Spurs Overcome 17 Point Deficit to Demolish Hornets

QueenBee, sweety. I remember VERY well that I pointed out that CP didn't look right even in the WINS because of the way he was playing. I've said he's looked hesitant SINCE the Houston game. I really think he's got a mental block. I think he's terrified to get hurt again and watch the season be basically over if he did for a big chunk. Especially since he sees so much potential with this team. I don't think he's hurt. I see the explosion still there. Some of it came out against DWill. But I see more hesitancy than explosion. Again, I only see this because I personally KNOW it. I know Jack hasn't had very much time to jell with this team, but the more I see from him, the more I preferred Bayless. I got reamed for not liking the trade, but last night was a night that Jack SHOULD have shown his worth playing against a PREMIER back up PG in Hill. Even if he hasn't learned the offense, did you see his defense? Instead Monty went with Green down the stretch because Jack struggled to play off the ball when NOH went small. But the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to wonder if we got Jack to just trade him. Maybe he will be the key to a Melo, Captain Jack, or Iggy swap? Lets wait and see. Lastly. This is a little out there. But a new name struck me yesterday. Anyone notice that Hedo Turkuglu has been coming off the bench for the suns lately? He's struggled to fit on the team because the team has sooo many ball handlers and distributors and creators. Hm. Isn't that something we're lacking right now? His shooting, passing, and creating would be an AWESOME fit on this team, and the guy is actually a SOLID defender who likes taking on big matchups like Melo, James, and Kobe. Something to consider, I guess.

Hey guys- love the site... I think the 2-man game with CP3 and DW is the way to go. I think CP's knee is slowing him down, but will be fine soon. Anyway- check out my new NBA site And One for Ostertag - www.andoneforostertag.blogspot.com - for short funny, rarely seen NBA videos! Thanks guys so much- my hopes is that since I have supported H24/7- maybe you guys could give my new site a chance. Thanks again!

"Marcus Thornton is the Eli Manning of NBA players" huh you gotta be kidding me, you cant possibly make a comparison like that. a super bowl mvp to a second year bench player. its offensive to people who use their brain.

An interesting thing as I was watching last night was how small Hornets played. A collective 15 minutes for anyone over 6'6" on Hornets bench compared with 37 for Spurs. I know Blair didn't play much so that needed to be filled but still Hornets don't have an answer off the bench to go low. In addition to this Smith nor Mbenga is an offensive threat in the paint. Hornets need this. I don't think Andersen is the answer as again he is more a mid range jumper threat rather than a post man. I have seen Pops be a force in the paint for a number of Teams however I would not be surprised to see him waived before he gets another shot. I think Hornets need that interior threat Offensively.

A very simple solution to all of this talk... get back to the 1-2 game with west and chris paul. I keep seeing okafor setting the picks why did we run away from that after just one game in dallas when tyson played the pick and pop so perfectly it will work against pretty much every other team. also keep playing marcus he looks great and aggresive out there thats exactly what we need

A few points: Jack has yet to really have a practice with the team, and he won't be getting one before the Thunder game. The three guard thing and the zone thing are absolutely coaching issues. We have capable guards to throw at guards. We just aren't that deep in our offense yet or we haven't written those pages in the book yet. Blair was getting killed and didn't see minutes later. Hill and Neal were `starters part deux' and the box score clearly shows their +/- are through the roof considering a 14 pt victory. Ariza was our top guy of people to to play at least 24 minutes in that department . . . and he scored 10, second lowest of the 6 such players, with Green's 8 `besting' him. Makes you go hmmm . . . right? 12,449 is the attendance number, whatever that means. Ignoring fetuses and twins conjoined at their common ass, that's an upper limit to the number of patrons at the game. In other news, the causeway bridge signs that display messages to the drivers on the 24 mile span between the New Orleans suburb of Metairie and Mandeville said 2 things today: "High Crosswinds -- 45 mph Speed Limit" and "Happy Saintsgiving 8-3". Ponder. 12-5 is the worst we can do through November unless they vacate some of our wins. We have not gotten worse in the area of health since the start of the season. Fat, dumb, happy.

Lakers lost to the Pacers. Wow. Goes to show any team can win or lose on any given night.

Guys I've been wanting to ask .... have you all been placing votes for the All-Star game? I try not to forget but I've been voting just about daily via both online and texting.

Ok guys. OKC lost to Houston tonight by 1 point so you know they'll be p*ssed and want to take it out on the Hornets. Let's hope the Hornets are also p*ssed because of tonights loss and get after it.

