Hornets open season at home tonight against Hawks
By By Richard Dark / EMG sports writer
Oct. 29, 2003
NEW ORLEANS Tonight Mississippi native Tim Floyd will begin the first step of a long journey back toward a place of respectability. In their second opening night in the Crescent City, the New Orleans Hornets plans to make sure Floyd gets there.
The Hattiesburg native raised plenty of eyebrows when he was hired this past summer to replace Paul Silas as Hornets coach after the team was ousted by Philadelphia in the opening round of the playoffs. Floyd's first test at NBA coaching proved to be a bust, as indicated by his dismal 49-190 record in Chicago. But that's what happens when you inherit a team without three of the 50 greatest players of all time.
"I feel an immense responsibility in the job," said Floyd. "I do feel pressure to win, but not from a bad standpoint, but from an urgency standpoint. This is a team that's been kept together. I feel pressure from the standpoint for the guys to achieve their goals and to make it work. I'm not feeling pressure from the ownership. I just want to win at a high level."
His first chance to do that is tonight at 7 when the Hornets open up their second season here against the Atlanta Hawks. It is also their last in the Eastern Conference. They will be without the services of last season's leading scorer Jamal Mashburn for the first five games because of a bone bruise in his knee. Mashburn was outspoken in the 5-3 preseason that Floyd would be able to come in and win with a group of proven veterans.
"I think he's going to do fine because he's got the talent around him," said Mashburn. "One thing about the NBA is that you can be a great coach, but if you've got bad players, you can become a mediocre coach. But you can be an average coach with great players and become a great coach."
Of the 17 players the team had on the training camp roster, 11 wore a Hornets jersey last season. The starting five is intact for the fourth straight year. But there are some questions. Backup point guard Courtney Alexander is out for the season with a torn Achilles and G/F George Lynch will have to take up the slack early in Mashburn's absence.
The team did not have to deal with that last season, as he played in all 82 games. New additions in guard Darrell Armstrong, center Sean Rooks and rookie forward David West will be put in positions where they will contribute a great deal. All-Star point guard Baron Davis should have a breakout year after coming to camp and going through preseason in excellent shape, something he could not say a year ago when he missed 32 games with various injuries. Look for him to take on more of the leadership mantle under Floyd.
