’re really lucky, D-Brown will ultimately be replaced by B-Brown at the 2-guard.  Against Kobe Bryant.  Kobe has started off the season scorching, averaging 35-6-3-3, in about 40 minutes per game, and might have just taken it personally that LRJ was given the MVP last year.  Certainly, Devin won’t be able to stop him.  Neither will Bobby.  Mo is the best physical match against him, so the timing of the switch is suspect.  I’d say put Julian on him, but then who guards Artest?  West.  Then who guards Lamar?  Ugh.  Regardless of what insanity Coach Bryon Scott employs against the Lakers, it won’t work.  Kobe will score at least 40 and the Lakers will win by double-digits.  Count it.  But you know who could dish it right back to Kobe, or any other premier shooting guard?  Allen Iverson.

Kobe has never been able to stop A.I., and the task has usually gone to the other Laker guard.  But forget the Lakers, the bigger question is could Iverson be the answer to the Hornets problems at the 2-guard?  He’s really not happy playing in Memphis off the bench, and ownership is backing the coach, with whom A.I. doesn’t exactly see eye to eye.  And, now, Iverson’s taking a personal leave from the team.  Sounds like things aren’t working out.

So why not go after him?  Yes, I’m talking to you Jeff Bower.  Iverson only makes a touch over $3M per year, for just this year.  I mean, we could trade him for Hilton.  Maybe for both Browns.  Or maybe we could take him and Stackhouse for Mo Pete (sorry Mo).  However that math ultimately works out, it could be done, and reasonably so.

It might drive Byron nuts, but can you imagine the chaos that CP and A.I. would wreak on the Western Conference?  One former MVP and one one-day-to-be MVP attacking from anywhere, anytime, and dishing to Peja (swish), David (swish), or Emeka (slam)?  I definitely think it would be worth pursuing.   And, Mr. Shinn, it’d sure as hell fill any of those empty seats, that’s for sure.

The Hornets with Iverson is a team I’d pay to see.  Well, I already do.  So, it’d be a team I’d be really excited to see.  I don’t think I’d be the only one.  Except for other Western Conference coaches and gms.

Just like that, the power in the West would shift again.  Think about it, Jeff Bower.

Here are some places Hornets Hype has been recently:

• Ticktock6 talks preview & Raptors at Heels on Hardwood. (What a coincidence. I love both heels AND hardwood.)
• mW discusses offseason additions over at MavsBall
• This is old, but in case you haven’t seen it, I did this write up on how much I love the Fleur de Bee for Both Teams Played Hard’s logo ranking series

In other Hornets news, rather ominously, the NOLA.com folks dropped the news last night that, not only is Emeka Okafor now questionable for the season opener, as he has yet to get on the floor and practice with the team, but David West and Julian Wright both tweaked themselves in various ways yesterday at practice. Considering we’re not sure who’s starting at the 2 (although we’re 95% sure that at this point in the season it’s going to be Mo Pete), that means the only person in the starting lineup left standing is Chris Paul. You go, Chris. Apparently, however, Ike Diogu is now practicing and I think he’s going to play tonight. You go, Ike.

But let’s not dwell on unpleasant, unimportant nonsense like the entire team being injured again. Here, enjoy a photograph of David West posing with some cute kids. There. Don’t you feel better?

Don’t be surprised if you see a lot of Marcus Thornton this year.  TT6 calls him Lil’ Buckets, after a night of torrid shooting earlier this preseason, when he seemed to be making it rain buckets.  A second round pick, yes, but not afraid to shoot, and boy can he.  The man has a quick release, a sweet motion, and finds the bottom of the net more than most other cats in Creole.  He gives me that warm kind of feeling inside.

Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images

Tonight, against the Pacers, he got his second start of the preseason.  And it went well.  He had 19 points in 34 minutes of playing time, along with 7 boards, 2 assists, and only 1 turnover, and 2 fouls.  He also had a plus/minus of +5.  Not bad for a rookie.

He started off a bit tentative, and seemed not always confident about where he should be, spacing-wise.  But then a Pacer goaltend gave him a basket, and after that, he seemed to move with a bit more purpose.  He started to find his spots better on the floor, and when his defender wouldn’t give him the room to shoot, he was aggressive going to the basket, and got the calls.  Smart play.

