First segababa of the season, as the Hornets roll into NYC to take on the Knicks.
The Knicks are 0-3 on the season, but they played their first two games on the road, and their last two have gone to overtime. Nate Robinson sprained his ankle Saturday against the Sixers and is expected to miss two weeks. Everyone else is healthy for the Knicks.
No word on the Hornets injury situation just yet. I assume Ike Diogu is still out.
Game tips at 6:30 p.m. Central. Only way you can catch this one on TV is via League Pass. Failing that, check Gerry V and Sean Kelley calling it on 106.7 FM.
Oh, and don't forget that other game tonight.
Linkage:
- Journals: Hornets-Celtics post-game report
- Earlier on the blog: What really happened between Rondo and Paul
- Rival bloggers: KnickerBlogger.Net (THN) | Knicks Knation | Posting and Toasting
(Many thanks to Dariusz for the banner.)
65 superb comments post your own
Caleb462
11/02/09 05:34 PM
Hornets seemed to have some problems with the knicks last season. If I remember right... it was a defensive issue, and a speed issue. Hornets couldn't keep up with the ball rotation on the perimeter and the Knicks got open threes, and the Knicks kept running succesful backdoor cuts and getting easy jams.
Hopefully we see a different story tonight.
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #1
StefanC
11/02/09 05:38 PM
League Pass Boradband is free tonight also people!! Use it to your Advantage. Let's go BEEES! Get to .500
#2
sergio_alj
11/02/09 05:44 PM
Let´s go Hornets!
Hi5 from Portugal!!!
I´ll be awake to see you win!!!
#3
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 05:54 PM
Yeah you right, Stefan!
Good thing, too, since my League Pass isn't working (methinks Cox didn't install my TiVo box right). Glad I can watch the game now, but I was hoping to record it, too.
www.ndoherty.com #4
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 06:49 PM
Wow. Mo Pete is being abused by Larry Hughes early. Just fell for the same shot fake two trips in a row.
www.ndoherty.com #5
mW
11/02/09 06:50 PM
Slow start for the offense...not finding net. Both MO and CP have barely hit the side of the rim on 3 attempts...
www.hornetshype.com #6
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 06:52 PM
14-0 run for the Knicks. They're moving the ball very well. Hornets feeding the post a lot early, but Knicks crowding and our guys aren't taking advantage of the kick outs.
www.ndoherty.com #7
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 06:59 PM
Thanks for the tip off stefan. I hate these random CST blackouts.
#8
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 06:59 PM
Better, scored 4 straight trips. Hornets seem to be running their offense faster now, not waiting for the Knicks to set their D.
www.ndoherty.com #9
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 07:02 PM
This Knicks color guy is brutal. Almost as bad as Bobby Brown chucking a jumper within 5 seconds of coming in and with 20 sec on the shot clock.
#10
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 07:07 PM
Knicks by 7 after Q1. I can live with the three shots Bobby Brown has taken so far. Nice to see Peja picking up where he left off. He can't miss. Hilton has started poorly again. Hopefully he'll warm up and play great later in the game like he did in Boston.
West really hasn't been able to find the rhythm yet this season.
www.ndoherty.com #11
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 07:13 PM
Peja wide open on wing and Bobby bricks a jumper. I never thought I could get this frustrated with a player after watching 3 1/4 games.
#12
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 07:13 PM
Much better by Hilton. He crushed Toney Douglas twice on picks and got a nice block on Al Harrington.
www.ndoherty.com #13
corndeaux
11/02/09 07:15 PM
bobby brown is truly horrid. is byron trying to get fired?
#14
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 07:15 PM
Bobby got off five shots (made one) in 7 minutes. Nobody else on the team has taken more than five shots.
Bobby did get 3 assists though.
www.ndoherty.com #15
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 07:17 PM
That pick was nice. Block was great as Harrington was kind of having his way offensively.
#16
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 07:19 PM
Man, Chris Paul just threw a beautiful back door pass to Okafor. 6 dimes.
www.ndoherty.com #17
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 07:21 PM
Songaila looks pretty good on both ends so far.
#18
mW
11/02/09 07:21 PM
I appreciate your optimism, Niall, but BB6 is horrible and should absolutely be in street clothes.
Nonetheless, CP/Okafor with the crafty old men (Songaila, Posey, Peja) bringing us back into it.
www.hornetshype.com #19
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 07:22 PM
Nice run to get back in it. 37-40. Knicks seem to be having their way on the glass though. I like Songaila getting those mid-range jumpers.
www.ndoherty.com #20
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 07:23 PM
Thing with Bobby is, he's obviously been given the green light. So I'm not mad at him for jacking up shots. I'm mad at Byron for letting him do it.
www.ndoherty.com #21
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 07:25 PM
Mike Breen just said "Charlotte have stepped up their defense." Oops.
