Think of your favorite cop or detective movie, just pick one. Invariably something massive happens- it might be a big drug deal gone wrong, the President’s son gets kidnapped, or Mike Lowry’s ex-girlfriend gets killed. Whatever it is, you know that the characters in the film are experiencing a truly epic day at work. They get the bad guy, nearly get killed, destroy their car, and crawl back home. But have you ever stopped to think what that next day at work would be like for those guys? I mean, imagine that you just took down the nation’s biggest drug cartel and the next day you are called do a domestic dispute where the husband is complaining that his wife threw a blender at him because she thinks he is sleeping with her best friend’s sisters cousin.
Point is, not every day at work is going to be big budget film worthy- some days you just have to go through the motions and do the job you are paid to do. The Cavs came to town and I can understand why the guys didn’t play with the same fire that they had against Miami (or Dallas and San Antonio for that matter). They know this game won’t lead SportsCenter tonight, but a win is a win is a win. And the Hornets did what good teams do- they beat a team they are supposed to beat on a night where admittedly they didn’t play their best basketball.
David West led the Hornets with 34 points as New Orleans put Cleveland away 108- 101.(Box score) Cleveland actually held the lead for a large portion of the first half, going up by as many as five a couple of different times. The Hornets went on an 18-2 over the final 5:07 of the 2nd quarter to take a 62-43 lead into halftime. After that, the Cavaliers never really threatened again.
The run was fueled primarily by Marco Belinelli who scored 12 of the 18 points, all courtesy of the three point shot in some form or fashion. He sunk 3 out of 4 money balls in that span and used a pump fake to get himself to the free throw line for three shots on the second to last possession of the quarter. Meanwhile, Julian Wright has scored a TOTAL of 13 points on 5 of 18 shooting over the last 4 games for the Raptors (and had a DNP tonight against Houston). Safe to say that Dell Demps has committed The Robbery .
Cleveland started off the 2nd half with an 8-0 run, but CP3 quickly put a stop to that as he scored 5 points in a 20 second span to extend the lead. They also put together a little run to cut the lead to 4 with 1:04 left, but David West provided the dagger as the officials ignored Floppyjao’s antics (Floppyjao trademarked and patented by JCS). The remainder of the game was a free throw shooting contest, won by New Orleans.
Other Notes:
* Hornets actually gave up a lot of offensive rebounds (14) when you consider how bad the Cavs have been this year statistically on the boards. I noticed that at least 4 times Okafor jumped a second too early and it cost him a rebound. Also, he has a hard time tracking the ball when it comes off the rim hard. No doubt, though, the effort was there. Just a matter of timing.
* Ariza had a great hustle play in the third quarter that got the crowd pumped, but for most of the night he was non-existent. Watching this team, you see why Belinelli gets more shots per game than Ariza- the amount of movement off the ball is a night and day difference. Belinelli is constantly moving and working while Ariza is content to just wait for an opportunity to come to him.
* People say the Hornets don’t have a low-post threat in the classical sense, but West can get his down low against most power forwards in the league. There are 3 or 4 guys with the size/strength/skill combo to shut him down, but on most nights he can get buckets down low.
* Noticeable difference in the Hornets bench tonight. Against good teams they are up and  cheering on nearly every play. Tonight, they didn’t feel it was necessary.
* Hornets showing TV commercials during breaks- I don’t know how I feel about that. Just doesn’t feel right for some reason. But hey, if they use the money for a big man, they can play those corny Old Navy commercials for all I care.
* Old people seem to win every contest due to the fact that they are old and a novelty. People like to see older folks dance or kiss or generally act a fool It’s not fair! Should be same set of rules for everyone, no matter what the age!
* Willie Green loves to pull up at the free throw line and teams seem willing to let him get to that spot. He’s not as effective from the wings and is really inconsistent in the corner. Free throw middle is his sweet spot.
* Would love to see Ryan Hollins play with Chris Paul. Poor man’s Tyson Chandler who can’t score outside of three feet but would catch 2-3 lobs a game if he was playing with CP3.
* Q-Pon looks like he has put on 5-6 pounds of solid muscle since Summer League and it should help him as the season wears on. Willie Green always seems to be in his ear and Q-Pon can benefit from his knowledge, especially on the defensive end.
* Joe G. told me last night that he was contemplating writing an article that would not be very flattering to Jerryd Bayless. Â I think JB got wind of that news (perhaps from one of the girls at Rick’s Cabaret) and responded with one of his best games so far this season.
