Yardbarker: New Orleans Hornets

New Orleans 112 - Clippers 84 - Or How to Lose all the Good Feelings of a Winning Streak

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:56:45 -0500

More photos » by Danny Moloshok - AP The double team bothered Kaman tonight. Browse more photos » The Clippers played a terrific first quarter on offense tonight. They scored 28 points and shot well over 50%. And they trailed by 7 at the break. New Orleans made their first 5 three pointers of the game and 7 of 8 threes in the first quarter. Most of them came from their starting wings, De...

Paul, Hornets earn 10th straight win vs. Clippers

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:00:55 -0500

LOS ANGELES(AP) Chris Paul had 24 points and 10 assists on a sore ankle, Devin Brown scored 25 points and the New Orleans Hornets bounced right back from a blowout loss with a 112-84 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

Paul hurts ankle in Hornets' win vs, Clippers

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:50:04 -0500

LOS ANGELES (AP) -Chris Paul thought a minor lineup alteration made a major difference for the New Orleans Hornets, who showcased both their imperfections and their potential during a two-day stint at Staples Center.

NBA Rumors: Antonio Daniels in Limbo

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:00:42 -0500

It was just a week or so ago when veteran guard Antonio Daniels was all but in a Cavaliers jersey. Once Delonte West returned to the floor, it appeared that talks cooled off a bit. Now fast forward to today and we get word that Daniels was in Cleveland yesterday and could in fact be [...]

Suicide lines: Van Gundy critical of Magic; Stojakovic to start

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:20:55 -0500

Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your bagels.Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel: "As if the loss to a reigning lottery team wasn't bad enough, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard(notes) said it appeared his team 'quit' during the dreary proceedings. 'We haven't had a game like this in a long time. We'd miss shots and guys would hang their heads,' Howard said. 'I don't think we should quit in a game. Seems...

Lakers have something extra in reserve to rout Hornets

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:12:57 -0500

Continuing to thrive despite the absence of injured Bynum and Gasol, Lakers get a big night from their bench, and DJ Mbenga's first career double-double, in 104-88 victory that pushes record to 6-1. Not that long ago, 19 months to be exact, the Lakers and New Orleans Hornets were enmeshed in a late-season race for the top seeding in the Western Conference.

Clippers vs. New Orleans

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:32:47 -0500

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP Browse more photos » 2009/2010 NBA Regular Season vs. 3-42-5 Staples Center November 9th, 2009, 7:30 PM FSN Prime Ticket, 980 AM Probable starters: Baron Davis PG Chris Paul Rasual Butler SG Devin Brown Al Thornton SF Julian Wright Marcus Camby PF David West Chris Kaman C Emeka Okafor ...

Up next for Lakers: Sunday vs. New Orleans

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:15:33 -0500

Hornets are a long way from the team that battled the Lakers to the wire for best record in the West two seasons ago. VS. NEW ORLEANS

Day 11 of 170: Fall of the Unbeatens

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:23:31 -0500

Line of the Night: Imagine if Chris Paul (1.58) actually had a real basketball team playing around him? How awesome would that be? Instead, the Hornets got blown out by the Raptors 107-90 despite Paul’s 21 points, 7 boards and 18 assists. Bobby Brown was the team’s second highest scorer with 16 points. Honorable Mentions: [...]

Hornets owner is diagnosed with prostate cancer

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:30:51 -0500

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- New Orleans Hornets owner George Shinn said Friday he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer but remains healthy and is optimistic that he will conquer the disease.

Hornets owner Shinn has prostate cancer

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:59:04 -0500

The owner of the New Orleans Hornets has announced that he has cancer. George Shinn made the announcement in a news release Friday that he was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Shinn says he remains healthy and is optimistic that he will conquer the disease. Shin, who moved the Hornets from Charlotte to New Orleans in 2002, says he and his wife, Denise, "remain strong in our faith and will maintain a positive attitude as I battle this with intense fervor and drive.

Doc: Paul Talked More Trash Than Rondo

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:23:38 -0500

Doc Rivers on WEEI:

Did he cross the line with Chris Paul?

No, that wasn’t confidence. I don’t know what that was. Chris did an interesting thing. I think he thought that he got under Rondo’s skin during the game so he tried to continue it during the game. It was a learning less for Rajon. After the game he even said, ‘I can’t let talk affect my play.’ And it did in that game. That’s what players do. They think they can get you in any way, they’ll do it. Chris Paul did it.

Everyone is portraying Rondo as the antagonist, but it sounds like he was responding to what Chris Paul was doing.

