November 7
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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With early signs of momentum carrying over from Wednesday night's overtime victory against Dallas, Hornets point guard Chris Paul appeared pleased as he headed to the locker room with his team holding a two-point halftime lead against the Toronto Raptors. However, four minutes into the third quarter, Paul had the same frustrating glare as he did during Monday night's loss to the New York Knicks when the Hornets were thoroughly dominated in the fourth quarter, surrendering 40 points at Madison Square Garden. On Friday night, not even the home-court advantage could save the Hornets as they were undone by the Raptors' franchise-record eight 3-pointers in the third quarter that led to a ..."
November 6
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Whenever New Orleans Hornets Coach Byron Scott sees his team sputtering, he goes into his bag of motivational tactics to try to break the slide. Unlike some NBA coaches, instead of extending the length of practices or overhauling his playbook, Scott gets his point across with harsh criticism that can either make a player feel shattered or motivated. "What you see is what you get with me," Scott said. "I am honest with my guys, and if I don't like something, I'm going to let them know about it. I kind of go by the seat of my paints with my feelings, and the last thing I want to do is hold it in." Scott becomes more demanding when the Hornets are on a losing streak, like this past week ..."
November 6
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The NBA will not take disciplinary action against New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul or Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo for their verbal confrontation after Sunday's game at the TD Garden, league spokesman Tim Frank confirmed Thursday. After the game, Paul sought out Celtics forward Paul Pierce to shake his hand and offer congratulations for his performance. However, before Paul could finish, Rondo came up and bumped him, and that led to the two exchanging words. They had to be separated, and as Rondo was ushered from the court area by a team official, Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau and Paul got into a shouting match in front of the Celtics' bench. Since Monday, the ..."
November 5
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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There isn't a more challenging question than the one Byron Scott posed to the Hornets on Wednesday morning during their shootaround -- no bigger cold-water splash to the face than the bucket he heaved. He asked his team if it was afraid, and it was a fair question. The Hornets were 1-3 entering their nationally televised game against Dallas at the New Orleans Arena, and probably had given their best effort of the season Sunday afternoon, in a 97-87 loss at Boston. A fourth-quarter collapse in New York, when the Knicks scored 40 points in the final 12 minutes, led to a 117-111 loss on Monday night, and if it could be said that New Orleans had made incremental progress, it took a huge step ..."
November 5
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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After watching repeated mistakes occur in two consecutive losses entering Wednesday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks at the New Orleans Arena, Hornets Coach Byron Scott said lineup changes could be on the way. Scott said if he saw mistakes made by some of his starters during the opening 24 minutes of Wednesday's game, he would have considered making changes. But the Hornets took a 50-48 halftime lead against the Mavericks and forward David West held Dirk Nowitzki to six points on 2-of-8 shooting. The Hornets defeated the Mavericks 114-107 in overtime. Nowitzki scored a game-high 40 points, which included a team-record 29 points in the fourth quarter, to lead the Mavericks to a ..."
November 4
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Not only do the Hornets continue to battle national misconceptions about their team and its operation -- the Alario Center with its year-old addition added for the team's use was described in an Internet report Tuesday as "a dumpy community center best suited for the bird and reptile shows that cover most of its calendar" -- but the schedule grows considerably more difficult in the near term. That escalation begins in earnest tonight at the New Orleans Arena when the fortified Dallas Mavericks arrive for a nationally televised game against the struggling Hornets. Tonight's visit by the Mavs, a bitter Southwest Division foe, is followed by Friday night's home game against All-Star Chris ..."
November 3
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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As his teammates dressed quickly, Chris Paul stood with his back against a wall in the locker room trying to figure out why the Hornets were unable to stop New York Knicks center David Lee from going through the lane for uncontested layups or keep Al Harrington from making perimeter shots. Paul said he hoped New Orleans' momentum from a 29-point third-quarter surge would be enough to spark his teammates. But instead of closing out the Knicks, the Hornets were buried by their own mistakes. It left New Orleans with a bitter 117-111 defeat, as New York shot 60 percent in the fourth quarter Monday night at Madison Square Garden. Despite 32 points by Paul, which included 18 in the fourth ..."
