Posted: Wednesday, December 28, 2011, 5:07 PM

T-P Hornets beat writer John Reid previews tonight’s home opener against the Celtics.

The new-look New Orleans Hornets, still trying to establish an identity since Chris Paul’s trade to the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this month, make their home debut tonight at the New Orleans Arena against the Boston Celtics. Eric Gordon, who was one of the players acquired in exchange for Paul, is emerging as the team’s top scoring option.

In the Hornets’ 85-84 season-opening victory at Phoenix on Monday night, the talented fourth-year guard made the winning 20-foot jumper with 4.2 seconds remaining and finished with a team-high 20 points.

“We want to utilize his talent,’’ Hornets General Manager Dell Demps said of Gordon, who was acquired Dec. 14 with center Chris Kaman and forward Al-Farouq Aminu from the Clippers.

“He scores the basketball, that’s what he does. I anticipate him being our leading scorer, but we want to utilize all his  talents.’’

In his debut with the Hornets, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound shooting guard had four rebounds, a steal, a block and three assists in 39 minutes.

Gordon attacked the basket several times for layups and helped to get the Hornets in their sets against the Suns.

Similar to last season when they advanced to the playoffs before losing in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Hornets are trying to make defense their identity.

Gordon and the rest of the Hornets’ newcomers appear to have bought in to Coach Monty Williams’ top priority. New Orleans held Phoenix to 39.5 percent shooting and had nine steals and five blocks.

“Whatever the situation, I always try to make the best situation for it,’’ Gordon said. “I’m still trying to fit in and figure out things throughout the offense, but I can put the ball on the floor and create for others.”

With nine new players, however, the Hornets are a work in progress. They made only 13 of 21 free-throw attempts and missed 16 of 18 attempts from behind the 3-point line.

The Hornets appeared to be in trouble after small forward Trevor Ariza missed two free throws with 35.4 seconds remaining and the Suns leading 84-83. However, the Suns’ Jared Dudley missed a jumper with 16.9 seconds remaining, which paved the way for Gordon’s heroics. On Phoenix’s final possession, Markieff Morris overthrew a pass intended for guard Steve Nash as time expired.

New Orleans faces a veteran Boston team tonight that is expected to be without All-Star forward Paul Pierce, who has a bruised right heel. Without Pierce, the Celtics lost 106-104 to the New York Knicks on Christmas Day. They lost to Heat on Tuesday night.

“We want to get the new guys used to how we do things,’”Williams said. “We’re looking for carryover. Those guys have been in different situation because they have had different coaches. I’ve talked with Eric, and I think he’s had seven different coaches since high school, so he knows how to make adjustments. He’s had so many styles and schemes.”

Hornets starting point guard Jarrett Jack will be back in the lineup tonight after serving a one-game suspension for last season’s DUI arrest near Atlanta. Without Jack, Marco Belinelli started at point guard, and he appeared to have problems getting the Hornets into their offensive sets. After newly acquired guard Greivis Vasquez replaced Belinelli, the Hornets’ offense began to flow better.

“I know everybody is thinking it’s going to be a down year for us,’’ Williams said. “It’s never crossed our minds. We don’t talk about it, and we certainly won’t give in to it.

“Starting with our defensive mind-set, I feel we got the players who want to do things necessary to win games.”

New Orleans Hornets starting point guard Jarrett Jack will return to the lineup for Wednesday night’s home opener against the Boston Celtics at the New Orleans Arena. He missed Monday night’s season opener after serving a one-game suspension for last season’s DUI arrest near Atlanta.

Without Jack, Marco Belinelli earned his first career start at point guard, but appeared to have problems getting the Hornets into their offense quickly enough before the Suns were able to set up in their halfcourt defensive sets. After newly acquired guard Greivis Vasquez replaced Belinelli, the Hornets’ offense began to flow better.

Shooting guard Eric Gordon made a 20-foot jump shot with 4.2 seconds remaining to lift the Hornets to a 85-84 victory against the Suns. Gordon scored a team-high 20 points in his debut game.

New Orleans (1-0) are now preparing to play a veteran Boston team that is expected to be without All-Star forward Paul Pierce, who has a bruised right heel. Without Pierce, the Celtics lost 106-104 to the New York Knicks on Christmas Day.The Celtics play the Miami Heat tonight.

“I know everybody is thinking it’s going to be a down year for us,’’ Hornets Coach said Monty Williams, who gave his team Tuesday off after their long flight from Phoenix.  “It’s never crossed our minds. We don’t talk about it and we certainly won’t give in to it. Starting with our defensive mindset, I feel we got the players who want to do things necessary to win games.’’

The descriptions regarding expectations for the New Orleans Hornets this season have run the gamut, all in the negative. Last in the West. Third-worst in the NBA. Train-wreck. Headed for the bottom.

Ghastly.

“That’s just fuel for the fire,” said power forward Carl Landry, ready to embark on his first full season in New Orleans — and first as the starter at that position — tonight when the team opens the season at Phoenix. “That makes us want to go out there and work that much harder to win ball games and prove everybody wrong.

“Most of the guys on this team have been the underdog most of their lives. It’s nothing new to any of us. All (Coach) Monty Williams and the front office expect of us is to go out and play hard, and that’s what we did in the first two preseason games (both against the Memphis Grizzlies) and what we’re going to continue to do for the rest of the season.”

A year ago, even with two veteran All-Stars (Chris Paul and David West) providing 40 percent of the team’s starting lineup, no one expected the Hornets to run off eight consecutive wins to open the season with a rookie head coach calling the shots, extending that to an 11-1 mark that helped create an excitement that carried through to a first-round playoff appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers.

