Blazers 84, Hornets 77: The Tank Rolls Forward

by Rohan on Jan 16, 2012 6:38 PM CST in Recaps

The Hornets lost. And they lost the same way they always lose - by playing diabolically poor offense.

In an 89 possession game, they turned over 17 times (almost 20% of possessions), missed all 9 of their threes, and shot just 41% from the field.

They played great defense, they rebounded, they hustled... but these are the new Hornets. None of these things matter as much as the fact that exactly one player on this team can consistently create his own shot, and, unfortunately, that player happens to be both the point guard and incapable of running a cohesive offense.

Jarrett Jack is a capable enough basketball player. He's, in the absence of Gordon and Ariza('s defense), our best basketball player. But tonight, in the first quarter, he set up more plays for Portland than for New Orleans, via his extremely sloppy backcourt handle. The Hornets got absolutely trampled in transition, even as the Blazer half-court offense stalled, and that starts and ends with Jarrett Jack. Without Jack's 21 points (on just 13 shots), this is a blowout. But it doesn't change the fact that point guard probably isn't Jack's best position (it's questionable whether he has a real position at all) and, at multiple points in this game, it showed. It's why I'd like to see Monty Williams continue to go to Greivis Vasquez/Jarrett Jack lineups, as he has in the past two games, allowing Jack to play off the ball and Vasquez more responsibility for creative duties.

Moving on from the wild turnovers, it's pretty clear the DaJuan Summers Starting experiment should be terminated as soon as possible (assuming we're not tanking, 13 games into the season, of course. Which wouldn't be the worst thing ever). Carl Landry is hilariously better at offense, and even Chris Kaman, with his strong defensive rebounding numbers, is the better option alongside Emeka Okafor. And speaking of Okafor, there's a case for him to receive more offensive possessions. He finished 4 of 5, scoring on a couple nifty back-to-basket moves, and Emeka Okafor post-ups are a decidedly better option than Summers' step back jumpers, Aminu step back jumpers, Landry step back jumpers, Belinelli step back jumpers, Kaman step back jumpers... just please stop shooting step back jumpers, y'all.

And then, of course, there was Gustavo Ayon. 8 points on 5 shots. Superb defensive awareness, solid lateral quickness. Two blocked shots. Two steals. Two assists. One turnover, which came as the immediate result of him grabbing a tough offensive rebound. This guy was a steal, and we have him signed (for about $1.5M a year) through the 2014-2015 season. As awful as this season is and will continue to be, guys like Ayon are making it vaguely watchable.

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Ayon

Is awesome. He’s already my favorite player on this year’s team.

As for Jack, I think you’re a lot more fair in your criticisms than other fans are. I still don’t think he’s the biggest thing holding the team back (although he’s very inefficient as a point guard), I’m just not sure if benching him for Vasquez is the route the team should go (as others have suggested). At the end of the day he is (as you also mentioned) the best option without Gordon on the floor. I thought Landry would step up and assume that role but he’s fallen out of Monty’s rotation quickly. I’m extremely surprised at that revelation. As for Chris Kaman, I just want him gone as soon as possible. I never really liked him and he’s just eating up minutes on a team he’s not going to end up with at the end of the season anyways. Hopefully some team snatches him up at the deadline and I’m not even all that interested in the return. I’m with you on ending the Summers experiment as well. I thought it was unfair to bench Aminu for him in the first place but I know Monty’s just throwing at the wall and seeing what sticks. It’s really the only option he has.

I just want to see the team at full strength once this season. The fact that they’re losing these games isn’t killing me because of the effort displayed night in and night out. It’s commendable to see this kind of effort when the team has lost 10 out of 11 (think of how the Wizards play on a nightly basis… today being the prime example given McGee’s showboat dunk during the game).

It’s not pretty right now in New Orleans but I still expect it to get better; even by this season. But maybe I’m crazy.

Go Hornets!

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Jan 16, 2012 7:05 PM CST reply actions

It should get better.

All I am going to say on Jack is the offense does not move with him at the point it doesn’t slide around etc. I think Jack at the 2 with Vasquez setting him up will be better.

by 247_Hornet on Jan 16, 2012 8:40 PM CST reply actions

we miss Monty...Blazer fan

by Natsthecat on Jan 16, 2012 8:58 PM CST reply actions

I really thought with the benchings we're actually in tanking mode.

And I’m fine with that actually.

But I guess it could be that Monty is just trying to check out the players.

by RockyMountain on Jan 16, 2012 9:33 PM CST reply actions

I'm not buying the tanking theory one bit

When you’re a bad team laden with injuries, what do you do? Do you play the 2nd stringers full starter’s minutes? Especially when they’re not producing consistently? No way. I for one am largely happy with Monty’s rotations. Summers is getting his chance as should all of our questionable roster pieces. Needless to say, I expect him to either be buried at the end of the bench or even off the team all together once Ariza, Gordon and Henry suit up. As for Landry, he hasn’t shown the effort all over the floor to be automatically given 30 minutes a game. Not when we’re trying to showcase Kaman while developing Ayon and to a lesser degree Smith.

