原文出自nola.com http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1108538766313600.xml N.O.'s cast gets chance to shine Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Peter Finney In an 82-game season, if you're running a "have-not" franchise that has just beaten a 30-victory "have," you take advantage of any chance to smile. So, yes, Byron Scott, whose Hornets had just lifted themselves to 11-41 after a 98-96 decision over the Washington Wizards at New Orleans Arena, was all grins Monday night. He talked about P.J. Brown being the "ultimate warrior," about wishing he could have a dozen P.J.s on the roster, saying this after P.J. logged a team-high 41 minutes, scored 13 points, used his arms to help force the opponent's potential game-winning shot to fall short, saying it a day after P.J. missed the second half of a game in Orlando with a sprained left ankle. Warrior Brown, who fought through pain, represents the flip side of a ballclub that has given Scott little opportunity to smile, a coach who has watched bad news involving two All-Stars arrive in stages: Baron Davis' loss for 36 games and counting, Jamaal Magloire's for 42-plus. By the time Scott left the Arena on Monday, all smiles had given way to sober contemplation, which happens when the 40-win San Antonio Spurs are tonight on your dance card. It gives his team, loaded with new faces, another chance to measure itself against one of the NBA elite before the All-Star break, leaving behind a forgettable stretch during which the Hornets went from 0-8 to 1-19 to 2-29, with losing streaks of eight, 11 and 10. So what does Scott have to say? "Through all the gloom," he said, "the high has to be the arrival of Dan Dickau. "Dan has played like someone beating all the odds. They said he was too short, too slow, which is why he sat and sat. When he got a chance, he proved what they say when a guy steps in and beats the odds -- that you can't measure heart. If Dan has proved one thing, he's proven he has a vital commodity. It's called guts." On Monday, when he was shooting a horrid 3-for-14, he dug deep to nail the winning free throws in the final four seconds. Does Dickau have a downside? "Everyone does," Scott said. "Dan has to get stronger, and he has to improve his foot speed. For someone his age, with his work ethic, this will be no problem. He's intelligent, he listens, and, keep in mind, he's only 26. He's a (third)- year guy, but he's really still a rookie. He may seem older, but that's because he's been traded five times and that tends to make you appear older in some people's eyes." Once the season is history, Dickau figures to be a free-agent plum in the eyes of some teams. Is this a problem? "After the way he's played," Scott said, "I'm sure there'll be some interested parties. But I'm also sure we'll do everything possible to keep Dan a Hornet." Any more sun on the horizon? What about schoolboy-to-pro J.R. Smith, who bagged a team- high 18 points against the Wizards, added five assists and turned it over only twice in 37 minutes? He's moving forward step by step by step," Scott said. "He's getting more comfortable out there, and he knows what he has to do, which is to get a lot better on the defensive end. He was born with a gifted shooting touch. Defense is more a matter of desire, between the ears. When you play J.R.'s positions (shooting guard or small forward), you have to hold your own defensively every time out. Take the other night against Orlando. Defending a small forward like Grant Hill is no small challenge. For J.R., defense is going to be a challenge, game after game. Fundamentals. Keep the feet moving." Chris Andersen? "Birdman is all energy," said Scott of the 6-9 swingman, 7-for-10 Monday with nine rebounds. "He's a guy who feeds off the home crowd, who's fun to be around, who can run the floor as well as anyone his size. What does Birdman have to do to improve? He has to get stronger." Bostjan Nachbar? "He's shown me he has a solid, all-around game," said Scott of the second-year pro from Slovenia. "He knows how to play. He's a 3-point threat, and he's a good passer. He has to become more consistent on the defensive end." Casey Jacobsen? "He's shown great toughness," said the coach of the 6-6 guard/forward, another second-year man. "He doesn't hesitate to take it to the basket, which helps get you to the free- throw line. He's taken full advantage of the chance he's gotten to give us some quality minutes." Lee Nailon? "He was on a tear when he went down," said Scott of the fourth-year pro who was averaging 15.7 points on 48.3 percent shooting before missing the last seven games with a groin injury. "Seems every time he put it up, it went in. He knows he has to get better defensively. But he's another example of someone getting another chance and running with it." David West? "He has to play with more of a sense of urgency," said Scott of 2003's No. 1 pick sidelined with a knee contusion. "He can handle the ball. He can pass it, and he has a good touch when it comes to knocking down the 15 to 17-footers. He has the ability to become one of the better power forwards in the league." As for Scott's take on the NBA at the All-Star break, he looks at the trade of Shaquille O'Neal to Miami as a balancing act between the Eastern and Western Conferences. "Shaq would have made any team a contender," he said. "I guess you can say he sort of evened things out. But the West is still very strong. In fact, you'd have to look at Seattle and Phoenix as the two biggest surprises. Seattle proves how far a bunch of scorers can take you. The Suns tell you what a difference an assist expert like a Steve Nash can do to make everyone around him so much better." As Scott sits out the All-Star break, his only concern is seeing how much better his Hornets will be when Davis and Magloire suit up, hopefully in time to greet the Sonics next Wednesday, when the Hornets return to play seven of their next eight at the Arena. "Whenever they return," Scott said, "I'll have to take a moment to reintroduce them to their teammates." . . . . . . . Peter Finney can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3802. 簡單來說就是教頭談大家的半季展望 ^^ 有沒有人願意幫我翻這篇的? ※ 編輯: ilovet 來自: 140.117.190.8 (02/17 10:36)