[外電] N.O.'s cast gets chance to shine
原文出自nola.com
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1108538766313600.xml
N.O.'s cast gets chance to shine
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Peter Finney
In an 82-game season, if you're running a "have-not"
franchise that has just beaten a 30-victory "have,"
you take advantage of any chance to smile.
So, yes, Byron Scott, whose Hornets had just lifted
themselves to 11-41 after a 98-96 decision over the
Washington Wizards at New Orleans Arena, was all grins
Monday night.
He talked about P.J. Brown being the "ultimate warrior,"
about wishing he could have a dozen P.J.s on the roster,
saying this after P.J. logged a team-high 41 minutes,
scored 13 points, used his arms to help force the opponent's
potential game-winning shot to fall short, saying it a day
after P.J. missed the second half of a game in Orlando with
a sprained left ankle.
Warrior Brown, who fought through pain, represents the flip
side of a ballclub that has given Scott little opportunity
to smile, a coach who has watched bad news involving two
All-Stars arrive in stages: Baron Davis' loss for 36 games
and counting, Jamaal Magloire's for 42-plus.
By the time Scott left the Arena on Monday, all smiles had
given way to sober contemplation, which happens when the
40-win San Antonio Spurs are tonight on your dance card.
It gives his team, loaded with new faces, another chance
to measure itself against one of the NBA elite before the
All-Star break, leaving behind a forgettable stretch during
which the Hornets went from 0-8 to 1-19 to 2-29, with losing
streaks of eight, 11 and 10.
So what does Scott have to say?
"Through all the gloom," he said, "the high has to be the
arrival of Dan Dickau.
"Dan has played like someone beating all the odds. They said
he was too short, too slow, which is why he sat and sat.
When he got a chance, he proved what they say when a guy
steps in and beats the odds -- that you can't measure heart.
If Dan has proved one thing, he's proven he has a vital
commodity. It's called guts."
On Monday, when he was shooting a horrid 3-for-14, he dug
deep to nail the winning free throws in the final four
seconds.
Does Dickau have a downside?
"Everyone does," Scott said. "Dan has to get stronger, and
he has to improve his foot speed. For someone his age, with
his work ethic, this will be no problem. He's intelligent,
he listens, and, keep in mind, he's only 26. He's a (third)-
year guy, but he's really still a rookie. He may seem older,
but that's because he's been traded five times and that tends
to make you appear older in some people's eyes."
Once the season is history, Dickau figures to be a free-agent
plum in the eyes of some teams. Is this a problem?
"After the way he's played," Scott said, "I'm sure there'll
be some interested parties. But I'm also sure we'll do
everything possible to keep Dan a Hornet."
Any more sun on the horizon?
What about schoolboy-to-pro J.R. Smith, who bagged a team-
high 18 points against the Wizards, added five assists and
turned it over only twice in 37 minutes?
He's moving forward step by step by step," Scott said. "He's
getting more comfortable out there, and he knows what he has
to do, which is to get a lot better on the defensive end. He
was born with a gifted shooting touch. Defense is more a
matter of desire, between the ears. When you play J.R.'s
positions (shooting guard or small forward), you have to
hold your own defensively every time out. Take the other
night against Orlando. Defending a small forward like Grant
Hill is no small challenge. For J.R., defense is going to
be a challenge, game after game. Fundamentals. Keep the feet
moving."
Chris Andersen?
"Birdman is all energy," said Scott of the 6-9 swingman,
7-for-10 Monday with nine rebounds. "He's a guy who feeds
off the home crowd, who's fun to be around, who can run the
floor as well as anyone his size. What does Birdman have to
do to improve? He has to get stronger."
Bostjan Nachbar?
"He's shown me he has a solid, all-around game," said Scott
of the second-year pro from Slovenia. "He knows how to play.
He's a 3-point threat, and he's a good passer. He has to
become more consistent on the defensive end."
Casey Jacobsen?
"He's shown great toughness," said the coach of the 6-6
guard/forward, another second-year man. "He doesn't hesitate
to take it to the basket, which helps get you to the free-
throw line. He's taken full advantage of the chance he's
gotten to give us some quality minutes."
Lee Nailon?
"He was on a tear when he went down," said Scott of the
fourth-year pro who was averaging 15.7 points on 48.3 percent
shooting before missing the last seven games with a groin
injury. "Seems every time he put it up, it went in. He knows
he has to get better defensively. But he's another example
of someone getting another chance and running with it."
David West?
"He has to play with more of a sense of urgency," said Scott
of 2003's No. 1 pick sidelined with a knee contusion. "He
can handle the ball. He can pass it, and he has a good touch
when it comes to knocking down the 15 to 17-footers. He has
the ability to become one of the better power forwards in
the league."
As for Scott's take on the NBA at the All-Star break, he
looks at the trade of Shaquille O'Neal to Miami as a balancing
act between the Eastern and Western Conferences.
"Shaq would have made any team a contender," he said. "I
guess you can say he sort of evened things out. But the
West is still very strong. In fact, you'd have to look at
Seattle and Phoenix as the two biggest surprises. Seattle
proves how far a bunch of scorers can take you. The Suns
tell you what a difference an assist expert like a Steve
Nash can do to make everyone around him so much better."
As Scott sits out the All-Star break, his only concern is
seeing how much better his Hornets will be when Davis and
Magloire suit up, hopefully in time to greet the Sonics
next Wednesday, when the Hornets return to play seven of
their next eight at the Arena.
"Whenever they return," Scott said, "I'll have to take a
moment to reintroduce them to their teammates."
. . . . . . .
Peter Finney can be reached at pfinney@timespicayune.com
or (504) 826-3802.
簡單來說就是教頭談大家的半季展望 ^^ 有沒有人願意幫我翻這篇的?
※ 編輯: ilovet 來自: 140.117.190.8 (02/17 10:36)
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