November 3
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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After the Hornets lost a tough road game to the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, Chris Paul sought out Paul Pierce, who scored a game-high 27 points, to shake his hand and offer congratulations. However, before Paul could finish his conversation, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo confronted him, and an angry exchange ensued between the two young point guards. They had to be separated, and as Rondo was ushered from the court by a team official, Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau and Paul got into a shouting match in front of the Celtics' bench. An NBA spokesman says the league is reviewing the postgame incident which took place during in Boston involving New Orleans guard Chris Paul and the ..."
November 2
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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In another road battle against one of the league's top-tier teams, Hornets shooting guard Peja Stojakovic appeared virtually unstoppable behind the 3-point arc, and sensational fourth-quarter plays from Chris Paul and David West kept Boston Celtics Coach Doc Rivers nervously pacing the sideline. But when time expired, a sellout crowd of 18,624 at the TD Banknorth Garden applauded the Celtics' 97-87 win and watched in delight as Paul exchanged words with Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, who bumped into him, prompting a security guard to separate them. Despite Stojakovic's 26-point performance, including six 3-pointers, the Hornets left Beantown with another frustrating loss. "It's still a loss, ..."
November 1
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Instead of emphasizing how the Hornets shut down the Sacramento Kings in the final minute to preserve Friday night's home-opening victory, forward David West mostly talked about defending dribble penetrations and kick out plays better. Despite sitting in a joyful locker room at the New Orleans Arena, West was subdued as if he had already put their 97-92 victory against the Kings behind him and was already looking ahead to tonight's difficult road game against the Boston Celtics, who have allowed an average of 79 points on their way to a 3-0 record. "We have a lot of things to correct just in terms of being effective," West said. "We have to make sure we are able to limit dribble ..."
October 31
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The goal for the Hornets in Friday night's regular-season home opener against the Sacramento Kings was simple: improvement. Specifically, Coach Byron Scott wanted to see better play from his team on the defensive end, where in Wednesday night's opening loss to the San Antonio Spurs, they seemed to become demoralized after numerous misadventures on the offensive side that, in turn, created stagnancy on defense resulting in a 113-96 loss. If the last 1:26 of the game was any indication, consider it mission accomplished. The Hornets shut down the pesky Kings over that stretch, forcing a 24-second violation and getting two huge blocked shots from center Emeka Okafor as New Orleans took a ..."
October 31
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist John DeShazier
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Clearly the Hornets are under construction, the completion date unknown this season as to when the hammering will stop. On Friday night, at least they showed they're capable of winning while all the nails haven't been driven and none of the serious painting has commenced. The 97-92 win over Sacramento in the home opener Friday night at the New Orleans Arena hardly was a work of art. We shouldn't expect any team to be machine-like in performance in the second game of the season, and the Hornets weren't. A team that surrenders 21 offensive rebounds usually is lucky to not lose by that many points. But it was a win, and New Orleans needs every one of those it can collect until ...
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October 30
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The message was stark, but for the most part, all Hornets Coach Byron Scott saw as the halftime numbers screamed back at his players was a roomful of bewildered stares. "Their defense was a little bit more aggressive when our starters went out of the game," Scott said of Wednesday night's season-opening loss to the San Antonio Spurs. "And our bench guys seemed to be a little bit more passive. Then it kind of trickled down to the defensive end, as well. "So putting '30-0' on the board at halftime and asking them, 'Do you understand what this means?' . . ." Only reserve guard Devin Brown, who didn't play in the first half, knew the numerals' significance. The Spurs' bench had scored 30 ..."
October 28
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist John DeShazier
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Emeka Okafor couldn't have planned it better if he'd tried. Not suggesting the New Orleans Hornets' new starting center tried, mind you. Because to suggest Okafor purposefully skipped all of training camp and every preseason game, and that he stunningly recovered sufficiently from a toe injury in time to start in tonight's season opener at San Antonio, would be close to accusing the man of faking injury, or of laying down on the job, or of some combination of the two. And it's never really wise to question whether an athlete can or can't play with whatever injury he has been diagnosed with. First, you don't do that because everyone has a different level of pain tolerance. Just because we ..."
