原文出自nola.com http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/110464907566750.xml Hornets working through tough times They are 16 losses from clinching a losing season Sunday, January 02, 2005 By John Reid Staff writer After each loss, Hornets coach Byron Scott stays up working past 2 a.m., watching game tapes and critiquing his play calls and substitutions. Until he turns around a disastrous 2-26 start, Scott said more sleepless nights are ahead. "I not only look at the players, but myself, too," Scott said. "I ask myself was there more that I could have done that night to help us win the game. I go through things like that." Most of Scott's veteran players have never experienced a season like this. Not only are the Hornets the league's worst team -- but they have lost 11 of 12 games at New Orleans Arena and 13 consecutive on the road. They remain ahead of pace with the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, who finished with the worst record in league history at 9-73. After the first 28 games, the 76ers were 3-25. "Other than when I played in New Jersey and we went 30-52, I never experienced anything like this before," said veteran P.J. Brown, who promises the Hornets are not going to finish worse than the history-setting 76ers team. "I hear it all the time when I go out to a store and people say, 'What's wrong? What's going on?' I hear some negative, but I hear more positive." The Hornets' injury problems have decimated their season. They play hard but can't close out with a game-winning run. With that lack of success, they are not getting much respect around the league. Some radio and television reporters in other NBA cities now refer to them as the lowly or woeful Hornets. "I'm not looking for anybody to feel sorry for us," forward Lee Nailon said. "It's not like every game we're getting blown out by 30. If that happened, then you could look at us and say what's wrong or what's going on. You always take it upon your own hands to get some wins and turn it around. I don't listen to what any reporters have to say about our season." The Hornets have dropped so far from being a playoff contending team that this week General Manager Allan Bristow defended the franchise's past success after suspending Jim Jackson indefinitely for failing to report within the 48 hours deadline of his trade to New Orleans from the Houston Rockets. In a conference call, Jackson told Bristow and Scott that after 13 seasons he didn't want to start rebuilding. "Over the last 14 years we've been winners, and we don't plan to really be at this position for very long," Bristow said. "We have a terrific owner, the community embraces the team and we will do anything that it takes to turn it around." Yet, the Hornets have surrendered 100 points in six consecutive games and eight players have scored 30 points or more against their defense. The latest came Wednesday night at the Arena when Phoenix Suns guard Quentin Richardson made a franchise- record nine 3-pointers for 31 points. New Orleans ranks last in the league in scoring (85.5), field -goal percentage (.399) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.281). The Hornets haven't finished below .500 in 12 consecutive seasons, but they are only 16 losses away from clinching a losing season. "Most of the younger players in the league who I stay in contact with like (No. 1 pick) Dwight Howard ask all the time why we keep losing," 19-year-old rookie J.R. Smith said. "I never lost more than seven games in my last two years of high school. It's hard, but we're going to turn it around. People just have to be patient." Scott remains patient, despite that most of his coaching buddies have avoided calling him frequently like they used to when he guided the New Jersey Nets to Eastern Conference championships in 2002 and 2003. "I understand that feeling because I've been through it, of not wanting to call a friend of mine in the coaching ranks because of the hard times he was having," Scott said, with a grin. "They probably have the idea that I don't want to talk or want to be bothered." But in New Orleans, Scott said most of the fans he meets have been positive. "It seems like everywhere I go in town people say hang in there," Scott said. Scott is hoping for a better final half of the season because Rodney Rogers (sprained left ankle) and David West (right knee) will soon come off the injured list, and starting center Jamaal Magloire (fractured right ring finger) is a little more than a month away from returning. In the meantime, Scott is going to keep working, even it means staying up all night. --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 140.117.190.7