Okafor is killing them. Great game by him so far.
www.ndoherty.com #22
corndeaux
11/02/09 07:26 PM
omg. devin brown in a game thats not a blowout. byron is trying to get fired tonight
#23
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 07:31 PM
I like the Italian. I can see why Dantoni raves. Tons of potential.
#24
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 07:32 PM
Okafor and West are too much for the Knicks to handle right now. Loving our inside game. The defense is looking good, too. Knicks not getting much in the paint, relying on jumpers.
That Gallinari kid looks like the real deal.
www.ndoherty.com #25
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 07:38 PM
Poor finish to the half. JuJu telegraphed that pass, then bit bad on a Gallinari shot fake, and Devin messed up a rebound to give the Knicks that last basket.
Not a bad effort overall though. Rebounded nicely from that 14-0 Knicks run, and the defense is looking better.
www.ndoherty.com #26
mW
11/02/09 07:40 PM
What, Niall? Someone named Brown screwed up a play? That's weird.
www.hornetshype.com #27
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 07:58 PM
Touchdown Saints! Oh wait wrong game.
#28
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 08:00 PM
Lee traveled on that hook.
#29
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 08:00 PM
CP alley oop to Okafor. First time ever, right?
www.ndoherty.com #30
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 08:04 PM
Mo-Pete finally finding the range. 1-point game. 12 assists for Chris Paul.
www.ndoherty.com #31
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 08:08 PM
Okafor doing his best Duncan impersonation.
#32
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 08:11 PM
Damn right. Okafor is showing moves I didn't think he had. Great battle between him and David Lee.
And man, Chris Paul's jumper is looking real nice this season. He's automatic.
www.ndoherty.com #33
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 08:14 PM
Mike Breen fell for the sensational headlines, talking about Chris Paul having to be restrained from going after Rondo to the locker room last night.
www.ndoherty.com #34
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 08:17 PM
Armstrong bringing the pain. Ouch.
www.ndoherty.com #35
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 08:21 PM
That's a lot of blood. Why is this Hou-Utah game blacked out on League Pass?
#36
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 08:23 PM
Won that quarter 29-19, up 4 going to the 4th. Knicks don't have anything consistent working right now. Hornets looking like the better team.
www.ndoherty.com #37
mW
11/02/09 08:26 PM
Just gotta get the starters back in and go with what's working (i.e., Paul, Okafor, and West).
www.hornetshype.com #38
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 08:28 PM
Peja has been abosolutely bailing out our bench. I'm loving the move so far. Would like it more with a pass first PG in there with him but can't get too greedy yet I guess.
#39
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 08:31 PM
Bench looking a little shaky to start the quarter. Glad Peja and BBrown were able to knock down those triples. Al Harrington is killing us at the other end.
www.ndoherty.com #40
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 08:35 PM
Oh so glad to see Chris Paul come back in for Brown. That was getting painful.
www.ndoherty.com #41
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 08:39 PM
I thought Paul is supposed to get those calls. We need a run. Go back to Emeka.
#42
mW
11/02/09 08:40 PM
Byron leaving CP3 out of the game for crucial stretches is wearing thin fast...
www.hornetshype.com #43
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 08:47 PM
This is ending badly. As much as I'd like to blame it on the segababa, I'm really disappointed with the Hornets tonight. Okafor was our best weapon earlier and I don't think he's touched the ball in the fourth quarter.
Knicks beating us off the dribble way too easily.
www.ndoherty.com #44
Akademik_Hooligan
11/02/09 08:48 PM
Byron has to go, there's no way the players are *really* listening to him, they've quit on him ever since "the game that shall not be discussed".
#45
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 08:52 PM
MoPete didn't have a chance against Hughes after great D by CP and Okafor. Kils us.
#46
Caleb462
11/02/09 08:53 PM
You know Akademik, you might be right. I'd like not to think so, and we can't really know... but you do have to wonder if that loss has had any residual effect on the relationship between players + coach.
Still far too early for the panic button though.
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #47
Akademik_Hooligan
11/02/09 08:54 PM
Yay.
#48
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 08:57 PM
I never thought I would see Larry friggin Hughes out-play every Hornet that got minutes at the 2.
#49
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 09:01 PM
Positives:
- Chris Paul has become lethal from long range.
- Okafor has shown enough promise to be a very nice piece.
- West and Peja shot pretty well.
Negatives:
- We rarely look like a team out there. Depending too much on one-on-one moves, just like last season.
- No rookie PT.
- Poor help defense.
www.ndoherty.com #50
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 09:02 PM
Let's go SAINTS.
www.ndoherty.com #51
Akademik_Hooligan
11/02/09 09:04 PM
Niall - you forgot the coach.
Guess Shinn's demands for talent development fell on deaf ears.
#52
Gaiking
11/02/09 09:05 PM
Ok so which coach is currently available that would be a good replacement for Byron? Since its obvious by the 10th game he will be removed.
