[外電] Nailon doing the 'dirty work'
原文出自 nola.com
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1097562690113580.xml
Nailon doing the 'dirty work'
Hornets' forward gets praise for his defense
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
By John Reid
Staff writer
It was an opportunity Lee Nailon found hard to resist,
especially with Hornets coach Byron Scott and his
assistants watching.
When veteran Hornets forward George Lynch put up a jump shot
in the lane during Monday's intrasquad scrimmage, Nailon
soared to block the ball. It wasn't spectacular enough to
make Scott stop play or praise him in front of everybody. But
it clearly was another sign that Nailon is not the same
player he was when former Hornets coach Paul Silas waived him
during training camp before the 2002-03 season.
Mainly known for his shooting, Nailon is providing the same
hustle on defense as he has been known for on offense. Several
of his teammates have noticed the change.
"I think he's really made an impression, and you can see that
he's really focused on trying to defend and rebound," veteran
forward P.J. Brown said.
"We all know Lee can shoot the ball easily, but it was doing
the dirty work that people had questions about. He's really
been asserting himself on the defensive end."
Nailon's inability to do those "little things" likely is the
reason why he bounced around the league last season, playing
for three teams.
During the 2002-03 season, he played limited minutes for the
New York Knicks, averaging 5.5 points in 38 games as a backup.
In 2003, the Atlanta Hawks signed Nailon before the regular
season, but he was waived in December. In January, he was
extended two 10-day contracts with the Orlando Magic before
being released again. Then, in March, Nailon was signed to two
more 10-day contracts, this time by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Silas ended up keeping him for the remainder of the season.
"I think for a lot of teams, the negative was that I didn't
play defense as hard as I play offense," said Nailon, who is
entering his fifth season in the league. "So my thing this
season is playing defense hard, and hopefully it will cause a
turnaround for me."
With Rodney Rogers missing his third consecutive practice
because of a sore left hamstring, Nailon has been getting a
large chunk of the minutes on the second team at small forward.
Lynch, who reported early last month to start learning Scott's
Princeton offense, has the edge as the starter at that spot.
But the battle between him and Nailon has been competitive and
likely will get more intense when Rogers returns to the mix.
Free-agent Tremaine Fowlkes also is competing for time at the
position.
"I know for sure it's going to come down to who plays the best
in the preseason," Lynch said. "Lee is a different-type player.
He looks to score more. Rodney and I are similar. I think it's
all about who the other guys are most comfortable playing with
and what the coaches expect."
When several general managers around the league began calling
this summer to offer Nailon a contract, he wasn't swayed by the
first offer.
He mainly was looking for a team where he could adjust easily
and have a fair chance to earn a spot and playing time. Nailon
thought the Hornets were the perfect fit.
"I knew, coming here, I would have a great shot at playing a
lot of minutes because Scott is a fair coach at giving guys
opportunities," said Nailon, who signed with the Hornets on
Sept. 30. "George was here last year, but it's a new offense
to everybody, so I think I have a fair opportunity."
Nailon, who is 6 feet 8 and a former college standout at TCU,
was drafted by the Hornets in the second round of the 1999
draft. But he played in the Italian League for a season before
joining the Charlotte Hornets for the 2000-01 season.
Nailon's best season came in 2001-02, when he started 41 games
that season in place of injured starter Jamal Mashburn and
averaged 15 points and five rebounds. He scored in double
figures in 34 of the 41 games.
Scott said they reviewed several game tapes from that season
before they offered Nailon a contract to return.
"We know what Nailon can do," Scott said. "We also know that
he was a very good teammate with a lot of the guys here. We
figured it was a no-lose situation to bring him back.
"If he does real well in camp, he has a good chance of making
the team. If he doesn't, we haven't lost anything. But he has
played extremely well and can get things done. He might be a
guy that we need."
. . . . . . .
John Reid can be reached at jreid@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3405.
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