Triple
overtime to beat the Bulls. When asked if the Hornets 102-95 slugfest with
the league's doormat Tuesday night was the biggest win of the season, coach
Paul Silas responded that a very good argument could be made. Why? The
Hornets had just returned from a 12-day, six-game road trip in which they
went 1-5 against Western Conference competition, scored fewer points than
a Big-Ten team on downers, and lost Jamal Mashburn, their leading scorer,
for three games to a bone bruise in his left knee.
The
good news is that Hornets won, extending their league best home court winning
streak to 12 games (how an arena that can't draw flies presents the Bugs
with a homecourt advantage is a mystery to anyone that covers this team),
and holding serve with their two game Central Division lead over the Bucks.
The
bad news is the Hornets are spent, and that the white-hot Portland Trailblazers
come to town Thursday night. In The Bulls game was the longest in franchise
history, and Baron Davis logged 53 minutes -- all of them played with flu-like
symptoms. David Wesley, who rarely seems to miss 20' shots, actually air
balled two wide open jumpers towards the end of regulation (He did, however
finish with a team-high 28 points). High flying Eddie Robinson actually
passed up a dunk for a lay-up -- and he missed!
ANALYSIS
This
is a team on the ropes, and its offensive production is plummeting. Once
the jet lag wears off, the Hornets will have to work on getting back to
where they were before the road trip -- being a serviceable offensive team.
They are a MUCH better team when Davis pushes the ball up the court and
forces the tempo. The Hornets are 9-0 when scoring more than 100 points,
and they don't have to be the plodding Heat/Knicks type of team. Davis
can run, Wesley can run, Mash can run. Even the Bug's big men -- P.J. Brown
and Elden Campbell -- can get up and down the court. Silas constantly points
to his team's defense (best in the league FG % D) as the thing that will
carry the Hornets into the playoffs. But doesn't every team play tough
"D" in the postseason?
NOTES
Jamal
Mashburn is set to return to the lineup for Thursday's game against the
Blazers after missing three games with a bone bruise in his left knee.
The Hornets missed his 20 points per game, and appeared to be lost, from
a chemistry standpoint, without Mash in the lineup. For you Mash fans,
you know it was in injury to the left knee that kept him out of 26 games
in Miami during the 98-99 season. Mashburn has since taken on a personal
trainer that is with him for home games, away games and during the offseason.
He has since become one of the most well-conditioned players in the league.
"He wouldn't come back so fast if it wasn't for that," Silas said before
the Chicago game Tuesday. "He continues to work through it (the injury),
running and getting the blood flowing."
Derrick
Coleman's minutes dropped off against the Bulls, as the rotund forward
played just 18 minutes and scored five points. Coleman had one impressive
quarter on the Hornets road trip, in which he single-handedly attempted
to bring Charlotte back against Vancouver with 18 fourth quarter points.
But the Hornets just don't appear to be the same team with Coleman in the
lineup, despite Mashburn's ringing testimonial of his teammate on ESPN's
Up Close the other night.
The
trade deadline should pass without any goings on in the Queen City. The
Hornets guaranteed rookie Lee Nailon's contract last Friday, waived Terrance
Roberson a few weeks ago, and have placed Tim James on the injured list
with the proverbial "tendenitis" injury. Silas did say that he would have
an interest in acquiring J.R. Reid, who was recently waived by the Cleveland
Cavaliers. Reid played for Silas after he inherited the head coaching position
from Dave Cowens during the later part of the 1997-98 season. "He was killing
people when he was here," Silas said. "I think he was leading the team
in scoring when I took over. He wants to play, and he is a fun loving guy.
But he can be disruptive if he is not getting playing time." But if there
is one team that has plenty of big men, its the Hornets.