* David West got clobbered on two different plays over a course of three minutes. One was a flagrant 1, the other a flagrant 2, and after the second one Monty called a timeout. After what he said in the pre-game before Dallas I have no doubt that he had advice for the team on what to do if someone on Cleveland took the ball to the bucket hard.
* You see Marco Belinelli and Willie Green on the depth chart and you aren’t blown away but combined I think they give the Hornets a top 12 NBA shooting guard. How many guys would truly be an upgrade over this duo? Would Jason Richardson? James Harden? Even Iggy or Kevin Martin? Fact is that if the Hornets don’t seriously contend this year, it won’t be because of the two guard position. Upgrading the backup center position is priority #1. Jason Smith is a good 4th big, so the Hornets need a legit backup big to round out their rotation.
* Hornets play 5 of their next 6 on the road- all against Western Conference opponents before coming home to some easy games against NY, Charlotte, and Detroit. Overall, December should be kind to the Hornets schedule wise, so finishing off November strong will have the Hornets sitting pretty come 2011.
*Hornets gave up 100 points for first time this season, primarily because they let Cleveland get 34 foul shots, and they knocked down 32 of them.
41 responses to “Hornets get by pesky Cleveland team to move to 10-1”
Chris Paul had 15points 10assists and 6 steals, now don’t tell me that dont sound like a MVP.
didnt shoot too great although he hit a couple 3’s
CP on took 8 shots and shot 50%. 4-8. Not too bad. 2-3 on 3 pointers.
bayless in my opinion still was not very impressive… he does great getting to the hoop but can not finish for the life of him and his deep shot just isnt there. and my response to that is obvious u know who should be out there over him
Mac you’re a slick dude – making references to gent clubs and Mike Lowwwry. Jokes aside, I think you gave a fair assessment, and I’m glad to see we share the same sentiments on Ryan Hollins. No brokeback.
One thing I’d like to add is that Player-Coach-Champion Byron Scott forced Monty to play his starters to the end, whilst breaking the 100 point seal the Hornets have held on all previous opponents. Haters will downplay it and Scott to no end. Anyway, my favorite cop movie is Training Day and I think this game, plus all moving forward show us….
This ain’t checkers! IT’S CHESS!!! (Denzel Washington voice)
cant believe we let them come back so much through the second half. we got the same shots in the second half but just didnt hit them at the same rate. It was a pretty solid game overall tho.
We def need a backup big to help out, but y not get Jason Thompson for an exemption or straight up for smith? Thompson is def better than smith and costs very very little money. we could still hav the money in the offseason to sign Tyson to a 7-10 mil dollar contract.
why give up a big? then we will be in the same situation this year with a slight upgrade
Can Rick’s be our sponsor? Would that bother anyone?
I kid, but really I don’t.
Mike: The floppy thing was not me; it was JCS. He should get the props: http://www.hornets247.com/blog/2010/11/19/game-on-cavaliers-hornets-2/#comment-4887
My work is much more impressive . . .
Joe: Life is a cabaret? Well I know you took the right on Bourbon when I dropped you guys off (I had to go to work, everyone).
Just an observation: I think most teams play starters at the end when they are up by less than 10, regardless of the team they are playing and regardless of whether the opposing coach who only lost championships has won titles on a team as a player more than 20 years ago. I think we can find that across the NBA tonight and every night.
About a trade: Less than a week ago, Dell all but said they are looking for people.
Ariza really disappointed me tonight on the offensive end. He doesn’t move around, like you said, and his shorts are usually short. I think he’s great for us as a defender, but he gets a lot of touches and doesn’t do much with them.
People were already starting to stream out of the arena when the Cavs took 2 of their 56,212 free throws, and the shouting and screaming was still loud. We might not pack the Hive, but we do blow the roof off the building. I’m proud of that, even though I hope more people start to come to the games.
We may have given up 100 points but I’ll get over that as I eat my free chicken.
Hornets did what they had to do to win tonight. Basically they played 5 minutes of excellent ball and got by for the other 43.
It’s hard to get excited for every game, especially when you know you got another 70+ ahead of you plus playoffs. But these are the games you will be glad you won in March when you are fighting for home court.
We won despite off shooting nights from Peja, Ariza, and Smith. Combined 5 for 24, and most of them were not even close, leading to easy long defensive rebounds and fast breaks. Very ugly.
West was a beast. That made the jacked up threes all that much more disappointing. Okafor could have had a lot of easy buckets if he was fed. CP3 is not driving to the basket enough, depriving Okafor of opportunities.
