[外電] THE BUZZ ON THE BEES
原文出自 nola.com
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/109906891468240.xml
THE BUZZ ON THE BEES
Beat writers Jimmy Smith and John Reid answer 10 questions about the Hornets
Sunday, October 31, 2004
1. Can Coach Byron Scott duplicate the success he had with
the New Jersey Nets?
Reid: He has the right plan in place to be more of a running
team to take advantage of point guard Baron Davis' skills to
push the ball up court. Scott's Princeton offense will make
the Hornets a better scoring team than they were last season.
Smith: That depends on whether point guard Baron Davis can
become as consistent on a nightly basis as the individual
who ran the point for Scott in New Jersey, Jason Kidd. Kidd
was a threat every night to put up a triple-double -- Davis
didn't have one last season. Davis has toIe
2. Has Scott expected more from the players than did former
coaches Paul Silas and Tim Floyd?
Reid: It appeared to be the most noticeable difference at
training camp. Scott has players running sprints with straps
around their waists and held by a teammate as they ran.
Nearly all of the veterans said they had never experienced
a camp that rigorous since they have been with the
Smith: Without question. With Paul Silas in the first year,
there was a comfort level because he was in his fifth season
as the team's head coach. Silas didn't exactly surround
himself with a demanding assistant coaching staff and the
offense often revolved around the two-man games that Jamal
Mashburn would run with a defender before throwing up a
fadeaway jumper. Scott and his assistants, all three former
NBA players, have obviously caught the ears of their charges
and there have been training-camp drills run this fall that
no one had witnessed the previous two.
3. Will point guard Baron Davis shine in the offense or will
he become a malcontent if the Hornets struggle to win?
Reid: I think he showed some maturity when he put aside the
personal trainer issue and began focusing just on basketball
after a few days in camp. I really still think there are some
issues that haven't been resolved between him and management,
but he will play hard because he knows it's his job to lead
the team. Davis also cares about his image and he does not
want to be perceived as a malcontent or distraction.
Smith: It's bound to happen. Owner George Shinn perfectly
described his petulant superstar when he referred to Davis
as immature during the early personal trainer flap. Davis
didn't exactly become a malcontent last season when things
went bad. He just did what he wanted in the offensive scheme.
There were nights when he carried the team, and there were
nights when he hurt the team. Scott won't allow that to happen.
It wouldn't be a stretch to see Davis take a seat should he
ignore a called play.
4. How big of an impact will rookie guard J.R. Smith make in
the regular season?
Reid: It wouldn't be a surprise if he begins the opener as
the starting shooting guard. I like his poise, his shooting
ability and his instincts on when to take a perimeter shot
and when to drive. Smith must improve as a defender,
especially to not let up on his defensive pressure when
the ball is rotated to the opposite side.
Smith: Sometimes it's easy to get carried away with potential,
and J.R. Smith certainly has a lot of it. However, things are
different in the regular season. There are times over the
course of an 82-game schedule when professional players simply
take a night off, slough off the man they're supposed to be
guarding, and mail in their 48-minute effort. He'll make plenty
of rookie mistakes and struggle on defense when he's assigned
to guard a veteran, which pretty much will be every night. But
make no mistake: offensively, Smith can play.
5. Can the Hornets earn a playoff spot in the Western Conference?
What team is their biggest compeititor?
Reid: The Hornets will be in a fight for the eighth playoff seed.
Let's be honest here -- they are not as talented as the Minnesota
Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets,
Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets or Memphis Grizzlies. That
leaves them competing for the final spot the Utah Jazz, Dallas
Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns. The Hornets
could surpass last season's 41 wins and still not make the playoffs.
nimo、
Smith: Bottom line: 41 wins did not get a Western Conference
team into the postseason a year ago. And it's likely that a
.500 record this season won't be good enough, either. It's
going to take a winning record, maybe 49 or 50 wins, to get
the eighth seed in the West this season. Look at the teams
that slipped into the playoffs last year, Denver at the eighth
seed, Utah just missing. Could be the team that once resided in
this city might just be the one the Hornets are battling this
season for that final playoff spot.
6. Can center Jamaal Magloire duplicate what he achieved last
season in making his first All-Star Game appearance?
Reid: His body still looks the same, but he has developed
several new moves to get shots in the post. In the preseason
he was able to beat defenders often with quick spin moves to
the basket. I think having a good challenge each day in
practice against Chris Andersen is going to strengthen his game.
Smith: There's no reason to think he can't. He seems to be of
the right mindset right now to make another push for an All-Star
berth, or even average another double-double. Magloire seems to
be shooting a little better from longer range and his rebounding
is as tenacious as ever. The motion-oriented Princeton offense
should give him as many looks at the basket as he did a year ago.
7. Will the Hornets make a trade at any time this season?
Reid: By no means can that possibility be ruled out. When
General Manager Allan Bristow said they will look at anything
to improve their team, I believe him. If the Hornets get off
to a slow start, they possibly could make a deal to get more
experienced defensive help and scoring.
Smith: They'd still love to unload Mashburn and his $9.3
million salary, but it will be difficult because of Mashburn's
diagnosed knee injury. What team would like to take a chance
on a moody, oft-injured player who has shown over the course
of his career that he can't play with pain? If Smith doesn't
play like a rookie, the Hornets might want to make a move at
shooting guard to unload some salary numbers.
8. Will the team get enough scoring at the small forward spot
between George Lynch and Rodney Rogers, and will Lee Nailon
emerge as the front-runner because of his scoring ability?
Reid: I think Lynch had a solid training camp, but Rogers has
been sort of a disappointment. He reported to camp out of shape
and missed most of it because of a strained left hamstring.
Nailon will get extended minutes, because he is a scorer and
this team doesn't have many go-to guys. If he can show
effectiveness as a defender, Nailon is going to challenge Lynch
for the starting spot. Rogers also could move to power forward
to provide rebounding help.
Smith: It could be a matter of scoring by committee. Between the
three players, the Hornets should get enough offense, though we
really haven't see anything of Rogers because he reported to
camp somewhat out of shape then was sidelined by a hamstring
strain. Lynch is a streaky shooter who can have a good scoring
night if he hits his first few shots. Nailon can score, but has
shown throughout his career he can be a defensive liability.
9. Besides J.R. Smith, what other newcomer will make the biggest
impact?
Reid: I like Chris Andersen's skills as a defender. He battles,
challenges shots and doesn't get beat often, even when guards
penetrate in the post. He still needs plenty of work as a scorer,
but the Hornets signed him this summer for his defensive presence.
Smith: One of the most impressive free agents in camp this year
has been point guard Alex Garcia. He has a nice shooting touch,
is fast, and passes the ball accurately and crisply. He should
complement Davis and Darrell Armstrong quite nicely. If backup
center Chris Andersen can find his shooting touch, he, too,
should be a solid backup for Magloire.
10. So what do you think? How far can the Hornets go?
Reid: The Hornets are going to finish behind San Antonio,
Houston and Memphis in the Southwest Division. They will
earn the eighth playoff seed ahead of the Dallas Mavericks
in a close race.
Smith: As always, it depends on injuries. The team shouldn't
have the fractious problems it had last year because of
Mashburn's absence or its lack of respect for the head coach.
Therefore, there shouldn't be any off-the-court distractions.
No one can predict injuries. A .500 season should be considered
successful. And that's about where the Hornets will end up.
. . . . . . .
John Reid can be reached at jreid@timespicayune.com or
at (504) 826-3405.
Jimmy Smith can be reached at jsmith@timespicayune.com or
(504) 826-3814.
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