I have to agree with the idea that Chris Paul is not 100%. There is a tangible difference between the separation he's generating this year and the separation he used to create. He looks a few pounds heavier and also looks more reluctant to get deep into the paint like he used to. The last few games, defenders from other teams have started to anticipate CP3 the split second he gets into the air, causing those oh so rare turnovers from him. CP3 has been remarkably efficient this year, creating open shots for teammates and also scoring for us when our offense has gone stagnant. However, he has not been the complete CP3 of old yet. It's obvious. It amazes me that he can lead a team to this record while he isn't fully healthy. No one is (or should) be complaining about CP3's production this year, but I think everyone should be aware that SOMETHING is different about him

Regarding potential trade targets, I wonder why Dahntay Jones is not playing in Indiana right now? I remember how annoying he was in the Denver playoffs and I'd love to have that down-and-dirty player on defense that just flat pisses people off.

just read a post-game quote from Monty, "I was simply out-coached in the second half". Humble fella isnt he? In response to the opening article-'why not feed the ball to West in the second half': the spurs coach admitted that D-West was unstoppable in the first half, so he ordered an intense double team everytime David got the ball...and didnt it work a treat? Monty needs to think on his toes and give the boys a solution when this happens.

I kind of figured Jack wouldn't be all that we wanted him to be. That's why I couldn't really get excited with the swap of Bayless for Jack. Yeah, he's new to the team and still has to get adjusted (and it is possible that he may very well begin to play better) but I kind of knew he wouldn't be what most thought he was. And he's older than Jerryd to boot. But Jack is 'known' to be more of a point guard than Bayless is.

Kudos to the Spurs in the second half. They shut us down, poured in the shots, and we didn't reciprocate. Bummer. I gotta say that so far I'm not impressed with Jack. He looks just like Bayless out there - wild, out of control, taking foolish risks with the ball, etc. Seems like he never passes and always looks to shoot first. I imagine a lot of this will get ironed out - he just joined the team - but I'm not seeing much of an upgrade at this point.

It could be worse. We could be the Miami Heat!!!!

Let me also say this. We have a new coach, new coaching staff and 2 new starters in the lineup. About 9 new players altogether. Believe it or not but they are still learning to play together. They're still learning how to open things up for Chris and he's still learning their tendencies. And yet they've managed to be 12-4. Of course we'd all love to be 16-0 right now but is that really realistic for this team and the schedule they've opened up the season with? Yeah I may be pissed when they lose because all fans want to see their teams do good and win games. I'm pissed though. IMO, bitching, whining and moaning is another animal. Oh well. On to the next one. Thunder here we come. Oh brother.

I was at the game tonight and felt so confident at half time!! (I am an Australian exchanged student @ LSU), very new to this site. I find it very interesting to get on here after a game and see what people have to say about the games. Here are a few of my thoughts: - Must give credit to the spurs 2nd half defense. We were simply out-hustled. - I don't like complaining about ref's one bit. The team that plays better wins. - I was confused with what type of offense the team was trying to run in the second half. Ariza should NEVER dictate an offensive play- ever. Our players were getting trapped in corners, and there was very little ball movement. - Soooo happy to have willie green and MT5 comin off the bench. Can i propose a question....who is the WEAKEST link in the starting 5? I tend to think its Okafor. But from what I see, Trevor Ariza is prone to lethargy and often seems very uninterested in the game. Could you imagine upgrading the SF position and having Ariza's talents coming off the bench. But on the other hand, a BEAST at the center position would do a lot for the team too. - David West is soooooo consistent. We are blessed to have him on our team. BEAT OKC!!!

Our effort was not there after halftime. Some examples: - West failed to reach for the pass on two consecutive plays, allowing turnovers. - West dribbled the ball off his foot when nobody came to help on the double team. He was stranded on at least 4 or 5 double teams in the 2nd half. - Three or four lazy three-point or long two-point shots early in the shot clock from Paul. He made one, and missed three. - Players turning their back on driving teammates, resulting in turnovers when the driver had nowhere to pass. I agree that we were whistled for minimal contact, while West and Paul suffered tons of bumps and hacks with few whistles. The offensive foul on West where Jefferson fell down and the one where Paul was run over and knocked down killed a brief rally. On the other hand, we missed a ton of easy shots up close and too many free throws, so the refs were only a small part of the story. I hate the small-ball lineup if our smalls are going to play off their 3-point shooters 12 to 15 feet. My Grandma or Jason Kidd can make those uncontested 3s. This coaching move was the worst I've seen from Monty so far. All in all, this was the most disappointing loss at home since the 58-point debacle. A swing of 30+ points in one half really sucks.