The supposed weakness of his NBA game, defense?  His main opponent, Dahntay Jones, who aside for being known for having parents that can’t spell, is pretty much only known for being rough on CP last year in the playoffs.  (He was jeered and booed by the home crowd, who won’t forgive or forget.)  Jones managed to get a couple open cutters under the basket to make his statline look decent, but had a -14 plus/minus.  His other assignment, Brandon Rush, was 1-4 from the lane.  I can live with both stats.

Byron Scott isn’t known for playing rookies.  But he’d be absolutely out of his gourd to not play Lil’ Buckets.  A lot.

Team Name: New Orleans Hornets

Last Year’s Record: 49-33, 7 seed West, first round playoff exit

Key Losses: Tyson Chandler, Rasual Butler, Antonio Daniels, Ryan Bowen, Melvin Ely

Key Additions: Emeka Okafor, Darius Songaila, Ike Diogu, Bobby Brown, Marcus Thornton, Darren Collison

Reasons to Smile, Reasons to Be Cautious

What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?

C Tyson Chandler was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for C Emeka Okafor. Rasual Butler, who took over Mo Peterson’s spot as the starting 2 guard last year when Mo was hurt and ended up keeping it, was traded to the Clippers. Aging backup PG Antonio Daniels went to the T-Wolves for PF Darius Songaila and not-so-aging PG Bobby Brown. The Hornets drafted PG Collison and SG Thornton. Intrigueingly potential-ful (*not a real word) PF Ike Diogu was signed in free agency. As you can see, every move was specifically made with 2 objectives in mind: 1) Get David West better backups so he isn’t playing 38 MPG and 2) Get Chris Paul better backups so he isn’t playing 38 MPG.

What are the team’s biggest strengths?

1) Chris Paul. There is a shortlist of teams in the league that you can never count out, because they have a player who can put everyone else on their back and drag them where he wants them to go through sheer talent. Those teams are Miami, Cleveland, and New Orleans (I don’t include LA because of their depth). Chris Paul is just that good, and I don’t think I need to elaborate.

2) David West. Just a matchup problem for other teams because he’s big and yet he’s a killer with the long two. The combination of him and Okafor on the frontline could be more potent than the West/Chandler combo.

3) Potential! Talent! Rookies! Fun! The Hornets actually did what I’d been begging for last year and got younger. With two rookies on the roster and guys like Bobby Brown and Ike Diogu who haven’t had a chance to show what they can do yet, this could be exciting. (Or a disaster. But I put it in strengths, so we’ll focus on exciting.) Last year’s team just looked old and dragging, especially toward the end of the year, and especially the bench. Even Emeka Okafor is an unknown quantity when paired with Chris Paul.

What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?

1) Too many new faces in the starting lineup.

2) Lots of swingmen who are either going to have solid seasons or lose a step due to being 32ish.

3) That quick athletic pure scorer-type SG or SF who we don’t actually have, who combined with Okafor+West+Paul would take this team to the elite level. This guy is a weakness because, as aforementioned, we don’t have him.

4) See Strength #3 and Weakness #1. The Hornets upgraded the talent level of the bench. They might suck anyway. That’s the problem with unknown quantities.

What are the goals for this team?

From what we hear coming out of training camp, they’re aiming high. However, some bad contracts and the salary cap hampered their moves in the offseason– the fact that they were able to get better in spite of this is actually rather remarkable– and I think we all know they’re missing one or two pieces for the future championship run they want to make. I think these Hornets can be second in the Southwest Division, and I think we’d be satisfied with a second round appearance.

What does Hornets Hype mean when you keep referring to The First Rule?

It’s like Fight Club. The First Rule of the Denver 58 point playoff beatdown is: we don’t talk about the Denver 58 point playoff beatdown. The Second Rule of the Denver 58 point playoff beatdown? You guessed it: we don’t talk about the Denver 58 point playoff beatdown. Seriously, though, this is something that’s crucial to the team as well as the fans. If you have never seen the team you follow look as utterly bone-deep tired and hopeless as I saw the Hornets look that night against Denver, I hope you never have to. But the point is the team needs to find a way to move on.

