March 26, 2009

Hornets Fall Without No. 6

The Hornets were without the Big Easy for their fourth straight game on Wednesday

But unlike the last three games, they could not pull out a victory in his stead.

Tyson was ruled out just before tip-off and sat on the bench for the loss to Denver after pregame treatment didn’t do enough to get him ready. Byron Scott spoke about the treatment prior to the game, as quoted on the Big Easy Buzz Blog:

“He did a little work after practice (Tuesday). (Trainer) Terry (Kofler) tried giving him an ankle brace, then taking his orthotics out, a few different things to try to relieve some of the pressure on (his left ankle). Now it just comes down to whether he’s ready to play. If not, we’ve got to go with (the players) we’ve got.”

As Marcus Carmouche of the Times-Picayune reported in his first quarter update at NOLA .com, the Hornets were in dire straits without Ty:

“The Hornets sorely missed Stojakovic and Chandler. The early part of the quarter exposed the team’s biggest weaknesses without them in the lineup as New Orleans trailed 19-14 with 3:30 remaining."

"Wright, who’s starting in place of Stojakovic, struggled. The Nuggets focused their attention on stopping Paul and West and are doubling off Wright, who, unlike Stojakovic, doesn’t have the jumper to keep Denver’s defense honest. Wright missed four of his first five attempts from the field and picked up two fouls guarding Anthony, who has torched him for six points."

"Meanwhile, the Nuggets have set up camp near the rim without the presence of Chandler to block or alter shots. It seemed like every shot Denver made was either a dunk or from near the lane.”

The Hornets pulled back to within one by the break, but couldn’t handle a third quarter Nuggets run and eventually succumbed to a 101-88 loss.

THAT EXTRA SOMETHING
In his prost game column for the Times-Picayune, John DeShazier notes all the things that the Hornets lack without Tyson in the lineup, and the list goes beyond the stat sheet:

“Even with the improved play of Hilton Armstrong, center Tyson Chandler is missed. The Hornets miss the energy, the emotion, the rebounds, the defensive presence.”

The statistics speak for themselves but opposing coaches also notice what Ty brings to the floor, as reported by Ed Staton of bayoubuzz.com:

“Chandler is the anchor of the Hornets’ defense. When he has been in the lineup, the Hornets allow 92.2 points per game and had a 30-14 record. When he’s out, opponents average 95.3 points. “Not only is he a presence with his rim protection, he’s a traffic cop,” said Wizards coach Ed Tapscott earlier this season. “He’s great reading plays and communicating his team forward.”

But Hornets point guard said he’s not rushing TC and Peja to return to the floor:

“Those guys know we need them back, ” Paul said. “But not until they’re healthy.”

SO WHEN WILL TY BE BACK?
That question is one without an answer right now.

The Hornets have 12 games remaining in the regular season, which ends April 15 in San Antonio. Their next game is Friday night a Madison Square the Knicks. It’s the beginning and end of a one game road trip. On Sunday they host San Antonio in an ESPN nationally televised Sunday night tilt.

Scott has said he expects The Big Easy and his sharpshooter Peja back before the season comes to a close:

“I’m concerned, but I also feel pretty comfortable that they will be back. One will be back pretty soon if not both,” Scott said. “Right now, I’m going to just keep doing what we’ve been doing, keep plugging guys in and keep asking them to step up.”

RELATED STORIES
New Orleans Hornets’ Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic out for key matchup (Associated Press, March 25, 2009)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4016318&campaign=rsssrch&sou...
Status of four Hornets remains uncertain (Big Easy Buzz Blog, March 25, 2009)
http://neworleanshornetsblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/status-of-four-hornets...
New Orleans Hornets lose 101-88 to Denver Nuggets (Times-Picayune, March 26, 2009)
http://blog.nola.com/hornetsbeat/2009/03/new_orleans_hornets_vs_denver_6...
In race to finish, Hornets have rough go of it against Nuggets (Times-Picayune, March 26, 2009)
http://blog.nola.com/johndeshazier/2009/03/in_race_to_the_finish_new_orl...
New Orleans Sports (Bayou Buzz, March 26, 2009)