October 28
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Before boarding a charter flight to San Antonio for tonight's regular-season opener, Coach Byron Scott hurriedly put his starters through a walk-through of the Hornets' offensive sets. Several times, Scott stood beside center Emeka Okafor and pointed where he should be positioned on the high post before receiving an entry pass. Because of injuries and trying to get six new players acclimated to the team's system, the Hornets have been on a tightrope to build chemistry before the start of the regular season. Okafor (toe) and backup power forward Ike Diogu (knee) missed the entire eight-game preseason schedule. Starting point guard Chris Paul (upper respiratory virus), backup center Hilton ..."
October 28
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Buoyed by a relatively pain-free three days of practice, Hornets center Emeka Okafor left the Alario Center practice floor Tuesday fully expecting to play in tonight's opener against Southwest Division-rival San Antonio. Okafor, who missed all eight preseason games and a month of practice with a sprained right second toe, has worked without incident since Sunday, and said he'll be in the lineup for the nationally televised game against the Spurs at the AT&T Center. "I plan on playing," Okafor said. "It's cool. I wanted to get it manageable, and that's what it is right now. It's manageable. So I'll go out there and do what I have to do." Hornets Coach Byron Scott said Okafor's on-court ..."
October 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Amid a nationwide economic downturn, sports fans in this area are still seeking out ways to escape their anxieties for a few hours. The Hornets are the beneficiaries of a loyal fan base that continues to buy tickets in a way that a year ago went against the NBA norm, though Hornets officials say 2009 purchasing patterns are slightly different. "Last year, we sold more season tickets than any other team in history from the previous summer and surpassed the 10,000 total, which is an industry benchmark," team president Hugh Weber said. "This year, we've seen a more deliberate approach in purchasing habits but are seeing trends that project us to having similar levels as last year. "Over the ..."
October 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Unlike NFL teams, which monitor the waiver wire for potential pickups before the start of the regular season, NBA teams tend to wait weeks before choosing to bring on someone else's reject. With an 82-game season, there's time to see how things shake out early in the season before choosing to stand pat or make a move to improve. That's what the Hornets did a year ago, shipping unhappy and ineffective point guard Mike James to the Washington Wizards to acquire Antonio Daniels. The Hornets hoped the transaction would strengthen their bench at a position of need."
October 26
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Taking the time to clarify what he thought was a somewhat misleading report last week on his extended absence, Hornets center Emeka Okafor on Sunday said he is not ruling out the chance he could play in the team's regular-season opener Wednesday night at San Antonio. Okafor participated in all of the team's rigorous practice Sunday at the Alario Center except for the five-on-five, full-contact scrimmages, and the center said the sprained second toe on his right foot responded favorably. A story on Yahoo.com on Friday indicated that Okafor had received medical clearance to fully resume activities two weeks ago but seemed reluctant to participate in all phases of team workouts. "There were a ..."
October 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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As the start of the regular season creeps closer, Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower is back behind the scenes. He spends most of his days perched in the bleachers at the Alario Center, keenly observing practices and drills, evaluating his pool of mostly new talent. The heavy legwork is complete. After the Hornets were bounced out of the first round of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets in embarrassing fashion in April, the onus was on Bower to retool the roster of perhaps the most disappointing team in the NBA. His charge was to build a stronger, deeper bench, while shrewdly paring payroll. In his busiest offseason since taking the reins in 2005, Bower acquired six players. In June, ..."
October 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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For the past several years, the walls of Byron Scott's office in the New Orleans Arena have been barren, bereft of photographs, the only decor a dry-erase board on which to scribble plays and a television for reviewing game tape or watching live events. Nowadays, however, three of the four walls sport large, color photographs -- one of game action, another of Scott huddled with his players during a timeout, the other a 2008 All-Star Game portrait of the Western Conference coach, Scott, flanked by Hornets All-Stars Chris Paul and David West. Considering Scott's tenuous contract status -- he's coaching in the last year of his deal with the firm belief that the Hornets can recapture the ..."
October 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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After watching hours of film from last season's first-round playoff disaster against Denver, Hornets Coach Byron Scott accepted the need to make changes in his offensive strategy. Scott saw how the Nuggets' guards easily hemmed Chris Paul to one side of the floor because of the Hornets' predictable offensive attack that features Paul and David West, or some other big man, on the pick-and-roll. Paul handled the ball at the start of possessions a majority of the time, allowing Denver to stack the middle with the defenders, keep the lanes sealed and force the ball out of his hands with traps. It eventually wore down Paul and rendered the Hornets' offense ineffective. New Orleans lost the ..."
