Hornets247.com

Because we're sadistic, we'll do one final news wrap before settling into the summer. Before I dive in though, a quick reminder about our Journals section, where any registered user can write and publish feature-length articles. If you have a bunch of thoughts on the Hornets right now, that's a good place to post them. Here are two recent journal entries worth checking:

• Looking ahead (a quick look at 2009 Free Agent class)
• The Four Words I Want to Hear Most From Byron Scott

A.M. Updates:

Jeremy Wagner in the Daily Dime (#7):

The Denver Nuggets have made NBA history. Never before has a team defeated their opponent by 58 points in the playoffs and gone on to win their series. It must be more difficult than it sounds, just ask the 1955-56 Minneapolis Lakers...

Among the many great storylines for Denver -- reaching the second round for the first time in 15 seasons, Chauncey Billups' arrival and play in the first two games and their vastly improved defense -- the biggest story is Carmelo Anthony finally learning how to win in the postseason.

After allowing defenses to take him out of the game year after year he is now changing games with his passing ability -- 5.2 assists per game for the series. He repeatedly forced his way into the lane to earn good shots instead of settling for contested jumpers.

Also from Wagner at Roundball Mining Company:

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It's over.

The Hornets hung tough for 30 minutes tonight, doing their best to show some pride and not go down without a fight. The Nuggets looked laid back all the while, knowing that they'd put together a back-breaking run at some point. That came at the end of the third quarter, with Carmelo Anthony taking it strong to the rack and J.R. Smith flame throwing triples. The Hornets could do nothing but force up some tough shots against the imposing Denver defense and wait for their season to end.

Final score: 107-86. A convincing 4-1 series win for the Nuggets.

Congratulations due to Denver. They proved to be by far the better team. All throughout the series they played physical and aggressive defense, they executed a good game plan, and they just had too many offensive weapons for us to handle. I expect to see them in the conference finals.

For us Hornets fans, naturally we start wondering what comes next for our team. (Actually, I think we already started that after the Game 4 debacle). There will be plenty of different arguments about that, and lots of them will have valid points. No doubt, changes have to be made.

But where to start? Earlier today I posted the following in the comments:

I have a hard time blaming any one person in particular for this mess. Sure, it would help if George Shinn had deeper pockets. It would also be nice if Jeff Bower could undo some of the moves he did/didn't make so we'd have a deeper and more talented roster. It would be great if Byron had more coaching skills, if our players could stay healthy and productive, and if they consistently put forth maximum effort. Also, the economy isn't helping and we're playing the wrong team at the wrong time.

It's all the perfect storm for the Hornets right now. The fastest way out of it is for everyone involved in the organization to ask themselves how they can do better in future and then strive to do so. They won't get far if they're busy assigning blame.

So where to start with the changes? I say find those people (players, coaches, trainers, scouts, management, whoever) within the organization who don't accept responsibility for their role in creating this storm, and get rid of them. Start right there, and we can only get better.

Let's see what our Hornets are made of tonight. Will they roll over and let the season die, or do they have enough pride and fight left in them to bring the series back to New Orleans?

We'll find out at 9:30 Central on TNT.

Linkage:

• Journals: The Four Words I Want to Hear Most From Byron Scott
• News wraps: Tuesday | Wednesday

(Many thanks to Dariusz for the banner.)

(If you're new, check the top of this post for an explanation of these news wraps.)

A.M. Updates:

Leading off with Mikey in the latest journal post:

Byron Scott has said throughout the season that he's never had to keep telling guys to just go out there and play harder. I understand they are professional athletes, and shouldn't need any real motivation, but if you cannot get them up for a game, then maybe it's a coaching issue. After the Hornets would lose a bad game this season, I continue to expect to hear Byron Scott take some responsibility, and I'm always disappointed. From this point on, I'm waiting to hear four words from Coach Scott, "This one's on me" or "I take full responsibility". Either of these two phrases will do...

I continue to lose respect for Scott as a coach, and in some ways, as a man. Coach Scott will lead you to believe, in some of the Hornets' losses, that the players weren't playing with enough intensity or passion. In some cases that's true, and injuries have something to do with that. Injuries aside, the biggest problem with this team this season is that they just, at times, look un-prepared.  That's a coaching problem, and he needs to take responsibility for that.

Guerry Smith, New Orleans Sports Examiner:

No one in either locker room believes the Hornets can win in Denver, come back and win in New Orleans and go back to Denver again and beat the Nuggets a second time.

It would not be unprecedented. The last team to fall behind 3-1 and win two games on the road to steal a series was Houston against Phoenix in the 1995 Western Conference semifinals. The Rockets went on to win the NBA championship for the second year in a row.

These Hornets aren’t those Rockets...

“I know Chris is banged up and hurt,” Denver point guard Chauncey Billups said. “I know he couldn’t really move like he would have liked to, and that hurt everybody on their team. When he’s doing the things he can do, he makes everybody better. When people get banged up, you have to try to take advantage when you can.”

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(If you're new, check the top of this post for an explanation of these news wraps.)

A.M. Updates

John Hollinger from ESPN's Daily Dime

... I'm sorry, but the New Orleans Hornets' performance was one of the most pathetic efforts I've ever seen, and the fact that it came in a home playoff game with a chance to even the series just makes it more shameful. The Hornets' 121-63 loss to Denver tied for the most lopsided in NBA history, and it was humiliating from the get-go.

Our own Niall Doherty also on the Daily Dime(See Item Nine)

I don't see the Hornets winning Wednesday's Game 5 in Denver. The Nuggets are by far the better team in this series. The Hornets are too banged up, too badly coached, too shallow benched. And with an aging roster and several crippling contracts, it will probably get worse for New Orleans before it gets better.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports sees Byron Scott's job in peril after the debacle:

As much as his players deserved scolding for such a startling submission on Monday night, they needed to hear Scott take his burden of blame for an unfathomable 58-point loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Only, Scott didn’t do it. He’s a proud, assured man, but no one should’ve deserved to escape responsibility for this stunning 121-63 loss in Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs. To no one’s surprise, Scott suggested that the Hornets didn’t compete at the New Orleans Arena. In the history of the NBA, no truth had ever been so resounding. Yet, it was odd to hear him punctuate that thought with, “I don’t know what you can do to change that.”

It wouldn’t be Scott’s worst idea to come up with something between now and an embarrassing season’s end in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Multiple agents and rival league executives say that Scott’s job could be in peril.

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