Game Thread: Hornets @ Spurs {Final Score-SA 106... Hornets 102}

[donato]

I'd like to keep our guys together for the most part. I like what Vasquez and Aminu bring to the table and hope/think they will continue to progress. Vasquez gets a lot of assists and can score. He is also a very good rebounder for his position. Aminu is a very good defender, gets a ton of rebounds from the SF position, and his offense is developing. If we had to upgrade a position, I'd like to upgrade Lopez. He is more than serviceable, but we can do better- he is especially weak on the boards. Whether we shift Davis there assuming he can get a bit bigger and therefore would upgrade the PF position or instead look to adding a pure center, I don't know. But I think that's where we should look for the most pressing upgrade. The other big upgrade we need is an elite scorer either from the SF or guard position. I think with the team's growth and development if we added two high quality players at these positions we'd be set with what we already have in place. We're very young and just need to develop what we have otherwise. Theoretically you could even move Davis to the 5, Aminu to the 4 and get a star SF that could rebound. Or maybe do the aforementioned, move Vasquez to the 3 and get a star PG. Lots of options.

[DroopyDawg]

We can blame whoever we want... doesn't matter. The fact is there was 1 stretch in this game that lost it for us. Down the stretch... we may have turned the ball over, or took HORRIBLE shots on 4 or 5 straight possessions that led to easy baskets for SA.

Never mind what TP did... he does that to everybody. That's not an excuse for it to happen to the Hornets but lets not act like TP is a bum.

Gordon CAN BE a closer, but it takes all 5 guys on the court to do their job as well.

[MichaelMcNamara]

We can blame whoever we want... doesn't matter. The fact is there was 1 stretch in this game that lost it for us. Down the stretch... we may have turned the ball over, or took HORRIBLE shots on 4 or 5 straight possessions that led to easy baskets for SA.

Never mind what TP did... he does that to everybody. That's not an excuse for it to happen to the Hornets but lets not act like TP is a bum.

Gordon CAN BE a closer, but it takes all 5 guys on the court to do their job as well.

I personally think the game was lost in the first 4 minutes of the 4th quarter. Monty decides to go with Roberts and Rivers in the backcourt instead of just going with Vasquez and Gordon for the whole quarter and going for the win.

7 possessions, 3 minutes and 40 seconds, zero points.

Could have stepped on the Spurs throats there, got out to a 7-10 point lead, but instead we rest GV and Gordon, even though they sat last 2 minutes of the 3rd. Had the break between quarters. An automatic timeout at the 6 and 9 minute marks. Multiple timeouts for both teams.

Play them all 12 minutes in the 4th and we win. Instead, the quarter starts out as a dud, Spurs take lead, starters have to come back in and play catch up. Then the run happens, game over.

Sick of Monty not stepping on opponents throats when the opportunity is there

[Inner_GI]

I personally think the game was lost in the first 4 minutes of the 4th quarter. Monty decides to go with Roberts and Rivers in the backcourt instead of just going with Vasquez and Gordon for the whole quarter and going for the win.

7 possessions, 3 minutes and 40 seconds, zero points.

Could have stepped on the Spurs throats there, got out to a 7-10 point lead, but instead we rest GV and Gordon, even though they sat last 2 minutes of the 3rd. Had the break between quarters. An automatic timeout at the 6 and 9 minute marks. Multiple timeouts for both teams.

Play them all 12 minutes in the 4th and we win. Instead, the quarter starts out as a dud, Spurs take lead, starters have to come back in and play catch up. Then the run happens, game over.

Sick of Monty not stepping on opponents throats when the opportunity is there

Especially considering I think we had 3 or 4 timeouts left with less than 4 minutes to go. Plently of options to have breaks in the action to keep the starters "fresh."

[MichaelMcNamara]

Especially considering I think we had 3 or 4 timeouts left with less than 4 minutes to go. Plently of options to have breaks in the action to keep the starters "fresh."

Exactly. If Gordon gets those extra 4 minutes, he plays 33 on the night. Is that too much? And again, dont you negate the wear and tear of those 4 minutes with all those timeouts?

I guess long term, it might be the right play and might help getting a slightly better pick this year, but it sucks to lose games that are winnable.

[Inner_GI]

Losing to the Spurs is like Losing to the Lakers and Clippers... I can't take it. I get all angry and emotional. It's always where I sounds completely retarded in the game day threads. I lose all objectiveness and comprehension of basketball.

I've been a Suns and Hornets fan and the Spurs have killed both teams in the playoffs. It hurts!

[donato]

I personally think the game was lost in the first 4 minutes of the 4th quarter. Monty decides to go with Roberts and Rivers in the backcourt instead of just going with Vasquez and Gordon for the whole quarter and going for the win.

Sometimes I feel as though Monty doesn't want to win too much at this point with the way he does substitutions down the stretch.

[Inner_GI]

Unless Dell and Monty are in together to just play everyone so this offseason we know for sure what we consider an asset and what we consider trash.

I'm okay with the way the team is playing. Next year if Monty is still crazy with the rotations and we don't slim down to a 8-9 man rotation, I will be shocked.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Unless Dell and Monty are in together to just play everyone so this offseason we know for sure what we consider an asset and what we consider trash.

I'm okay with the way the team is playing. Next year if Monty is still crazy with the rotations and we don't slim down to a 8-9 man rotation, I will be shocked.

Agree. I am fine with seeing what we got this year, experimenting, etc.

But next year and every year after better be win at all costs

[nolaslim213]

If Gordon gets to the level of Kobe, Pierce, Wade, Durant, etc. I would be thrilled but again, if we weren't Hornets (or Pelicans) fans, would we give him that benefit of the doubt? Of course he CAN get there- theoretically anybody can- but isn't the much greater likelihood that he is not going to reach that level?

Personally, I think Gordon compares favorably to Wade in terms of scoring. I think he can be a better scorer because he is naturally a better shooter. Defense is about even, maybe a slight edge to Wade (blah blah Wade was on the all-defense team). Gordon is a top notch defender when he gets down in his stance, but Wade is a better rebounder.

But yes, I do think Gordon can get to a Dwayne Wade level. Injuries slowed him down a bit, but he'll be good to go soon enough. Still knocking the rust off.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Wade also effected the game by dishing out assists and grabbing offensive boards/putbacks late in games. Gordon scores. That's it. Cant create for others on a regular basis and will almost never get you a board in crunch time.

Look, I really dont want to make it sound like the guy is horrible. Like I said, more Joe Johnson than Wade, which is still very good, but I just cant see him being on that elite level. If it is a tie game with 3 minutes left and the other team has Durant and we have Gordon, I aint gonna lie, I expect the other team to win 8 out of 10 times in that scenario.

I didnt feel that way when we had CP3 in his prime. I felt that if it was tied late or we went to overtime, CP3 would find a way to win us that game, no matter who the closer was on the other side. To me, that is the kinda guy you gotta have to win a title