Another huge stat — we had 9 blocks this game (at least according to the stat screen high above the two baskets). 9 blocks! That’s a huge number of points taken from the Cavs.
Loving Marco’s play in the first half, but I don’t know why he kept jacking it up in the second half. We were shooting threes as if we were behind; he and ta1 should have been driving it to the hoop. We know they can do it.
I’d also be happier if Bayless could make a layup or two.
I’m not a big fan of Ariza or Belinelli trying to create their own offense. It normally does not result in something good.
The Cavs shooting was atrocious. I kept looking at their percentage throughout they game and it stayed in the 32-34% range. They grabbed a lot of o-rebs because someone would just brick it into the rim while in the paint and be right there to grab it back. A big part of the reason we built such a huge lead was their inability to get their shots to drop. Of course a lot of that has to do with our defense forcing bad shots and getting a hand in the shooters face, but for a while it looked like they couldn’t have scored if they were playing middle schoolers.
Ok so u guys know how yahoo sports does “Create-a-Caption” for funny pictures around the NBA? well i think we could totally do that for pictures from teh hornets games. I think itd be hilarious and that we should start with marco and his italian self
I’m not a big fan of Ariza or Belinelli trying to create their own offense. It normally does not result in something good.
Boo! Not enough Honeybees tonight! And the Hornets shouldn’t have home games during Fringe Fest. Who beats out West for an all-star spot? Anyone? He kept JUMPING! He’s a new man!
I finally understand why Monty won’t play Marcus Thornton. He can’t allow the team to see any “exception” to his defensive-first mentality. The first crack could lead to other cracks and we are not just talking about the Hornets defense. He is still a young coach and managed to gain the respect of his players in a very short amount of time. With everyone buying into the game plan and that game plan working beyond everyone’s expectations, Monty has to stick to it at all costs. Why? Because it works. I agree that the lump sum of MT5’s game is superior to what we have seen so far from Bayless, but Monty can ill afford to be compromising on this issue as it could lead to complacency or worse.
Don’t forget this team beat Boston, Scott has them playing good basketball but the 4th quarter just looked like no one even cared anymore. They were coasting, three’s no real drives, lazy screens, not boxing out. We got the W but there is something to take away from this game for sure
Theres a report today (in another language so I cant read the article…lol) on http://www.hoopshype.com that says we are trading Peja and Bayless to TOR for Jarrett Jack, David Anderson, and Marcus Banks. Is there any truth behind this????
Just based on logic and making the numbers work, we must be getting back a trade exception as well. Also, the deal wont be able to happen until Dec 15th I think, since Bayless was just acquired.
At first I was like what a dumb trade, but Demps is a smart man. I did some research. I already knew Jarret Jack was a stud…especially in one area. If you guessed defense you were right. He is a phenomonal defensive PG. Pair him with Willie Green and Ariza on the floor at once and you have all 3 perimeter spots on lock down. This would allow our second unit to come in (with Ariza still on the floor) and cause other team’s second units to almost go ice cold. Nice luxury while the starters rest. Most people try to build a bench that can score to keep a lead that the starters build, but what about a bench that doesnt have to score because they dont allow the opponent to score? I like that idea. I dont see Marcus Banks in the plans unless CP3 gets injured, and I dont know much about Anderson. From what I read it seems likes he’ll be an upgrade over DJ or Pops. Finally, the trade exception still gives us flexibility to land another major peice this season. Stay tuned!
Looks like ESPN got the news too. They have an article up:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5828835
Why do you keep typing everything about this trade before I can type it?
Ha!
Good job. I agree with you on all the points. I just quickly looked at what these guys do per game and haven’t digested it.
I guess this could mean the end of Marcus if it comes to pass, and Quincy would be getting more time since the 3 will be a bit of an issue again.
I’m looking forward to hearing more about this if it comes to pass.
About the trade exceptions: we have a few already, so I’m not sure why they are haggling over it . . . unless they are lining up something next.
And can we package Bayless in a deal yet? They are over the cap, so we can’t just dump him. We can do a pair of deals, I suppose.
There goes our cap flexibility going forward, if this happens, which Demps basically said he didn’t care about. Honest man. It’s commendable he’d tell a schmuck like me what he was thinking.
