The unofficial label could be “Clipper Envy,” and given that it’s a term that has had little use or relevance before now, the lack of familiarity with it is understandable. But there’s no shame if Hornets fans have it to varying degrees during the playoffs. Today they are relegated to excitedly anticipating the future and potential, as they should. New Orleans isn’t a postseason participant, so hope substitutes for accomplishment and result.

This offseason, there’ll be wads of salary cap cash, and two picks in this year’s NBA draft lottery. Present is a critical foundational block, guard Eric Gordon, who perhaps is ready to sign a long-term deal (though, with his inability to stay healthy, the Hornets have to be careful there).

The franchise has a young, bright, well-respected coach (Monty Williams) who’s considered an up-and-comer in league circles. And it has promising players whose inexperience was crippling this season, but whose vast playing time should accelerate their growth for next season.

Still, there’s no shame in having a twinge of jealousy over the Clippers, as Chris Paul shows he’s just as lethal for them as he was for the Hornets. He’s doing all the things fans grew to love and teammates grew to expect in New Orleans.

Clearly, Paul has been the difference between the Clippers not having advanced to the playoffs or won a series since 2006, and being one win from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals. Los Angeles led Memphis 3-1 in their best-of-seven series entering Wednesday’s game.

In a 101-97 win in overtime Monday, Paul scored eight of his team’s 14 points in the extra period, almost matching Memphis’ 10 by himself. He finished with 27 points, seven assists and nine rebounds.

“He’s been absolutely unbelievable for us this year, and when the game is on the line we’re very comfortable with the ball in his hands,” Clippers General Manager Neil Olshey said.

New Orleans remembers that feeling. Obviously, it hopes to feel it again in the near future.

Now, sure, some Hornets fans might offer that time has allowed everyone to get used to Paul’s departure. And they could add that the adjustment has been made to not hearing the high-pitched, signature, Ric Flair “Whoo!” that pierced the air in the New Orleans Arena when he dazzled with a score or an assist.

And the hard-core minority might continue suggesting that his name never be mentioned again in these parts, given his audacity to leave a rebuilding situation rather than show his loyalty by sticking it out, playing two or three years while the franchise restocked, and hoping it could become championship-caliber while he still possessed the ability to split a double-team and throw a lob.

But wistfulness is allowed after watching CP3 lead Los Angeles to a 99-98 road victory over Memphis in Game 1, when the Clippers overcame the largest deficit in playoff history after three quarters (21 points), largely because he begged Coach Vinny Del Negro to not give up and pull him from the game. He had 14 points, 11 assists and a steal to lead the comeback.

And last Saturday he made sure the Clippers rallied from a five-point hole in the fourth quarter with a steal, jumper and lob dunk to Blake Griffin during the rally. He finished with 24 points, 11 assists and four steals in that 87-86 win.

“He’s just tenacious,” Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay said afterward. “He’s not going to take no for an answer.”

“He has done it all year and his whole career,” Del Negro said. “When the game is on the line he’s as good as there is in the game.”

But that’s pretty much what the Clippers expected when they traded for him, after his trade to the Lakers was blocked.

Paul is the only player in league history to average 20 points and 10 assists in the playoffs — 22.1 and 10.8, to be exact, in 27 postseason games. He averaged 19.8 points, 9.1 assists and a league-leading 2.5 steals during the regular season, when the Clippers went 40-26 and won more games during the lockout-shortened schedule than they did without him last season, when they won 32 in the full, 82-game schedule.

He won’t win the regular-season MVP award. LeBron James has that on lock. But he’ll finish in the top three or four in balloting, be first-team All-NBA and a member of Team USA in the Olympics, and he’ll add a few more All-Star appearances to the four he already has made.

Much of that wouldn’t have happened this season, and couldn’t have happened, if he’d stayed in New Orleans.

Some Hornets fans remain raw because he initiated the trade. They ride the belief that he should’ve stayed with the Hornets come hell or high water.

And, absolutely, he could have stayed in New Orleans, tried to win a championship without any major free agents joining him in the Arena, and lifted his team season after season until his skills eroded and management had the upper hand in negotiations.

