Hornets Updates, 2/7

Recaps of Hornets loss to Kings...Hornets excelling in the pick and roll...Rockets back in pursuit of Chris Kaman...Quotes from the game...More on Jamal Mashburn's post-Hornets career

Wrapping up last night's loss to Kings:

Box Score

At the Hive

Associated Press

Hornets.com

Sactown Royalty

Hornets Excelling in Pick And Roll

From The Chasedown Block/Mark Travis:

(Highly recommend reading the full story which deals with the Hornets extensively)

But even though the Hornets are just 4-20, there is one player in that organization that deserves a lot of credit: head coach Monty Williams

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New Orleans is in a situation where winning is counterintuitive of the ultimate goal. The Hornets are better off giving up on the season and attempting to build their franchise around Anthony Davis. Of course, New Orleans isn’t rattling off wins or anything, but if you’re interested in moral victories, the way that the Hornets are playing for their head coach is certainly one of them.

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Perhaps even more impressive than New Orlean’s collective mindset has been their production in the pick and roll. I know it seems dumb to pick out one offensive play for a team that is 4-20 but when a team loses Chris Paul and David West, two of the best pick and roll players in the league, you would have to think that their production as a team would take a significant hit. But instead, they are actually operating the pick and roll even better than they were last season under Paul’s direction.

Rockets Back in Pursuit of Chris Kaman

From The Chasedown Block/Mark Travis:

While Kaman returning to action could be seen as the Hornets being disappointed with the trade market, Kaman’s suitors may also want to see that Kaman is still an effective player. Either way, don’t think that Kaman trade talks will be dieing down because he’s going to be suiting up again.

That’s because a source close to the situation tells The Chase-Down Block that the Houston Rockets are in pursuit of the seven foot center.

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[Jordan] Hill isn’t the only Knick draft pick the Hornets are after, the Rockets also have New York’s 2012 1st round pick that will likely be included in a deal for Kaman, as well.

That last line has me positively giddy. One more shout-out to that article, which goes on to include a breakdown of Gustavo Ayon's game as well. Full link here again.

Monty Williams on the Fourth Quarter

From NBA.com:

"I even thought the way we finished the third quarter was not good at all. We made a change and put some subs in the game and couldn’t run an offense. We were a bit sloppy with our passing. Give them credit; they came out with more intensity. We gave up 61 points in a half, after holding them to 39 in the first half. A tale of two halves, once again down the stretch in the fourth quarter we can’t pull the game off. As frustrating as it is, you have no choice but to look in the mirror at yourself and try to figure out how you can help the situation."

Trevor Ariza on the Second Half:

From NBA.com:

"That’s the story of our season so far. We play well in the first half, and then we let it go in the second half. I wish we could turn it around the other way and maybe play bad in the first half and play well in the second half to give ourselves a better chance. That’s what we’re dealing with. Hopefully, somehow we can turn it around."

Greivis Vasquez on the Second Half:

From NBA.com:

"It’s terrible. I think as a point guard, I take responsibility. I have to do a better job of running the offense. Sometimes we relax offensively, and we struggle. We have to figure it out. We played well enough, and to lose again like this hurts. I thought we had that game won, but we didn’t win. They played harder than us in the second half."

Jamal Mashburn's post-NBA career:

From MSNBC/Jason Daley:

Jamal Mashburn had everything an athlete could dream of. During his 12 years in the NBA in the 1990s and early 2000s, "Monster Mash" was instrumental in turning around the Dallas Mavericks; he also set several scoring records and was even selected for the All-Star Game while playing for the New Orleans Hornets. But despite all that success, he couldn't stop thinking about briefcases.

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"Growing up in Harlem and riding buses, trains and cabs to get to school downtown, I was always curious about what was in the briefcases people were carrying," he remembers. "I always wondered, What are they doing? The people always seemed important and had direction and purpose. I grew up idolizing the briefcase. To me, it symbolized information and knowledge."

Because his father had been a professional boxer, Mashburn had few illusions about the life of an elite athlete when he was drafted by the NBA. Unlike many of his teammates, he recognized that his career was always just one injury or one bad season away from ending forever. So, instead of blowing money on cars and houses, he began buying franchises with a group of investors, including his old college basketball coach at the University of Kentucky, Rick Pitino.

Now, six years after his last layup, Mashburn has a briefcase full of contracts for 37 Papa John's, 34 Outback Steakhouses, three Dunkin' Donuts and the largest Toyota dealership in Kentucky.