I believe the Hornets believed they were destined to be “The Next Big Thing” after their run in 2007-08. Now, of course no one will admit this. But you could see that the underdog fire they rode to the top of the West in 2008 just wasn’t there at times last season. Great teams find a way to maintain that fire, and to know that things are not going to be handed to you. So, I say the Hornets need to remember the First Rule. 2007-08 is gone. Last year’s playoffs are gone. The old faces who used to be on the team are gone. The Tyson Chandler trade saga? Done. Over. This year let’s only look forward.

You know what? I’ve broken the rule 4 times just by explaining this to you, and I am really not comfortable with that. So if you don’t mind, we’re going to move on before I ruin the whole season.

Projected Finish: 53-29

You know, I really no idea. I just rolled the dice, stabbed some numbers on a piece of paper with my finger with my eyes closed, and picked 53-29. Unless everyone gets hurt again, the team should be better because 4 out of the 5 offseason replacements represent a talent upgrade. The numbers just don’t support the team being worse than last year.

The heartless staff of Hornets.com have posted on YouTube the video evidence of the rookie humiliation that went down at Saturday’s open practice in Lafayette. Darren Collison totally did the best job, but the video of Marcus Thornton is the funniest, because D West and JuJu jump in the middle and start doing the beat– causing the rookie to stop and turn around like, “All right, who the **** is doing that?” Also featuring Darren Collison and Guy With the Braids Who Isn’t Going to Make the Team (now I feel mean about being too lazy to go and look up who he is– OK, the guilt was too much: Larry Owens), who come and help him finish up the song, James Posey MCing, Peja doing something vaguely mocking in the background, and Ike Diogu looking completely unamused. It’s sort of heart-warming… well, as heart-warming as a bunch of huge 30-ish dudes torturing college kids who can’t carry a tune can be, anyway.

Collison:

Thornton:

1. Chris Paul’s wizardry. There is no other word to describe it. The way he slips into the lane, like dancing. The way he eludes bigger players. That little running teardrop. The feeling that any time you watch a game, you could see something really, really special.

2. CP was the obvious one, but a couple of weeks ago I got to thinking about how I was really craving a good David West game. A good David West game is sneaky, silky, and subtle. It’s a dagger from mid range that looks so easy. It’s 30 points before you realize he has 10.

3. James Posey’s tall socks. I love Pose. I love tall socks. I own his jersey AND a pair of NBA regulation tall socks…. Okay, fine, this one might be particular to me. But I miss tall socks.

4. How Peja starts out the season really dark and then gets pastier and pastier as time goes on. Oh, and I guess, real things too. Like, “Peeejjjjjjaaaaa for threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

5. Julian Wright’s bounce. What can I say? He’s got that thing in his step. Leap for the stars, JuJu.

6. Mercilessly tormenting Mocking on Twitter Being snarkily sarcastic toward Devin Brown jokes. I know, I know. There’s a place reserved for me in the Special Hell.

7. My seat. It is very comfy, although I wish it had a cupholder. It has a nice glass wall behind it to lean on. It has a good view of the bench. In fact an all right view of pretty much everything except someone standing in the Hornets’ bench end on the right elbow shooting a jumper. I’ve been sitting in the same seat for three years running. I’m rather attached to it. And, the New Orleans Arena janitorial staff being what it is, if I put a sticker on it that says “TICKTOCK6′S SEAT” it’ll totally be there at least 3 weeks before someone removes it.

8. Westitude. This is my term for the scowl on David West’s face when he’s being particularly beastly. Or doing things like tapping Dirk Nowitzki’s face. Or not smiling in pictures.

9. This is for things we haven’t seen yet– “Chris Paul to Emeka Okafor! Ohhhhh!”, Ike Diogu’s potential finally being realized, a young and hungry second unit.

10. This is for things we’ll never see again– the Crescent City Connection, Ryan Bowen hustling down the court, game winning threes from Rasual Butler, Tyson’s goofiness.

