Before I get to the game, I wanted to address one thing. For those of you who aren’t aware, there are rumors flying hot and heavy that the NBA could be purchasing the Hornets from George Shinn at any moment. Yeah, the NBA, not Chouest or some other buyer. Crazy, eh?
Questions, questions, questions. Are there really so few people who want to buy the Hornets or is Shinn not pushing to find them? If it’s the former, that begs the question - are the financials are that bad? Why, Why couldn’t we have had Chouest in charge – it was so damn promising! Is George that eager to get out? He’s not going to get top dollar selling to the NBA. Â
Of course the NBA says that if it buys the Hornets, it wants to keep them in New Orleans and will look for a buyer who will do so – but the attendance issue is suddenly vital.  If we don’t hit it, then look for buyers with a completely different agenda to materialize.
As a result, I worry about a Sonics-Thunder Clay Bennett-style takeover of the Hornets.  I also worry just as much about this: If a new owner comes in, it pretty likely he’d bring with him a brand new set of front office personnel.Â
Sigh. Monty Williams and Dell Demps deserve so much more than to be a caretaker front office.
There’s just so much unknown, it makes my stomach tight. And not in a “The Situation” sort of way.
Matchup: Hornets(13-6) @ Spurs(16-3)
Off Efficiency: Hornets 103.3(17th), Spurs 109.0(3rd)
Def Efficiency: Hornets 98.7(4th), Spurs 100.7(7th)
Of course, there is also a rematch tonight against the League-Leading San Antonio Spurs.
These two teams faced each other last week, with the Hornets roaring out to a big lead. Then the Spurs flipped the script, and the Hornets were crushed in the second half, eventually losing the game in a blowout.Â
There were several things for Monty and the guys to work on to prevent a repeat performance. In that game the Hornets were out-rebounded by the Spurs and let them get into the paint for 52 easy points, while the Spurs killed CP3’s pick and roll attack, limiting the Hornets to only 9 points on 10 posessions. The Hornets will need to find new angles to initiate that play if they hope to keep an effective balanced attack.
I’m not going to do a full positional analysis this time. The same players will be on the floor as last week, particularly Manu Ginobili who should be on the top of everyone’s MVP vote this year. I’d have a hard time picking between him and CP3, and I’m an unabashed CP3 fan.
Injuries:
Hornets:Â West should be back.
Spurs:Â None of consequence.
Let’s hope the Hornets come out hard in this one – and execute their offense better – than the last game. Talk the game up in the comments!
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57 responses to “Game On: Hornets @ Spurs”
GEAUX HORNETS!!!
sigh
Word is that West is questionable, and Mbenga is out with the same stomach bug West caught. Pops is still out pursuant to that tooth in the elbow thing.
What that about Pops?
wasn’t it david lee? Oo
Similar. David Lee was out for awhile with an infection because of the tooth in arm cut. Hornets trying to make sure that doesn’t happen to Pops.
give to j smith 30 minutes tonight, and let’s bounce back!!!
Just announced…NBA is buying the team. Sad news.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5887687
A few things about the sale-
1. I think it’s happening so fast because Shinn was desperate to sell before the end of the year for tax purposes.
2. Even thought the deal is supposedly off the table with Chouest, he still owns 35% of the team (I presume).
3. This more likely than not means that we won’t be using our 10 million dollar trade exception, even if a good deal comes up. I doubt the NBA will have their team over the luxury tax line. Very sad.
Sorry, I didn’t see you had posted the sale news in the “news” link. Guess I should’ve checked there first.
I expect you’re right on 3, too bad.
Good banner.
I admit I am a fair-weather fan of the Hornets and recently and unsurprisingly I have lost much of my enthusiasm for them due to their recent spate of losses. I can understand losing to the Spurs and Jazz, but to the Knicks and Clippers, plus a near loss to the Kings? If the Hornets win this one against the Spurs tonight, my faith will be revived markedly, but I don’t have much hope they will. Then again I recall periodically that the Spurs endured a 13-game losing streak in the 1998-1999 season before they went on to win the title the same year. Geaux Heaurnets!
What is so hard about the Hornets system?
Looking at these stats, Raptors got more out of Jack and are getting more out of Bayless than Hornets did and have.
Bayless
TOR 5 0 18.8 10.2
NOH 11 0 13.5 4.5
Jack
TOR 13 13 26.7 10.8
NOH 7 0 13.9 4.1
I don’t know if this is anything, but I watched Bayless today and he looked really good. I never saw that from him when i watched him with the Hornets.
I think it’s just that it’s new, there’s been a great degree of roster turnover, and that the emphasis has been on defense, not so much that it’s hard.
Any word if West is going to play yet?
Ten before Tip says DWest will indeed be back in the lineup.
Thanks for the info, I’ll be recording the game then. Let’s go hornets!
I hate games on NBATV. I pay for League Pass broadband so I can watch the Hornets so why are NBATV games blacked out? Just dumb.
Sigh…
We’ve really seen a pretty bleak pattern of regression after the first 10 games or so. I thought it was just a temporary slump, but as every game goes by things seem to get worse.
The defense has been laughable so far tonight.
I’m hating the way this game is starting off, HORRIBLE on defense and bad on offense.
everything is falling for the spurs… the bonner buzzer beater was ridicolous…
That one was ridiculous, yeah… but otherwise they’ve been getting layups and open jumpers.
Omg here we go again….Spurs hitting 3 pointers after 3 pointer.
