Hornets 96, Heat 93: A Famous Win at the New Orleans Arena

I like the sound of that!

Still on cloud 9 after the win but after getting the thoughts together, I am a little surprised we didn’t see more Thornton. I can only assume he either had some defensive issues or Coach didn’t trust him to guard Wade. Really a shame because for multiple times in the 2nd half, I felt we needed a perimeter guy to knock down some shots as the guys on the floor couldn’t.

Still can’t get over how well Okafor played. This can’t be the same guy that we saw last season. Funny how a new year, a more positive outlook and a better coach (sorry Bower) can really change things.

Btw, Rohan, did you get the PG + C necessary domination from my comment in the Houston game thread? :)

After such a HUGE win, is anyone else worried about a letdown on the road? Bucks eked out a win against the Pacers tonight but should be tough at home tomorrow. Hoping Bogut sits out another game…

I noticed Q-Pon was active tonight. Too bad we didnt see him. Maybe we will get some Quincy action tommorow.

Also someone needs to disrespect Jason Smith. Everytime he does well someone talks about how it wont last, then he does well again. I cant do it since I pointed it out.

better management and coaching or different player personnel. Having a healthy Chris Paul makes everyone better also, something I would greatly attribute to Okafor’s recent surge. But even on defense Okafor looks much better. Does having two elite defenders in Paul and Ariza (I knew Ariza was good, but man he is incredible) make Okafor look better?

One thing I am afraid of is Willie Green and Trevor Ariza costing us games with bad shot selection, I saw a bit of that tonight. Also the fact that D.J. Mbenga is actually on the active roster and getting some minutes combined with Bayless looking lost (not panic mode I assure you) could be the difference between winning 55-60 games and winning 45-50.

you brought up an excellent point about the Heat team in general. They can definitely be pushed around inside. If you can play halfway decent in your coverage on James, Wade, Bosh you can beat this team. Top teams like the Lakers and Celtics will be able to break this team down. You have to imagine the Heat are in a bit of a panic because they know their weakness is being exploited early. I can’t see the Heat beating either the Lakers or Celtics in an extended series.

And wow that was a good game. Keep it up Monty!

My first post here but I have to say: This team is awesome. I knew that Ariza and Belinelli would make them a bit better but to be honest I was expecting a fight for a playoff spot until the last game. Sure, this could still happen, but for now I’m overwhelmed because we’re still undefeated and won against the ‘best team of all time’.

I hope your not counting me among the band wagon fans, but may i be the one to say..

TOLD YOU SO! HAR HAR HAR

I think you sum things up well with, “This team is alive on defense. For the first time ever, I enjoy watching my favorite team play defense almost more than I like seeing it play offense. And for an offense that features Chris Paul, that’s a tremendous statement.”

The Hornets are playing as a team—passing the ball well, all the new additions have added more scoring threats, and the Oak has played like the center the Heat are missing and with all that you have to point to Monty. I give all the credit to the Hornets for beating the Heat, but I hope my Heat can get things figured out (how the offense needs to be run, get a decent center at some point, ect.)—I hate to admit it, but the term feeling out process will be around for a little while at least. The Hornets are fun to watch and y’all have a great site with a fun game thread so I may chime in from time to time. Go Hornets! win the SWest/make the playoffs.

That Lil Wayne was at the game last night.

I think the Magic are going to get CP3 and Melo in the biggest trades since Boston got Allen and Garnett. Chris Paul is fine now. But eventually he gunna start losin….

Players played great and I give credit to Monty for looking to go to Center where the Heat are obviously vulnerable. People forget that Chris Bosh was the lead player on one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season (Hornets were also terrible on D last season, but obviously that’s another story). Anthony Joel is solid on D, but he’s a zero in other aspects of the game so he can’t be kept on the court for long and after that all they have is the tough as nails Haslam, but he’s just one player.

Likewise credit to Okafor for stepping up when his name was called. Perhaps his best game as a Hornet.

Some thoughts about the players:

CP – Playing great. He has a 6.8 AST/TO ratio after five games and he’s one of the main reasons NO is averaging a low 12.4 TOs so far. But anyway, he’s been brilliant all around. He’s averageing 2.4 steals, same as Ariza. Frankly, his off season stunt was a huge gamble. It could have easily torn the team apart. But it looks so far to be paying off. Even if we lose some games now, I think only a long losing streak of uninspiring play by NO would bring the rumors swirling back again. I thought that NO was the most vulnerable early in the season because of what happened last season and this off season, but we appear to be in the process of dodging that bullet.