Then, the team could’ve controlled his departure and destination, and for some, that would’ve been all right because, well, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

But elite NBA players, better than any athletes in any sport, have learned how much power they have, and have shown that they’re not afraid to use it.

Hating on the players is a popular response; hating on the rules of the game probably is more appropriate.

Regardless, Paul is flourishing.

The Clippers hardly seem capable of winning a potential second-round playoff series against the Spurs, let alone of winning the Western Conference and playing in the NBA Finals. They’re a flawed team with holes — lack of quality depth, no inside game other than lob dunks, unreliable foul shooting other than Paul — that have to be patched.

But they’re closer to the top than Paul would’ve been had he stayed, and they’re closer because of him. And that can’t be questioned, not even in New Orleans.

For the Hornets, the obvious positive is the franchise has the future to look to. Fans are banking on that future.

But they can be excused for having a touch of Clipper envy in the present, whether they’re willing to admit it or not.

•••••••

John DeShazier can be reached at jdeshazier@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3410.

BATON ROUGE — Legislation that would give the NBA’s Hornets a $36.5 million tax rebate over a 10-year period as part of a new deal to keep them in New Orleans cleared a Senate committee Monday after being criticized by opponents as a raid on state funds when dollars are scarce.

The Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs voted 7-2 to keep alive House Bill 1072 by Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Jefferson. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for debate.

“I am thinking we ought to change their names from Hornets to Bandits,” complained Sen. Robert Kostelka, R-Monroe.

Henry said that the team is now getting paid a subsidy from the state for “empty seats” that totals almost $30 million for the next three years as well as the tax credits under the Quality Jobs program.

Henry said a newly negotiated contract bewteen the state and the NBA would end the subsidy for attendance levels and extend the job credits program througjh the Hornets’ 2024 season.

Henry said that granting the tax rebate for the next decade is not that much more than what is paid now.

He said the state has signed an agreement to keep the Hornets in the Arena through 2024 with a five-year renewal option. The team is limited in the bill to no more than a 10-year tax rebate based on the jobs they create and salaries and benefits paid.

The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget will review the jobs and tax breaks after the first five years to determine if the franchise still qualifies for the rebates.

“This is a piece of the puzzle to keep them here,” Henry said.

He said that a recent study by the University of New Orleans shows that the Hornets generates an annual economic impact of $114 million for the New Orleans area. “This is not a new project; it is a continuation” of what is in place now for another 10 years.

Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, said that under terms of the quality jobs act, a business can only get the benefits of the tax break based on salaries for 10 years, and Henry’s bill would extend it to 20 years. Adley said the tax breaks have been in place since 2002 when the team moved to New Orleans from Charlotte.

“It is a 10-year program and we are expanding it for 20 years … and for one entity?” Adley asked. “Correct,” Henry replied.

The team now employs 176 workers from the general manager to sales representatives.

Sen. Rick Gallot, D-Ruston, tried to amend the bill to require the extension of tolls on the Crescent City Connection through 2022 to require the first $3.65 million a year in tolls go to pay the Hornets.

He said the rest of the state should not pay for the team and those who go to the games should. The amendment failed, 2-7.

Voting against the bill were Gallot and Kostelka. Voting for it were Sens. Dale Erdey, R-Livingston; Adley; Sharon Weston Broome, and Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb, both D-Baton Rouge; J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans; Gary Smith, D-Norco; and John Smith, R-Leesville. Sen. Neal Riser, R-Columbia, who chairs the panel did not vote, and Sen. David Heitmeier, D-Algiers, was absent.

Ed Anderson can be reached at eanderson@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5810.

New Orleans Hornets

Given the injuries and turnover on the roster, the New Orleans Hornets had a number of players this season that even diehard NBA fans had never heard of. Some of these players filled a brief hole and then went right back to the D-League. However, I was particularly impressed with the late season addition of point guard Jerome Dyson.

Will Jerome Dyson realize his dream and become a permanent NBA fixture with the New Orleans Hornets in 2012-13?