As for the Jack/Greivis debate, it boils down to how much does Jack’s limited abilities best suit our needs. The reason he’s getting so much flak (including from yours truly) is that he isn’t worthy of starter’s minutes at the 1. I assume, right now with all the injuries, Monty has to keep him in such a prominent role to simply remain competitive on a nightly basis. I hope that he reconsiders this position once we get Gordon back. Alongside Gordon, we won’t need a shoot first PG. Also, Vazquez should be better acclimated to our system and players by then. Jack isn’t a significant part of our future and his talents, as everyone has alluded to, would best be served as the first scoring guard off the bench.

by RedHopeful on Jan 16, 2012 9:48 PM CST reply actions

Agree Completely

No way is this team tanking and no way should they tank at all. Monty’s putting his best players out there to try and win the game and he’s tinkering with the rotations to see what’s going to fit. He’s, in no way, going out there intending on losing any game and the moment that he is, the moment this team starts to develop huge fundamental problems. Once you start trying to lose, that’s a culture that’s hard to flip internally as an organization and it’s not something I want to see at all. Trading everyone and rebuilding is one thing (2004/2005), having an opportunity to win and simply ignoring it is another altogether.

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Jan 16, 2012 10:42 PM CST up reply actions

Liked the effort...

Loathed the offensive performance. You have perfectly captured the Jack conundrum, Rohan. He is often best scoring option and the worst choice at point guard. If it is possible for a PG to have tunnel vision, his vision is 20/20.

Ayon is a revelation. Aminu shows flashes…Beli is getting worse if that is possible

"I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it." Groucho Marx

by BenDerDonDat on Jan 16, 2012 9:58 PM CST reply actions

Lets ask Boston if they want Kamen and maybe Oak for Bradly pass first point and JuJuan J

by 247_Hornet on Jan 16, 2012 10:31 PM CST reply actions

Bradley

Is awful. He’s pass first because he can’t do anything else. If the team can get anything for Kaman I’d like to see them grab another wing player but the Hornets seem to have a roster full of good players already…. they may just be better suited as an organization taking Kaman’s salary when it expires. Although that means I’d have to watch him all year long and that makes me sad.

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Jan 16, 2012 10:44 PM CST up reply actions

If and a big if this team could squeak into the playoffs.

No one would be deeper then us for situation basketball.

by 247_Hornet on Jan 16, 2012 10:47 PM CST up reply actions

To bad the salaries do not work.

by 247_Hornet on Jan 16, 2012 10:32 PM CST reply actions

I wont everyone's opinion on this.

I here allot about tanking but I just don’t think that’s it. I think it’s injuries. When you loose your top scorer and then your best defender it’s hard to win. Examples

New York : take away Carmelo & Chandler how many games do they win?

Dallas: take away Dirk and Kidd how many games do they win?

I just think this team gets heat for being 3-10 with comments like they suck or they are tanking but its just injuries.

by 247_Hornet on Jan 16, 2012 10:46 PM CST reply actions

Want*

by 247_Hornet on Jan 16, 2012 10:47 PM CST up reply actions

This is a great point

Kinda like what Red was alluding to above as well. I think you’re absolutely right. The Hornets aren’t tanking, we’re just bad. That’s what taking the Clips deal over the Lakers one allowed us – the ability to have a legitimately bad season.

by Rohan on Jan 16, 2012 11:00 PM CST up reply actions

Something that I think is funny is, were bad because of injuries.

We have competed with every team we have played so far. Except for a select few. Losing by no more then 10 points in any of these contests. Fully healthy I think we win all or most of those games.

by 247_Hornet on Jan 16, 2012 11:09 PM CST up reply actions

I dunno

Monty gets most of the credit for keeping this misfit of a team focused. Defense really is half of the game so if you do it well, you’ll be in most games. That said even if we were fully healthy, no way am I buying we’d have won a majority of those games.

The biggest concern going forward too will be can Monty keep the team motivated through the entire season. If our effort slips even a little, the horrors on how bad this team could be will be even more obvious.

by RedHopeful on Jan 17, 2012 1:45 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah

Our defense kind of slumped a bit in the latter half of last season though we still finished as one of the better teams in that category. It’s sometimes hard to maintain defenisve intensity, especially if you aren’t scoring on the other end. But we’ll see how it goes.

Also, injuries have plagued a number of teams, it hasn’t been just us. Look at the teams in our division. Spurs have their best player out for 2 to 3 months. Ditto Memphis. Our injury sitiuation is concerning but assuming that Ariza and Gordon are back soon, it hasn’t really been that bad.

by MZURK on Jan 18, 2012 7:19 AM CST up reply actions