I can’t watch this game..
this is gettin ugly…..
Well, once again Dell Demps needs to realize we are no where near a complete team .Lets start by getting rid of bellineli who is inconsistent, like i said early but noyone thinks he is. Chris Paul not trying to score again doesnt surprise me also… hmmmm at least the Saints won!! WHO DAT??? not the hornets.
oh yeah… the problem of the team is belinelli, get rid of him and the hornets are a championship team…
did i say bellineli was the only problem? why dont you go read my comment again and for future references read comments thoroughly before you decide to reply, it cant be that hard it was only a few sentences. I said lets START by getting rid of him. We need a real starting shooting guard who can score consistently and who can create their own opportuntites. When Bellineli trys to create his own opportuntites, it results in a turnover or a bad wild shot. Why not start Green untill or if we find another SG. Obviously theres more problems but this is one to bring up
I agree with Nola.. Bellinelli, is not our answer at the 2 spot. He cant create for himself, AND EVERY TIME HE DRIVES, i hear 1001 Italians babies screaming in anger.!!!!!
Is it just me or does this happen every single Hornets game: “[random opposing player] has really, been struggling lately, but he’s really hitting ’em tonight!” ?
oh god…
Ouch–I had subscribed to comments for this article, but I had to unsubscribe because I simply became depressed being frequently reminded that the Spurs were pounding the Hornets again.
Basically 50 pts allowed in 15 minutes at a consistent pace. Could end up 150-75 if you only pay attention to stats…
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5rlxtzDA46M/SWu8k53z_wI/AAAAAAAAAVc/LXa5Dmche7I/s1600-h/girl_crying.jpg
screw this, I’m going to bed…
Same problems we saw last season are strarting to creep up again.
What is happening to my Hornets?
http://www.ayushveda.com/womens-magazine/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/claimcryingbaby.jpg
If i was Monty I would start Thornton in the second half just to shake things up a bit, there is no chance we win this game unless we take a risk.
How is CP the only Hornet in double digits at halftime? SMH.
I was watching something else and when I turned it back Monty had gotten a techincal. What was the technical for? I mean I’m pretty sure it was because he was belligerent on the sideline but why was he belligerent?
He was saying there were some uncalled fouls in the lane, I think.
I like the pictures.
Those pictures show how I’m kind of feeling right now 42. I’m not really looking at the game because I already kind of felt like I knew how it would be so I wasn’t really in the mood to watch what I already knew. LOL! I turn it on to peek every now and then or may peek at the boxscore and then I go back to doing what I was originally doing. LOL. With that said, I have plans on attending this weeks games at home.
I feel about the same. I like the method of expression, I meant.
It is becoming abundantly clear that this team can not win a championship with Okafor at center, i’m sorry to put it all on him but we need someone who can finish in the paint better, not getting blocked by Sean Marks, and someone who is long and agile enough to guard the Amare’s and Tim Duncans
and still aaron gray sits!
Tell him to go in and foul his rear off!!!
We need to experiment. Play a scrimmage, basically.
I’m with you.
Gray, Andersen, Marcus, Quincy, Jack.
This is just a bad, bad day in the world of the Hornets.
Looking at this team, this game, from the perspective of someone living outside the locales represented . . . if this team leaves, I’m done with the NBA, everything about it, for a while. I’ll soak up every minute of this team while they are here, even if they lose by 50 every night and Hilton Armstrong returns to be our best player. But not if they go.
Most likely replacement team: Memphis. I’m so stupid. Replace in my life, not come here replace. I’m not even talking about that.
Well, for all those people that urged patience, this performance tells me we are way closer to the panic button than I’d assumed by a lot. Monty’s little tiff with Marcus Thornton needs to end. GOOD NEWS – CP3 gets rid of his clunky ass knee brace and all of a sudden he is hitting the lane and making plays again.
And how has that worked out?
If the brace is the issue, then an injury wasn’t the issue. I’ll take it.
Oh. Marcus looks like he flat doesn’t give a flying s*** and I don’t blame him one bit. I’m starting to not give a flying s***.
Good Gray play from Jack.
Are YOU SERIOUS??? ATTN: Chris Paul, how can you let this happen tonight? Where is your leadership? I have never questioned you before but where is your pride? Your sense of manhood? We are an nba team and you are our leader for now, how can you allow the pace of the game to be controlled by San Antonio and Matt BONNER!!#*;+!? Someone please tell me I’m dreaming this up????? 30+points ?! I’m nausious
Belinelli is not getting it done for us. Period. He takes bad shots and forces the offense if he isn’t assisted on by a pass. His defense really isn’t as good as Ryan/Joe/Michael claim it to be. I have repeatedly watched him leave his man wide open for 3s. Of course, that’s including tonight.
Additionally, I’ll say confidently that Jarrett Jack must be bringing this team down. Seriously, the Hornets have looked like two completely different teams since Jack has come on, starting with the loss to the Clippers. The Clippers. They are 2-5 since joining the Hornets and are about to be 2-6. The Hornets overall effort has been laughable since Jack came on board.
Go ahead and say Jack was the best player in that trade but he has been an absolute nightmare for us since the trade. At least Bayless understood his role on this team. But no, that wasn’t good enough for all the Bayless haters. He didn’t score 20 a night. He must be awful. Bullshit.
Jack is horendous
Jack is horendous, please I could fit in better with this hornet team
It’s an odd year which means this could be the Spurs’ year.