Jerome Dyson

Jerome Dyson shouldn’t be intimidated by the bright lights of the NBA since he played for one of the nation’s best college basketball programs. For four years, Dyson played for the UConn Huskies and averaged double figures each year. Jerome Dyson’s best season was his senior year when he averaged 17.2 points and 4.2 assists per game.

D-League

Despite his fine college career, Jerome Dyson went undrafted. So it was on to the D-League. Dyson became an instant sensation with the Tulsa 66ers. Over two years, he averaged 16.6 points per game. Finally, as the 2011-12 season drew to a close, Jerome Dyson got the call he had been waiting for from the New Orleans Hornets.

Defense

Over the Hornets’ final nine games of the season, the thing that impressed me the most about Jerome Dyson was his defense. I loved watching the looks on the faces of NBA veterans going through the motions in April as this 24-year old NBA rookie was covering them like a glove. I know New Orleans coach Monty Williams had to also be impressed.

Fearless

The other aspect of Jerome Dyson’s game that I loved was that he had no fears about driving the lane and taking big shots. I think playing big time basketball in the Big East has really helped this young man. But the question that remains is whether or not Jerome Dyson has done enough to earn a roster spot in New Orleans next year.

2012-13

Regardless of what happens in the NBA Draft, I believe the Hornets will have a new starting point guard next season. However, I think Greivis Vasquez has done enough at point guard and shooting guard to stay in New Orleans. The Hornets must start holding on to their young talent instead of trading it away like they’ve done in past seasons.

I believe Jerome Dyson will find his way on the New Orleans Hornets’ 2012-13 roster because he is the classic substitute. For 10-15 minutes per game, Dyson can infuse energy into the Hornets’ lineup and keep the offense moving. Jerome Dyson can also be a defensive stopper for the Hornets in the second half.

If he can play a bit more under control, Jerome Dyson should be in the NBA for many years to come.

Patrick Michael was born in New Orleans and currently resides in the Big Easy. A loyal New Orleans NBA fan, Patrick was a diehard New Orleans Jazz fan and now cheers for the Hornets. Patrick was in the New Orleans Arena the night the Hornets were one win away from the Western Conference Finals. Follow Patrick Michael on Twitter patmichael84.

Sources

“Jerome Dyson,” sports-reference.com/cbb

“Jerome Dyson,” nba.com/dleague

“Jerome Dyson,” basketball-reference.com

More from this contributor

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Top 5 New Orleans Hornets home games of the 2011-12 season

2012 NBA Draft should be incredible for the New Orleans Hornets

Top 5 NBA free agent signings in history

CP3 or C-3PO?

Former New Orleans Hornets

Needless to say, I won’t be seeing the New Orleans Hornets in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. However, there are a few familiar faces still playing NBA basketball in May of 2012. Many former Hornets players have led their new teams into the NBA Playoffs. Take a closer look at the top five former New Orleans Hornets in the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

5. Darren Collison: Indiana Pacers

When Chris Paul was injured in the 2009-10 season, rookie Darren Collison stepped up and was outstanding. However, the Hornets were engaged in a futile policy of appeasement to Paul and traded Collison to the Pacers. In 2012, he averaged 10.4 points per game and led Indiana to the third seed in the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs.

4. Baron Davis: New York Knicks

In 2012, Baron Davis has become a journeyman point guard. But 10 years ago, Davis was one of the best point guards in the NBA. In fact, he was an All-Star with the New Orleans Hornets in 2004. This year, Baron Davis played a crucial role in getting the Knicks into the 2012 NBA Playoffs after the sensational Jeremy Lin suffered an injury.

3. David West: Indiana Pacers

Like Collison, David West was not a lottery pick but he nevertheless went on to have a great NBA career. West was always one of my favorite Hornets players in New Orleans for his propensity for hitting game-winning shots and his tough attitude on the court. His scoring is down in 2012, but West can still be a force in the NBA Playoffs.