But this edition of the Hornets’ roster is void of superstar faces with the exit of Paul.

And when Paul went to the Los Angeles Clippers, any positive vibes regarding a possible postseason return for the Hornets went with him.

At least by way of the national media’s way of thinking.

Williams has seen the dismal assessments. He said he really can’t disagree with the projections.

“To be honest with you I think they’re right on point,” Williams said. “They’re right to not expect anything from us. We’re inexperienced. We don’t have a group that’s been together for a while. We have a relatively young team.

“What people expect out of us, I try not to get caught up with that. Maybe you can use it as motivation, but I know that everybody is thinking this is going to be a down year for us. It never crossed our minds. We don’t talk about it, and we certainly won’t give in to it.”

The Hornets will be short-handed in the backcourt tonight against the Suns because starter Jarrett Jack will be serving a one-game, league-imposed suspension for a driving under the influence incident during last year’s All-Star break.

Who starts at point guard against Phoenix has yet to be determined.

Landry will be taking over the power forward spot occupied by the departed West — he signed as a free-agent with the Indiana Pacers — since 2003.

It’s possible that newly acquired Eric Gordon could man the point, and Marco Belinelli — last season’s starter at the two-guard spot — will be back in that role for the one game before returning to the bench for Wednesday night’s home opener against the Boston Celtics when Jack returns and Gordon assumes the off-guard starting spot. Or the Hornets could go with newly acquired Greivis Vasquez at point guard.

The trade of Paul also bolstered New Orleans’ bench, bringing former All-Star center Chris Kaman and promising small forward Al-Farouq Aminu.

Additionally, Hornets reserve forward/center Jason Smith has another season of experience, which, Williams said, greatly improves his team’s depth. Gordon’s foot speed, and Landry’s quickness also provide upgrades.

After a lockout-truncated training camp and just two preseason games, tonight’s regular-season opener should provide a better understanding of whether the Hornets will live down to the grim prognostications.

“We have so many guys who are in a different role,” Williams said. “Jarrett is the starting point guard. Marco was a starter last year. Now he’s coming off the bench. We have a new starting power forward. Jason wants a bigger role this year. Kaman, he wants to play.

“We’re a bit faster than we were last year. Eric is explosive, probably more explosive than anybody we’ve had since I’ve been here. Trevor (Ariza) is explosive. Jack pushes the ball. Carl is a bit more athletic than David was, but David is so skilled, so it’s hard to say. I do know our backup five is a ton better than most people in the league’s backup five. Chris Kaman could start on a number of teams and may end up starting this year. You just never know.”

The New Orleans Hornets have formed a partnership with trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra to showcase local musicians and their songs during home games at the New Orleans Arena this season.

Starting with Wednesday’s pre-season home game against the Memphis Grizzlies, a house band of local musicians will perform courtside during game breaks on the “Irvin Mayfield’s I Club Stage.”

Pre-recorded messages and performances by local musicians also will appear regularly on the Arena’s video screens.

Mayfield will officially launch the music program, called “Inspired to Play,” at the Hornets’ home opener Dec. 28 against the Boston Celtics. The Grammy Award-winning trumpeter will perform the national anthem and a new Hornets theme song that he composed.

In addition to the live in-game performances, NOJO is attempting to build a database of 300 songs (existing and original) that will provide in-arena music during the games. (Musicians interested in participating should contact Stephanie Mayne, Director of Programming at NOJO at 504.862.3531 or smayne@thenojo.com.)

The announcement was made Tuesday morning inside Mayfield’s I Club in the lobby of the J.W. Marriott hotel. Two Hornets Honeybees flanked the entrance to the first-floor nightclub, where inside sax player Khris Royal played on the bandstand.

“We’re going to make sure New Orleans music pervades each Hornets game,” NOJO President and CEO Ronald Markham said.

“This is not a one-off deal,” Mayfield said. “This isn’t going to be a band that shows up every so often. This will be part of the Hornets brand.”

Hugh Weber, New Orleans Hornets president, agreed.

“This is a teaming up of assets to make something bigger, and better,” he said. “It’s the first time a sports team has ever taken an endeavor like this to this level.”

New Orleans is a “city on a roll,” NOJO Chairman Ron Forman said. He hopes, he added, that local music at games will affect sports fans in the same manner as it did, for example, the many young recovery volunteers who came to help after Hurricane Katrina and were seduced by the city’s culture. They get into the music, he said, “and they don’t want to go back to Topeka.”

The music won’t necessarily have to end after the final point is scored. After each Hornets home game, fans who present their game ticket stub from that evening will get free admission to the show at the I Club.

The New Orleans music playlist is still a work in progress. From the looks of the nine-member “Inspired to Play” committee, the choices are likely to be diverse: Besides the long-term stakeholders in the New Orleans cultural economy, such as the Recording Academy’s (and the Bucktown Allstars’) Reid Wick and Jan Ramsey, Offbeat Magazine publisher, the group also includes young musicians, such as 24-year-old Royal and 26-year-old indie-rocker John Michael Rouchell.

Rouchell, who’s an avid basketball fan, says he sees his part in “Inspired To Play” as an opportunity to, essentially, DJ a Hornets game.

“The music’s for the people,” he said. “I’m going to be the one pushing for bounce and ’60s soul. Picture DJ Jubilee’s ‘Get It Ready’ as entrance music. Kinda smokes, yeah?”