Half-assed Preview: Spurs @ Hornets


The defending NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs, will be in New Orleans this evening to take on the Hornets. Game time is set for 7pm Central and apparently there's a whole bunch of tickets left, so, to echo John DeShazier, get your ass to the Arena if you're in N.O. tonight.

This game should prove to be the first true test of the season for the Hornets. The wins in Denver and LA were impressive, but the Spurs are on a different level. Beating them tonight would likely give the Hornets a shitload of confidence and let everyone know we're for real.

Some notes and stuff…

  • The Spurs have beaten us seven times in a row. I'm pretty sure that streak stretches back to Darrell Armstrong's ridiculous game winner in San Antonio during that otherwise fugly 18-64 season.
  • San Antonio are also 4-1 on the season (full standings here), but  I figure they've had an easier five games than the Hornets. The Spurs beat up on the Blazers, Kings and Heat at home, and the Grizzlies on the road. That lone loss came at Houston last Tuesday (recap + video).
  • Manu Ginobili's still coming off the bench, but somehow leading the Spurs in scoring at 20.8ppg. Crazy mofo. Tony Parker is scoring 19 and dishing 5 per game, while Timothy of the Duncans is averaging 16.4 and 10.0. Thems be points and rebounds, respectively.

    Full team stats for the Spurs.

  • Oh, there's another one of those Buzz Fest party things outside the Arena ahead of the game, so get there early and get oiled.
  • Will be interesting to see how Tyson Chandler plays in this one. He fucked up by getting ejected in Portland and he knows it. I'd expect him to come out breathing fire tonight.
  • Byron Scott may look to shake up the rotation a little after Wednesday's poor performance from the reserves. From today's T-P

    "Right now our bench is terrible, and I don't want to have to play Chris, David and Tyson 40 minutes. But right now our bench is giving us nothing, and I'm going to make changes, and we'll see what happens."

  • Nice insight into how the Spurs have been playing thanks to this Q&A with David Thiessen over at Hornets.com. Check out his Spurs blog here. Also, worth checking as always is Pounding The Rock, another Spurs blog.

Alright, I'm done. Looking forward to this one. Kick ass, Hornets.


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