October 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Relief far outweighed disappointment Friday night at Staples Center, as the Hornets ended the exhibition season with a 91-88 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Peja Stojakovic led the Hornets with 19 points off the bench. He shot 3-of-3 on 3-point attempts in the second quarter. David West, who missed Thursday's game against Golden State with a minor ankle sprain, played 35-plus minutes and scored 18 points. Meanwhile, Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul spent the game on the bench, his only venture on the court coming in the fourth quarter, when he voiced his disapproval about a non-foul call. But the upper-respiratory illness that kept Paul out is not expected to be a problem when ..."
October 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Despite a sluggish economy still causing concerns for many businesses, NBA Commissioner David Stern said his league is weathering the storm with only a slight decrease in season-ticket renewals from last season. In his annual tip-off teleconference, Stern said renewals are down by less than three percent from last season's 79 percent rate. He said a majority of teams have kept ticket prices the same or decreased them slightly. The Hornets have not released their renewal rate or season-ticket total, but owner George Shinn said at last month's media day their sponsorship sales are better from a year ago and their ticket sales are running about the same rate as last season when they totaled ..."
October 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The numbers don't lie. Among the top five players in minutes played last season in the NBA, Hornets All-Star forward David West was firmly at No. 4: 76 regular-season games, 2,981 minutes logged, an average of 39.2, meaning West was on the bench a little less than nine minutes per game. The burdensome numbers were as much a result of West's ability to score and rebound in the front court as it was the Hornets' glaring lack of quality reserves who could give West a longer period of rest each game. Something needed to be done. Dependable depth was imperative. So when Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower told him that offseason steps would be taken to ensure that West, the most tenured New ..."
October 24
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Golf course decorum dictated that Rob Werdann's jubilation remain somewhat restrained. But Hornets Coach Byron Scott remembers the day last summer when, during a match with Werdann at Money Hill Golf"
October 24
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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A team that vaguely resembled the New Orleans Hornets was beaten down in the second half late Thursday night, losing 126-92 to a group that looked a little like the Golden State Warriors in a preseason game at Oracle Arena. The Hornets were playing without four starters, including All-Stars Chris Paul and David West. The absence of Paul, who sat out with an upper-respiratory ailment, was particularly noticeable. Without their floor leader, the Hornets seemed rudderless in the second half, committing turnovers in bunches and lacking an offensive spark. "That was probably the worst half I've seen us play in a long time," Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. The Hornets, whose ...
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October 23
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Thump. Thump. Thump. The pounding was incessant, but purposeful. Thump. Thump. Thump. Dribble. Dribble. Shoot. "That was a skill of survival," said Willard "Beanie" Thornton, the older brother of Hornets rookie guard Marcus Thornton. "If you liked scoring the ball, you had to know how to dribble. He had a ball all day. He kept a ball with him. He'd dribble the ball going to the park, coming from the park. Going here. Going there. "He had to shake people up at the park. You had to have ball-handling skills out there, or you'd get ripped." Marcus Thornton grew up on the playgrounds of Baton Rouge, hanging out with Beanie and his friends, playing basketball at The Sports Academy, a ..."
October 22
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Hornets Coach Byron Scott was brief but said he was happy about the NBA and its referees union agreeing Tuesday on a new contract that likely will have them working next week when the regular season begins. Several coaches have been fined during the preseason for criticizing the replacement referees, who have worked the entire preseason schedule. Until this month, the NBA had not used replacement officials since 1995. "They've been out of work, and nobody wants to be locked out," Hornets forward Sean Marks said. "You want to be out there doing your job and getting paid for it, and I'm glad to see them coming back." Forward Ike Diogu said the referees' return won't make a difference, ..."
October 22
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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As another extended practice came to a close Wednesday, Hornets center Emeka Okafor stood alone as his teammates went through a half-court drill. Okafor did not miss a regular-season game in two seasons when he played for the Charlotte Bobcats, but he has been mostly a spectator since the opening day of training camp last month with the Hornets because of a strained toe on his right foot. It has been a setback for the Hornets, who considered Okafor, a 6-foot-10, 260-pound center, their biggest acquisition in their summer of retooling that involved bringing in six new players. They obtained Okafor from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for center Tyson Chandler, who had an injury-filled ..."