2. Tyson Chandler: New York Knicks

The New Orleans Hornets sure were wrong about Tyson Chandler. A vital part of the great 2007-08 Hornets team, New Orleans traded Chandler when they thought he had been debilitated by injuries. However, he has since won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks and during the 2012 playoffs, was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

1. Chris Paul: Los Angeles Clippers

What can I say about Chris Paul that hasn’t already been said? As a member of the Hornets, Paul led New Orleans to the NBA Playoffs three times and established himself as the greatest active point guard in the NBA. 2012 has seen Paul take his talents to Los Angeles where he has led the woeful Clippers to a rare trip to the NBA Playoffs.

Honorable mention New Orleans Hornets in the 2012 NBA Playoffs

Chris Andersen, Willie Green, Jannero Pargo, Quincy Pondexter, J.R. Smith

Patrick Michael was born in New Orleans and currently resides in the Big Easy. A loyal New Orleans NBA fan, Patrick was a diehard New Orleans Jazz fan and now cheers for the Hornets. Patrick was in the New Orleans Arena the night the Hornets were one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Source

“NBA Playoffs,” yahoo.com

More from this contributor

Tom Benson wants to change Hornets’ name

Thank you, Chris Paul and David West

2012 NBA Draft should be incredible for the New Orleans Hornets

Top 5 NBA free agent signings in history

CP3 or C-3PO?

The New Orleans Hornets are going to see how much progress Emeka Okafor makes in his recovery from his knee injury this offseason before making any determination about their plans for the seven-year veteran.

The Hornets could decide to use their one-time amnesty clause to waive Okafor to clear more salary-cap space. Okafor, who missed 39 games this season because of knee injury, is owed $28 million over the next two seasons.

When Hornets Coach Monty Williams was asked to address Okafor’s future beyond this summer, he said that he didn’t want to get into it right now.

“He’s in a situation where we got to see where he is as far as his knee,’’ Williams said.“He’s going to play with our young guys this summer, which is pretty good for us. We’ll find out more about Emeka this summer so we can get him back healthy again.’’

Okafor said he expects to be back with the Hornets next season, but said this season was crazy because of the team’s mounting injuries.

“It was crazy all around, injuries were crazy for everybody in the league,’’ Okafor said. “Right now, I’m going to take a little time off before starting things up.’’

In the NBA’s Coach of the Year balloting, New Orleans Hornets’ Monty Williams received one second-place vote to finish with three points. San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich won the award after totaling 467 points, which included 77 first-place votes.

The voting was done from a panel of 119 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the the United States and Canada.

Williams guided the Hornets to 21-45 record despite having an injury-riddled roster. He was forced to use 28 different lineups this season due to injuries.

HERE ARE THE RESULTS:

Coach, Team 1st 2nd 3rd Pts
1.Gregg Popovich, San Antonio 77 24 10 467

2.Tom Thibodeau, Chicago 27 53 21 315

3.Frank Vogel, Indiana 7 27 45 161

4.Lionel Hollins, Memphis 6 3 11 50

5.Doc Rivers, Boston 1 4 9 26

6.Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City 0 2 3 9

7.Tyrone Corbin, Utah 0 1 6 9

8.George Karl, Denver 1 0 2 7

9.Mike Brown, L.A. Lakers 0 1 1 4

10.Stan Van Gundy, Orlando 0 1 1 4

11.Larry Drew, Atlanta 0 0 3 3

12. Monty Williams, New Orleans 0 1 0 3

13.Vinny Del Negro, L.A. Clippers 0 0 2 2

14. Kevin McHale, Houston 0 0 2 2

15.Alvin Gentry, Phoenix 0 0 1 1

My Coach of the Year ballot:

1.Gregg Popovich, San Antonio

2.Tom Thibodeau, Chicago

3.Frank Vogel, Indiana

In a random drawing conducted by the NBA, the New Orleans Hornets lost out on a tiebreaker to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday for the third-most chances to win the May 30 lottery for the top overall pick in this June’s draft.

Both teams finished with identical 21-45 records after the regular season ended on Thursday night.