42, I cant see this being the end of the trades for us. I think we are getting solid a position at a time though. It appears this PG spot is huge in Monty/Demps plan. Its like we feel that if we get the PG spot perfect then the rest will work itself out. We tried Willie Green, Jarrels, Bayless….none of them were of any satisfaction to what we were looking for but I bet Jack is just what the doctor ordered. Him and CP3 will be great! I can even see them together. Example is Utah, CP3 has trouble with DWill. Insert Jack and slide CP3 to the SG for defense..yet CP3 still runs PG on offense. It’s brilliant.
Our SG position is solid with Marco, Green, and MT5 (I guess you can count him here..lol). SF is nice with Ariza and QP. PF is good with West and Smith, and now hopefully the Center position will be improved with Meka and Anderson.
With all these trade exceptions in our back pocket (like you already said), I think they can be packaged maybe with MT5 to bring in a allstar type player. I think the SF, PF, and C spots still could all be upgraded in the 2nd unit, then pushing the current 2nd unit player (QP, Smith, Anderson) into a 3rd unit spot or utilized based on certain matchups.
Probably this trade rumor should go up as a journal post or news or forum item (if it hasn’t already).
But since I’m here …
I like the trade. Jack, I’m pretty sure, was in the same draft class as Paul and played in the ACC. His pre-draft write-up over at draft express makes him sound like the back-up point Williams and Demps have been looking for since they arrived (smart, a leader, ability to be a role player, defense, defense and defense, plus he has some size at the PG position and can play some two-guard).
Anderson sounds like Smith with a little more post game (and better numbers) maybe … ?
Banks plays better defense than Thornton but his numbers have him looking like the least productive of the Raptors. I don’t think he really threatens Thornton’s position on the team as they already have a strong defender/occasional offensive liability with experience on the roster in Green. Of course Williams put Green in a position to succeed and he has been so maybe they manage the same charm with Banks.
I’m pretty convinced at this point that Thornton’s future with the Hornets depends on Thornton and not who the they sign.
Of course … I may be completely and embarrassingly off target with all of this …
I agree that I trust Demps, and getting another big is a great idea, but I thought Peja was our biggest asset in trade value. If we trade him away with Bayless, we’re upgrading our defensive bench but not really doing much on the scoring side. I guess it’s because I’ve become attached to the Iguodala rumors, or that I’m still an offensive minded fan, but I’m not sure I like unloading the biggest bullet in the barrel to shore up a bench that hasn’t been that terrible for us so far.
JNR, I feel you 100% but look deeper. Yes Peja is our biggest asset but theres a bunch of other teams with expiring contracts of players that are far more desirable than Peja. Someone on ESPN (I believe) wrote an article about this. I will try to find it and post it. For example, lets say we offer Peja for Iggy…then DET hears Iggy is on the trade block so they jump in and offer Prince for him, both Peja and Prince make similiar money this year so would you rather bring back Peja or Prince if you were PHI? There are many more players out there teams would prefer over Peja that offers the same flexibility. So Demps is realizing that fact and getting what he can now. Solidifying the PG spot is a good plan, while also bringing in a young guy with potential that can play the backup C. Just look at Jason Smith…anybody saw that being a good trade? No. But now its looking like a steal. This will be another example of that. But on the sure side, you know what you are getting with Jack and the way Bayless has struggled, I’d take it without question. If this Anderson guys pans out the way Smith has, its just that much more great. Also, you dont want to still have Peja’s deal at the end of the season. Sure you free up $15 mill but players have to be re-signed and NOLA is not really a free agent destination. We have to build a winner through the draft and trades. So long term, I think we are doing the right thing. Trust in Demps. They said we wouldnt make the playoffs and look at us at 10-1. I have faith!
Heres a list of current expiring contracts. Tell me how Peja stacks up against the competition if we got into a bidding war over a player we really like/want (like an Iggy).
http://dimemag.com/2010/08/top-15-nba-expiring-contracts/
Thanks for the link, Ed. I guess I was limited in my thinking because Peja’s expiring deal is all I knew. But there are players there who are more valuable in production, resign potential, and money. Granted, I’m not sure I see the Jazz getting rid of AK47 this season, and the same can go for other players on that list. But you’re right, Peja isn’t the only expiring fish in the sea.
Overall, I do have faith in Dell Demps. He hasn’t done anything to break that yet. Plus, Jarret Jack is a good defender and has an awesome name.
The name is awesome…lol. But wait to you see how he hounds other PGs! I’m talking lock down in your face D. I hope we make the deal. Jack will be a key peice for years to come and at $5 mill a year for the next 2 after this season, what a bargain. I’m sorry but Bayless just seemed lost. Jack not only defends but he’s been a starting true PG for the past few seasons. He will know what he’s doing. And I would bet this Anderson kid is better than advertised as a backup C.