It’s been a long summer, longer than we would have liked, and it took me until about August to realize it, but… I miss my team. I don’t care about the trades. I don’t care about Game 4. I just want to see you out there again.

As far as the future goes, I wish only one thing for you: That when the lights come up and you get out there on the floor, you go hard and never look back.

Well, that should get Google’s attention. Maybe even someone who follows basketball. Apparently, my breakdown of how Chris Paul’s numbers last season gave him one of the most historic point guard seasons ever, and which, incidentally, blew away Steve Nash’s two MVP seasons, is forgotten.  Some people, who don’t believe in small markets, are convinced the Hornets will finish no better than 7th this year, and that CP3 does not even get consideration, let alone a single vote, in the MVP category, though Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant do.  Crazy.  And people wonder why I disappear in the offseason.  People are so fucking ridiculous that they forget what the sport of basketball is and/or are so fucking bored that they just invent stories to keep themselves occupied.  Oooh… Stephon is insane, Rubio won’t come over, C.J. Watson only took a one year deal?!  Whatthefuckever.

Listen.  It’s not rocket science.  If you’ve ever watched basketball, it’s pretty fucking obvious that Chris Paul is a once-in-a-generation talent.  Quick, name the best players in the NBA.  If you didn’t say CP, Kobe, and one other person, then you’re a moron.  Yeah, yeah, freedom of choice, opinion, etc.  All that also includes the freedom to be wrong, to be a moron, and just plain ignorant.  Congratulations.  Sometimes I wish this country was a totalitarian state and they made everyone worship the players who had talent and heart (yeah, I’m talking to you Vince Carter), rather than just those that get the most attention.  At least it’d be a little more honest.

Sorry if I don’t drop to my knees and worship the capitalist propaganda that would make us believe the Knicks deserve a championship when they haven’t even put forth a team that resembles a professional unit since Allan Houston played for them and don’t bask in the glow of yet another Celtics-Lakers matchup when there are are 30 teams in the league with 30 equally laudable fanbases, or for that matter, drool at the mere mention of the “Chosen One”—a.k.a. the Nike whore or whoever makes the sponsors figure will make them the most money (um, Dwayne Wade?).  Call me an elitist, call me a purist, yeah, like those are bad things, but I appreciate the game of basketball.  I’ll follow the talent like Deep Throat said to follow the money.  And the media is complicit.  Already they’re putting it again as Kobe-LRJ for MVP and Celts-Lakeshow for the ring.  Fucking sad.  Unprecedented parity and they mouth the same shit?  Dimemag is one of the few that gets it.  They ask the hard questions.  Steve Nash (no offense, dude, I love your game), and Duncan (ditto) both have two MVPs, and Shaq one?  What the fuck?  Dime thought that weird.  Me too.  But I digress.  Dime also noticed that no one has truly appreciated  CP3’s greatness.  That the rest of the country isn’t onboard makes me want to drop a bunch of downers chased with beer like Hunter S. Thompson and go on a shooting spree.

But why cry over spilt media milk?  That’s just how it is today, money, money, money.  No one cares about the truth or the purity of existence that is exemplified by the beauty of physical perfection, which is exactly what excellence in sports is.  Forget that Chris does things that no one has, probably ever, other than Magic, Johnny Stock, and the Big O.  That’s okay.  People can forget.  And then the season will start.  And then you’ll all remember why they called him the Baby-Faced Assassin, the Grief Merchant, or the guy who could talk about Fight Club.  Call him what you will, or ignore him if you will; I’ll be watching, though, and I’ll call him what he is: a warrior, a winner, and the-real-MVP, and someday soon, an NBA Champion.

And it will happen in New Orleans.  And people will wonder why they don’t know more about him.  They’ll wonder what inane thing they were doing when Chris Paul did ______ because their TV station didn’t carry that game.  You really want to know what “amazing” is?  Just watch CP do his thing.

Until then, pretend that someone else deserves the headlines.  Pretend that some other player should be the league’s MVP.  When the truth is he can do things that no one else can, is a leader like few others, and who will continue to smash records on his way to greatness.  I know where I’ll be when it happens.  Do you?