#53
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 09:09 PM
Gaiking: that's the problem, I'm not sure there's a better coach out there to be had. I still think Byron is a good coach, but he's taken the Hornets as far as he can. There's no moving forward so long as he sticks with his usual approach.
www.ndoherty.com #54
Caleb462
11/02/09 09:14 PM
There's Avery. Not sure how I feel about him personally. He's the biggest name available. Oh and I guess there's Mark Jackson who has been wanting a coaching job for some time... but since he's a moron on the air I doubt he'd be a good coach. There's Van Gundy - don't think he's actually looking to get back into coaching though, probably content with his TV gig.
Let's see... Sam Mitchell is available. He had a decent run in Toronto without all that much talent.
Anyone I'm forgetting?
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #55
Niall Doherty
11/02/09 09:22 PM
If the Hornets were to make a coaching change, I'd prefer to see them take a chance on a top assistant from another team. A guy like that would be cheap, and just as likely to succeed as anybody else available.
I really couldn't see Avery Johnson working out. He'd be the complete opposite from Byron in that he'd be yelling and screaming every play from the sideline, but I'm not sure that's a good thing. Chris Paul needs a certain amount of freedom to be at his best.
www.ndoherty.com #56
mW
11/02/09 09:23 PM
Avery is insane. He's a controlling, call-playing coach. Would never fit with Chris' brand of Chaos. Maybe Sam Mitchell? I think Niall is right, though. Byron's good, the question is whether he's good enough.
And if he'll ever stop playing worse players who are "his kind of guy." Talent is all that matters, both physical and mental (other than character, but that doesn't seem to be an issue here). Play the best players. I.e., Collison and Thornton. What's the worst they could offer? A FORTY POINT 4TH QUARTER AGAINST A WINLESS TEAM? Gee, guess they COULDN'T be much worse.
www.hornetshype.com #57
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 09:24 PM
- Defensive rotations looked horrible. Knicks looked like the Celtics in comparison.
+ No two-headed PG line-up. That coupled with a D. Brown appearance shows maybe Byron got a little fed up with the chucker.
- D. Brown appearance.
+ Paul appears to be completely unguardable with that improvement on the J.
- Posey is completely invisible through 4 games.
+ Okafor looked unstoppable through 3 quarters.
- Okafor seemed to get no touches in the fourth.
This was such a frustrating game. The Hornets looked like the more talented team, while the Knicks looked more organized and more hungry. They were the better coached team and they wanted it more. That was more than enough to win the game, despite brilliance from CP and 3 great quarters from the big man. If this team doesn't come together fast, it could be a long season.
Free Rookies.
#58
Caleb462
11/02/09 09:27 PM
Mark Jackson after his first loss against the Lakers:
Reporter: "Coach Jackson, what went wrong for your team tonight?"
"Kobe Bryant is the best player in the world. Mama... there goes that man."
Reporter: "Coach Jackson, how do you plan to improve this team's defensive rebouding issues?"
"It's hard to rebound against the best player in the world. He's a winner. He's a grown man. Mama... there goes that man."
Reporter: "Coach Jacks-"
"Mama... there goes that man."
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #59
LSUhornet17
11/02/09 09:29 PM
If(when) we move away from Byron, I'd like to see a new coach get a chance. Seems like the NBA is a constant coaching carousel with the same old names every couple of years. The money thing is a good deal too. Avery is attractive because he's a winner and a local guy, but I don't think his style fits. Not to mention I can't stand hearing the sound of his voice.
#60
Caleb462
11/02/09 09:35 PM
Yeah I agree with the rest of you guys on Avery. His style and CP's style? No match there.
neworleansbasketball.blogspot.com #61
corndeaux
11/02/09 09:43 PM
way too earlier to talk about potential replacements. when byron is canned in 3 weeks, they will promote an assistant to interim coach.
bower has just badly misplayed the last couple of years. byron or no- and byron does need to go- the talent level just isn't very good. need to just take the lumps now, clear cap space, and draft well around chris paul.
#62
urgmasdaughter
11/02/09 10:12 PM
Are we already talkin about the draft? It's 4 games in....isn't it? We did get beat by a less talented team but didn't we all see a slow start coming? We have revamped almost our whole team of course these problems will happen...it is hard to watch. Quote of the night from the Knick announcers:
1st Announcer: "Bobby Brown can definitely shoot the ball..."
2nd Announcer interrupts under his breath: "...but too bad he can't make any of them"
#63
JChangNZ
11/02/09 10:23 PM
Anyone know where my man Sean Marks is? Surely you can't be out for 2 weeks due to a minor sore neck?!
#64
CarnbY
11/03/09 03:16 PM
That was a pretty frustrating loss... Until the 4th Q I felt confident the Hornets were gonna take the win.
The next game is Byron's last chance in my book. I almost gave up on him after his substitution management and playing D.Brown in the playoffs, so if he still hasn't learned his lesson, get him outta there! If he thinks it'll be such a disaster to let Collison or Thornton play, he can easily prove his point by sending them out there. If they do any worse than MoPete and the two Brown's we can all shut up.
#65