I don’t know about Jack being a lock down defender lol. He’s really not very good at all. He gets caught up too many times watching ball movement and loses his man all together. But I’ll give him his props, offensively he’s an upgrade at backup point over Bayless.
There’s no better feeling for a head coach than a “coachable victory” early in the season. You get the win, but there are plenty of things on tape you can show the guys they were sucking at. This was also the last home game before a 4-game road trip. Gotta win those when you’re a team with playoff aspirations.
well looks like alot of you got your wish as Bayless is about to be traded to Toronto along with Peja for Jarret Jack, David Andersen and Marcus Banks.
Living in Toronto I can honstly say that although this will not appear to be an upgrade of talent given that the players we are aquiring are not exactly household names but let me assure you we are definitly getting 3 very capable rotation players.
Jarret Jack is the perfect backup to CP3. He’s a strong, tough, pass first PG who can will be able to defend the likes of Andre Miller, Chauncey Billups and Deron Williams when CP goes to the bench. He is a true PG and a huge upgrade over Bayless given THIS TEAMS NEEDS.
Banks is a unknown because he has player very little for the Toronto Raptors. But one thing all Raptors fans will tell you is that he is a very good defender. His problem is on the other side of the ball. He has bad court vision, is an erratic, low perecentage shooter and is turnover prone. But again given our ephasis on defense dont be suprised if he does get minutes for us against teams like Dallas who run 3 guard sets.
Andersen did not play very well in Houston last year and they were more than happy to give him up for a 2nd rounder. However he has really blossomed in Toronto. He is a very good shooter for a big man. Even better than Jason Smith IMO. He doesnt have Smiths athletacism, speed or hustle but he is definitly a tougher, bulkier version of Jason Smith. Again he is a very underrated defender. Most raps fans did not expect him to be as good on defense as he has been. Between him and Smith teams are going to really have to account for pick and pops on both sides of the court now. They are also going to draw away bigs allowing Jack, Green, Paul to penetrate the lanes.
This was a good trade, however the only negative is that I was hoping we were going to net more with that Peja expiring.
I would not be suprised to see Thornton get moved for a big very soon. We still need a low post presence off the bench.
I would not be surpised if Andersen becomes another Bellinelli type steal for us.
Who can disagree with adding Jarret Jack as our primary back-up at the PG position along with Marcus Bank as the 3rd string insurance. Jack is the same PG that Miami wanted to trade-for last month to start for them. He’d definitely help Marcus Thornton on defense and offense! Also, I watched David Andersen play with the Rockets last year, and he’d be a definite upgrade over Mbenga, Gray, and Pops. He can bang inside, get rebounds in a short amount of time, plays decent defense -obviously coming from the defensive-minded Houston Rockets-, and he can shoot like Jason Smith. David Andersen helped the Rockets stay competitive last year while filling-in for Yao Ming at times. He will be a very capable back-up Center. However….
….Jerryd Bayless has a ‘TRT’ clause and can’t be traded until December 23rd, 2010. TRT means that since Bayless was recently traded-for he cannot be traded until a later date. I wonder if Toronto’s ‘Trade Exception’ has anything to do with this rule being nullified at this time so that the trade can be completed sooner than later? Does anyone know how Jerryd Bayless can be traded ‘right now’ with this rule in affect?
L_Reazy
Good question about Bayless, as I would like to know that answer as well.
I would be at static to get jarret jack…. any body right now is better than Bayless. IM sorry but the kid is NOT A PG… hes a undersized 2 guard.
Also while jarret jack may be a lock down defender, he can also pass pretty decent.
and if we get marcus banks, who i believe is a 2 guard, what message are sending to thorton?
As far a David Anderson goes, never seen him play, but if he can bring energy like Smith, he’s welcome to NOLA with open arms!!!
i love when we make trades!!!!!!!!!
I hope this trade is some sort of cruel joke. Peja and Bayless for Jarret Jack and two scrubs! Don’t get me wrong, I think Jack would be a major upgrade for Bayless. But we going to use Peja’s expiring contract for him and two sub-par players. And this Banks guy is making over $4million a year, for someone who probably won’t get playing time here. We need to stop picking up bad contracts, please.
I know Pops has only shown it once in pre season but I have seen David Anderson play in Europe and is nothing of what Pops can bring. This seems to be the crazy world of the NBA.
Pops over Anderson any day of the week.