Which is fine. I told him, it’s a competition, and it’s great to play in great competition, but once the game is over then the competition is over and you let it go. I thought during the game it was more Paul. That’s part of competition. But once the game is over, you let it go. You shake the guys hand and say we’ll get you again.

According to Doc, Paul did most of the talking during the game and Rondo carried it too far after the game ended.

I knew Paul had to be the antagonist. Rondo can be cocky, but what we saw from him that night was out-of-character.

Case closed.

(h/t to reader rcry)

Line of the Night (11/4): Chris Paul

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:40:15 -0500

The Hornets have struggled early on in this season, and were 1-3 heading into a home game last night against the red-hot Mavs. Chris Paul responded with 39 points (on 14-23 shooting), seven assists, five rebounds and two steals in 45 minutes of playing time. He had the high efficiency score of the night (+41). [...]

CP3 Already Sending Out SOS in NOLA

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:10:56 -0500

Most of us predicted a bumpy season for the Hornets. Looking back, their brief moment in the Western sun seems a lot like those Nets' trips to the Finals some years back. Maybe not that bad, but still a happy accident that no one should've wagered their hopes and fears on. So it comes as no surprise that things are starting to unravel, with Chris Paul at the middle of it all. It began with the Chandler/Okafor swap. You can't really blame the Hornets' front office for making ...

Your Morning Dump... where the Paul/Rondo thing won't die

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:13:17 -0500

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying a good morning dump.

So, here was Rondo surrounded with an embarrassment of point guard riches – K.G., Paul Pierce (notes) and Ray Allen (notes), a championship banner and a fat, new $55 million contract. Rondo felt emboldened, eager to engage Paul. The procession of trash talk, sources said, pushed into the personal when Rondo was heard to tell Paul, “I’ve got a ring, and you’re never gonna win one.”

As they traded technical fouls at the Boston Garden, as emotions escalated, sources said Rondo declared that Paul wished he could be him, suggesting that his frustration dripped with envy. On the way to the locker room, Hornets coach Byron Scott heard Paul insist that Rondo “is gonna respect me as a man,” and soon Paul started on his way down the corridor to tell the Celtics point guard himself.

Several coaches prevented Paul from getting close to Rondo outside the Celtics’ locker room, but the overriding theme of Paul’s rage was easily understood: Before you talk trash again, feel free to walk a mile in my Brand Jordan’s.

“If Rondo had to trade in K.G., Pierce, Ray and Rasheed for the guys that Chris plays with [in New Orleans], I guarantee that you wouldn’t be seeing Rondo get a $55 million contract,” one Hornets source said.

Adrian Wojonarowski: Paul's frustration goes, even if he hides it

Rondo is coming across as a big league jerk in this situation. Paul must have said something to him or engaged him in some trash talk. He also might be extra sensitive right now (read this). I'll give Rondo the benefit of the doubt, but fans across the league and the national media won't, especially when they factor in the Kirk Hinrich/Brad Miller incidents from last year's playoffs.

As for that last statement by a Hornets source, he's right. But that applies to a lot of guys. Tony Parker wouldn't have championships and an actress wife if it wasn't for Tim Duncan.

On page 2, Doc's funny take on the whole Chris Paul/Rondo showdown...

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

“I proposed to the refs that if you’re under 190 (pounds) you should let them fight,” Rivers said. “Just let them get it out of the way. They can’t hurt each other. It’s impossible. That would be great, and it would be good entertainment. Then we could move on and play the game.”

Steve Bulpett's Celtics Notebook

The rest of the links:

Comments from the Other Side - Hornets 11/1

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:48:00 -0500

Can't say that I'm looking forward to this game. Celts are 3-0, Hornets at 1-1. Hornets still trying to jell as a team with 2 new starters in the lineup and six new players overall. Rondo vs CP3 should be a very good matchup. Somebody should show cp3 those comments by rondo that he is only good cause he always has the ball. CP's gonna walk all over him. Rondo wishes he was good enough to have the ball in his hand at all times. Rondo's team is good enough...

Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul Don't Like Each Other

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:06:00 -0500

It started with the comment from Rondo that was reported by Chris Mannix on Twitter (and subsequently on every Hornets blog) that Chris Paul had the stats he does because he has the ball in his hands all the time. In tonight's game, the two point guards got tangled up under the basket at one point and they had to be separated. They each received a double technical and seemed to play well together the rest of the game. But, after the game there were more fireworks. As the teams were lea...