In one corner we have an 12 win team dying for a chance at Anthony Davis, in the other we have a newbie to the tank movement. The Golden State Warriors, theoretically, have more to lose by…winning- if that makes any sense. By now it should, because the tank machine has been rolling through New Orleans since Eric Gordon went down with his injury. Golden State loses their pick this year, unless they finish in the bottom 7. Right now they are 9th and are 3.5 games ahead of the magical 7th spot.

So what should we expect out of two teams that aren’t exactly dying to win? Well, these two got together just last week in a game that was actually quite entertaining. The Hornets fell 101-92, but the game featured a breakout performance from Warriors rookie Klay Thompson, an un-Hornets like 60 points in the paint from our home team, and a triple-double from the Sad Clown himself- Jarrett Jack.

The Hornets scored at will when they went into the paint, and they dominated the glass (47-33), but two of their Achilles’ heals (3-point shooting and turnovers) did them in. For the Hornets to win tonight, they will have to protect the ball; something that they have been horrible at lately. In their last 4 games, they are averaging 19.5 turnovers per game- including 27 in their last game against the Clippers. Golden State is coming off a tough loss last night, is almost as depleated as the Hornets, and has just as much reason to lose. Long story short- this is a winnable game!

News and Notes:

– Hornets Starting lineup – G Eric Gordon G Trevor Ariza F Gustavo Ayon F Emeka Okafor C Chris Kaman …. Oh wait, did I say starting lineup? I meant inactive list. Sorry about that. Honestly, it is unbelieveable that Monty has kept this team competative with this roster and all its injuries.

– Speaking of Eric Gordon, it looks like he will play again this year and it might be sooner than expected. I have personally always thought that April 4th was the date that they were targeting, but Monty has been hinting that it might be even sooner than that. Perhaps he gets a full day of practice on Friday and returns to his old home- the Staples Center- for the Saturday game against the Lakers.

– Vegas Zone: The line opened at Hornets +5, but has changed drastically over the last few hours to Hornets +2.5. Reason for the drastic change? My guess is the Return of J-Smitty: NBA Bad Boy! Over/Under is 190. Pound the Hornets and the over, I just got a feeling about this one.

– Lotto Ballz: A Minnesota loss tonight to the Bobcats would put that pick in a 3-way tie for 10th. And if Golden State beats the Hornets tonight, then they pull within 1.5 games of Minny. It’s hard to see a possibility where that pick finishes any better than 9, but the 9th pick would likely mean the Hornets could grab one of the free fallers (Barnes or Sullinger) or any point guard they want (Marshall, Lillard) with their second pick. And historically, 9 is one of the best picks in the draft.