Oh quit your damn whining and sniffling BeesGivingEffort. I'm a hypocrite? No, you are a hypocrite. Have you said anything here about Chris not being healthy when the team wins? I've already said that Chris isn't playing the way we are accustomed to seeing him play. Whether that's because he's not 80% or 100% healthy. Whatever percentage you feel like putting on it. Thing is, Chris HAS been getting into the paint. He's been putting up his floaters. Most players do that in the paint do they not? Just because he isn't getting fouled hard and knocked to the floor like you're apparently looking for doesn't mean he hasn't been in there. If you were coming off of a pretty serious injury how quickly would you be willing to take chances on getting knocked down? Heck yeah if I were Chris I'd want to be careful too. Whether I'm 100% or not. Having that injury I'm pretty sure he isn't in any hurry to have another one of the same magnitude. Just tonight he was in the paint on the floor with all kinds of Spurs around him. Any one of them could've jumped on his leg going for a rebound but he no doubt put himself in that situation. Why am I always on your case? Are you kidding me? Dude I barely ever even say anything to you. LOL. Hell yeah I bitch and moan when my favorite team loses. Most fans do but I don't come here calling people hypocrites and such. Always on your case? That's funny. How about this then? From now on, you ignore my posts and I'll ignore yours. That should make everyone happy right? Good night to you.

My problem with this game was what happened to our offense in the second half. Yeah our defense was pathetic, but it looked good compared to our offense. The offense was awful, 34 in a HALF? That is after dropping 61 in the first half. As mentioned David West should'e gotten more shots. Marcus had a nice few plays in the first, didn't get to see him even shoot in the second from what I remember, but with 34 in a half, wouldn't that be a good time to get him going?

It really is enjoyable reading comments after a win, but after a bad loss it seems like it's time to torch the team on here. It starts to look all NOLA.com on these boards when things go the other way. This loss made me want to kick the arena seat in front of me off of its foundation; however, at the same time, we are 12-4. The spurs are arguably the best team in the nba right now (Lakers?). Did you not expect some resistance? Obviously the Hornets didn't after halftime, but how about the fact that the team did show the ability to DOMINATE the best team in the league. Albeit for one half (which is totally unacceptable, I agree) but still, not time for all this total abandonment of ship.

I don't see the argument that any pg has been close to CP3 this year. D-Will rebounds less, (8.2% cp3 rate vs 6.2%), assists less (51.3% vs 44.6%), turns it over a little more, even with cp3's way higher than usual rate this year (15.5 vs 15.7). Oh, and he stills at a hugely better rate too: 4.6% vs 1.8%. CP3's offensive and defensive ratings are just enormously better, he scores more efficiently (62 TS% vs 57%). The ONLY major thing d will is doing better is pure quantity of points (16.6 vs 21.7 points), however he's using a lot more possessions to get there, and if you assume that those extra possessions cp3 isn't taking go to league average shooting, then cp3's production is waaay better, if you assume those shots would be a little below average, he's still better. There are similar comparisons to the others. Rose is worse is all these categories too, again, except scoring. But Rose scores at BELOW league average efficiency, with a 53.9 TS% (his shooting is okay, but he doesn't get to the line enough to manage a league average TS%). And especially with the rest of the team being relatively much more efficient he should pretty clearly take fewer shots. His higher scoring looks good but is very misleading. Rondo has the only non-scoring argument against cp3 (he's not scoring much, and he's doing it shooting badly), but he does get the nod for assist rate and rebounding by slight margins, loses to cp3 on steals and most importantly is dominated on turnover rate. I think rondo probably comes closest, but really, it's not close. CP3 is the best PG in the league, and arguably the best player, though Pau Gasol this year sadly has a very good argument for that too.

The point is that CP3 has not decided in the crucial moments of games, at least in these last games. He prefers to pass the ball to D-West rather than himself to decide. You never know what goes on in the mind of Chris Paul. It can be anything, including this: I will infiltrate and to risk a new injury for what? Soon I will be moving to NY, and the Knicks need that my knees are healthy. I will not risk it now ...

@MaskedTalent-I didn't say he was playing at Dwills level but answer the question, do you think the Hornets would be 12-4 with any of those other point guards? CP isn't playing like we're accustomed to seeing him play but it's not like he's out there looking like a 3rd string guard either.

The Hornets have a record of 12-4 when no one expected them to do anything at all but now we must hit the panic button? Really? I understand disappointment but not knee jerk reactions. Other than the Spurs and Lakers who have 2 and 3 losses respectively, every other team has 4 or more losses. I'm pissed but it's not like the Hornets are currently 4-12 instead of 12-4.

well i guess we can try to look at the bright and say, better the mistakes now than later in the season...but then again....*sigh*....OH GREAT AND MY FOOTBALL TEAM JUST LOST TOO. What a sports day lol..smh

We were raped by the Spurs in the second half. And do not be fooled: Chris Paul is not the best PG in the NBA today. He is not justifying this position in recent games. I'm a fan of the Hornets, but admit it: Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo are playing basketball a lot higher than CP3. I even fear that Westbrook can do with Paul tomorrow. I am shocked and very disheartened by this defeat. I hope the Hornets proved otherwise there in Oklahoma, but honestly, I do not take faith. The performance of Chris Paul in the second damn time I disappointed a lot. I think we can start looking for the panic button. Even if it is a corner of his eye ...