DWest – I’m really rooting for David this season. He showed his all-round game last season and I’m hoping he can continue that this season. He’s shot well and finally gotten to the line a few times as well. Rebounidng’s a concern as usual, but it hasn’t been a major issue so far. Oddly, he is leading NO in Offensive Rebounds per game, but 6.6 boards overall still leaves something to be desired at PF. Still, overall he’s played well.

Okafor – I hope this game lights a bit of a fire under Okafor.

Ariza – he’s been harrying the opposing top wingmen on defense and he’s done great so far. His offense? A paltry .381 .350 .625 He also leads the team in 3-pt attempts. It would all make one grimace, but at 5-0, who cares?

Bellinelli – He’s done satisfactorily. He has a good handle and passing instincs and I’m comfortable with him as the starter.

Jason Smith – He’s been the main bigman sub off the bench and he’s played well in that role. His game and his stats are similar to Songaila’s, but he’s a bit bigger and more credible at backup center than Songaila. So far so good.

Thornton – After a shaky preseason, he’s shooting much better now. He could end up being a very potent weapon off the bench. He has just 2 TOs in 84 overall minutes of play and mistake free play is a must for a reliable bench player. He’s also rebounded ok. I still see him a bit more as a shooter than an all-round player, but we’ll see.

Willie Green – I’m sold on the guy as a backup. If you want to know why, think back to the driving dunk from the wing he did in the 2nd game off the half court. Anytime a player at his height can do that against a half court offense, he’s got something going for him. He’s a bit mediocre overall, including his shooting which is an issue for a player who naturally plays shooting guard, but really, for a backup he’s done fine. For a player who’s been asked to chip in at the point and he has just 2 TOs in 99 minutes. Quite remarkable. His court vision is pretty limited, but you don’t want your subs to give the ball away and for that limited purpose, he’s been great.

DJ Mbenga – Hasn’t made a FG yet this season but he’s got 6 blocks in 47 minutes. Solid.

Bayless – He’s played poorly, but it must have been difficult to start playing with the guys without the benefit of a training camp. Hasn’t shown that ability to get to the line yet or run the point (though he DID have 3 assists in the 4th against SA). We’ll see if he’s worth the first round draft pick, but he has some talent and he’ll get his chances at some point.

Pops – Pops is to rebounidng what DJ is to shot blocking. 6 Rebs in 19 minutes of play. Don’t think he’s capable of much else, but he’s done ok in the scarce minutes he’s received. Considering how thin we were up front last season, I don’t mind seeing a rebounding specialist at the end of the bench.

Peja – It’s too bad he’s racked up a few DNPs now, but I still think he’s the same Peja who can knock down the long J. He’s got 10 pts in 21 minutes, including 2-4 from 3s. He’s fine and probably ready to go. I fully believe Monty that it’s just been a matter of matchups and circumstances that has kept him from playing. It’s going to be a bit sad to see Peja go because, one way or another, this is his most likely his last season and he’s had some good moments for NO. I hope he’ll get some chances to knock down some smooth Js before his run is done. Still, I am a bit excited about the prospect that he might get traded for another solid player in mid season, though I’ll be sad to see him go.

Jarrells / Gray / Alexander – Hopefully Gray will get some chances to show what he can do with his improved physique. Hopefully Jarrells is learning some stuff in the practices with CP. If Monty can make a basketball player out of Alexander, that would be amazing. At a very raw physical level, Alexander is a superman.

Monty – Way too early, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say Monty could be the coach of the year. Itr’s not just the 5-0 start, but it’s just that most people other than longtime fans of the Hornets, probably don’t realize how much pressure he was under following what happened last season and, even more importantly in the offseason, with CP threatening to leave. Really, all it could have taken was a slow start and the season and Monty could have been toast. It’s amazing that he’s 5-0 under such circumstances with some really great wins under his belt— as a rookie coach trying to integrate a slew of new players around a superstar who really rocked the boat. An unenviable position.

Considering the miserable start we had last season, I have to agree with Rohan, superlatives are definitely appropriate.

We’ve got a back to back now, but go Hornets. 6-0! You can do it!