In the Lane with Licht: Hurt Hornets Hoping and Coping
December 8, 2006
Hornets head coach Byron Scott is hoping for a speedy recovery for his injured trio of stars. For the basketball coaching fraternity there probably needs to be some kind of Hope Rehab Clinic. Every season, it seems, all teams must endure a key injury. Others, like the Houston Rockets a season ago, battle the injury bug from opening tip off to season-ending final buzzer. Hope is another word for patience. And patience is another word most coaches would rather strike from the dictionary. We live in a “what have you done for me lately” society and no profession understands this better than coaches. But the way the Hornets off-season went there was every reason for fans to hope that this Hornets squad was going to take another significant leap forward from a team that had improved by NBA-best 20 games last season.
They provided NBA Rookie-of-the-Year Chris Paul with one of the best shooters of the last decade in Peja Stojakovic.
They replaced departed free agent Speedy Claxton with hard-nosed Bobby Jackson.
They traded for 7-1 rebounding machine Tyson Chandler.
They extended the contract of last season’s leading scorer, David West.
After the Hornets ran out to a franchise-record 4-0 start and moved five games above .500 at 8-3 the moves orchestrated by General Manager Jeff Bower appeared to be pure genius. Peja had already topped his career high with a 42-point effort against Charlotte, a game in which he scored the Hornets’ first 20 points of the game (an NBA first). Jackson had already established himself as the leader of the bench corps. Chandler had already moved into the top five in rebounding, grabbing over 12 per game. And West was once again scoring 17 points per game and grabbing eight rebounds per contest…proving last season’s breakout season was for real.
So, why are the Hornets suddenly struggling to stay above .500?
Injuries.
It’s been a most unlucky run of mishaps for the team.
West, who still doesn’t know how he was injured, has right forearm and elbow soreness and has missed more than half of the team’s games. The injury is improving, but his inability to even use his right hand to eat with tells you how far off his return may be.
Stojakovic, who like West is traveling with the Hornets on their current west coast trip, has back spasms that have knocked him out of action since an uncharacteristic 3-for-15 shooting night against Minnesota on November 24th.
Jackson, hurt in a collision with Andrea Bargnani in the final game of November, must wait approximately two weeks for a cracked rib to heal.
And keep in mind the Hornets haven’t been healthy at all this season. Stojakovic missed time during training camp with leg soreness, Marc Jackson missed all of training camp with strained left and right hamstrings and didn’t see his first regular season activity until the tenth game. Tyson Chandler missed the end of the Charlotte contest and the Detroit game with a concussion after an errant elbow from Sean May knocked a tooth loose and resulted in a concussion.
Prior to Friday’s game against Seattle the Hornets players have missed 25 games due to injuries.
Perhaps the silver lining through all of this is an increase in depth for Byron Scott’s group. Rasual Butler, now starting, appears to have rediscovered his deadly long range jumper. Marc Jackson, also starting, is providing toughness and solid mid-range scoring. Jannero Pargo’s minutes have increased and he has produced games of 19, 16, 18 and 21 point games off the bench. Sliding Butler and Jackson back to the bench when the regulars return and the second unit could become team strength.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First, let’s get West and Stojakovic and Jackson healthy and back in the lineup. Second, let’s see the entire group of players the front office put together available for Byron Scott to use.
I would not be surprised to see Stojakovic back in the lineup sometime next week. He told me in Los Angeles that he’s feeling better, jogging every day, stretching every day, and shooting a couple of hundred shots every day. He’s also taking oral cortisone medication to lessen the pain in his back. As for West and Bobby Jackson it will be longer than that before we see them back on the floor.
There’s no question this is one of the most talented Hornets teams ever assembled. And, there’s no doubt in my mind that there’s still plenty of time for this to become a special season for this group on the floor. But, for those of us as impatient as a teenager (and most sports fans fit into that category) waiting for injuries to heal is as agonizing as waiting in line at a store on the day after Thanksgiving.
Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel. We all just want to see that light before Byron Scott ends up lying on a couch asking Dr. Phil for advice.
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Bob LichtThey provided NBA Rookie-of-the-Year Chris Paul with one of the best shooters of the last decade in Peja Stojakovic.
They replaced departed free agent Speedy Claxton with hard-nosed Bobby Jackson.
They traded for 7-1 rebounding machine Tyson Chandler.
They extended the contract of last season’s leading scorer, David West.
After the Hornets ran out to a franchise-record 4-0 start and moved five games above .500 at 8-3 the moves orchestrated by General Manager Jeff Bower appeared to be pure genius. Peja had already topped his career high with a 42-point effort against Charlotte, a game in which he scored the Hornets’ first 20 points of the game (an NBA first). Jackson had already established himself as the leader of the bench corps. Chandler had already moved into the top five in rebounding, grabbing over 12 per game. And West was once again scoring 17 points per game and grabbing eight rebounds per contest…proving last season’s breakout season was for real.
So, why are the Hornets suddenly struggling to stay above .500?
Injuries.
It’s been a most unlucky run of mishaps for the team.
West, who still doesn’t know how he was injured, has right forearm and elbow soreness and has missed more than half of the team’s games. The injury is improving, but his inability to even use his right hand to eat with tells you how far off his return may be.
Stojakovic, who like West is traveling with the Hornets on their current west coast trip, has back spasms that have knocked him out of action since an uncharacteristic 3-for-15 shooting night against Minnesota on November 24th.
Jackson, hurt in a collision with Andrea Bargnani in the final game of November, must wait approximately two weeks for a cracked rib to heal.
And keep in mind the Hornets haven’t been healthy at all this season. Stojakovic missed time during training camp with leg soreness, Marc Jackson missed all of training camp with strained left and right hamstrings and didn’t see his first regular season activity until the tenth game. Tyson Chandler missed the end of the Charlotte contest and the Detroit game with a concussion after an errant elbow from Sean May knocked a tooth loose and resulted in a concussion.
Prior to Friday’s game against Seattle the Hornets players have missed 25 games due to injuries.
Perhaps the silver lining through all of this is an increase in depth for Byron Scott’s group. Rasual Butler, now starting, appears to have rediscovered his deadly long range jumper. Marc Jackson, also starting, is providing toughness and solid mid-range scoring. Jannero Pargo’s minutes have increased and he has produced games of 19, 16, 18 and 21 point games off the bench. Sliding Butler and Jackson back to the bench when the regulars return and the second unit could become team strength.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First, let’s get West and Stojakovic and Jackson healthy and back in the lineup. Second, let’s see the entire group of players the front office put together available for Byron Scott to use.
I would not be surprised to see Stojakovic back in the lineup sometime next week. He told me in Los Angeles that he’s feeling better, jogging every day, stretching every day, and shooting a couple of hundred shots every day. He’s also taking oral cortisone medication to lessen the pain in his back. As for West and Bobby Jackson it will be longer than that before we see them back on the floor.
There’s no question this is one of the most talented Hornets teams ever assembled. And, there’s no doubt in my mind that there’s still plenty of time for this to become a special season for this group on the floor. But, for those of us as impatient as a teenager (and most sports fans fit into that category) waiting for injuries to heal is as agonizing as waiting in line at a store on the day after Thanksgiving.
Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel. We all just want to see that light before Byron Scott ends up lying on a couch asking Dr. Phil for advice.