Having lost the tiebreaker, the Hornets now have a 137 chances out of a 1,000 combinations to win the No. 1 overall pick.

The Hornets will have 11 chances out of 1,000 to win the top pick with Minnesota’s unprotected first-round pick they acquired in the December trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for point guard Chris Paul.

The lowest the Hornets’ could pick in the first round is seventh and 13.

HOUSTON, Texas — Houston Rockets lottery pick Marcus Morris didn’t have the type of rookie season he had hoped for. The former Kansas star was able to end his disappointing year on a high note after hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer in Houston’s 84-77 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday night in the season finale for both teams.

Chase Budinger scored a season-high 27 points for the Rockets.

“I thought Marcus played better,” Houston coach Kevin McHale said. “I just think he’s going to get better. It was just a rough situation with him not getting to play much. I like him and I think he’s got a chance to help us.”

Morris, who spent time in the NBA’s D-League, appeared in just 16 games and averaged 2.1 points for the Rockets this season.

“It was fun to go out there and play a little bit,” said Morris, who finished with seven points, five rebounds, a block and a steal in about 21 minutes. “This was a big learning experience. I didn’t get to play much this year. I’ve got to work hard in the offseason and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

The Hornets closed the season in last place in the Southwest Division but finished strong, winning eight of their last 13 games. That was little consolation to New Orleans, which was in the playoffs last season.

“I told our guys: ‘If you feel relieved right now, then you’re not the kind of guys that I want to be around,’” coach Monty Williams said. “I really enjoyed being in the playoffs last year. It’s a little tough right now.”

Houston finished one spot above New Orleans in the standings with a 34-32 record after a late-season collapse that cost the team a playoff spot.

“There’s no way we shouldn’t be in the playoffs this weekend, but we’re not,” McHale said. “That’s the bottom line.”

The Hornets were led by Jerome Dyson, who had 15 points, and Darryl Watkins, who added 13. Watkins also had three steals to set career highs in both points and steals.

Samuel Dalembert had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Houston, and Courtney Lee had 10 points.

Houston took an 80-77 lead — its first of the game — on the 3-pointer by Morris with 1:18 remaining. A dunk by Budinger had tied it about a minute earlier.

Greg Smith had a follow dunk after the 3-pointer by Morris to push the lead to 82-77 and Goran Dragic added a pair of free throws after a missed 3 by Greivis Vasquez.

The Rockets started the fourth quarter strong, scoring the first eight points to tie the game at 71 with about seven minutes left. The Hornets missed six shots and had three turnovers in that stretch.

Houston opened the second half with a 14-5 run, which included seven straight points from Lee, to tie it at 47-all with 8 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Lee and Budinger both hit 3s in that span to help the Rockets.

The Hornets answered with an 11-3 spurt to get back on top 58-50 about three minutes later. Budinger scored Houston’s next six points, while New Orleans managed only a basket, to close the gap to four points. But Thomas got hot for the Hornets soon after that, scoring six straight points to make it 68-59 with about two minutes left in the quarter.

A 3-pointer by Vasquez as time expired in the third quarter left New Orleans ahead 71-63 entering the fourth quarter.

New Orleans scored the first nine points of the second quarter to extend its lead to 29-12. The Rockets finally got their offense going after that and had cut the lead to 42-33 at halftime.

The Hornets led 20-12 after the first quarter behind 11 points from Dyson. Houston’s 12 first-quarter points and the 33 the team had at the half were both season lows.

Their 26.7 percent first-half field goal percentage was also a season worst.

HOUSTON — Perhaps the light bulb should have illuminated that early December afternoon in the New Orleans Hornets’ Alario Center practice facility that this would be a season unlike any other. NBA players had just been given clearance, thanks to the end of the nearly five-month-long lockout, to report to their teams’ training centers to begin preparations for a 66-game season that would begin for 10 teams on Christmas Day and for the other 20 on Dec. 26.

As a media horde converged around All-Star guard Chris Paul, one of just a handful of New Orleans’ veterans who were under contract before the training camp roster would be fleshed out with long-shot free-agents and Developmental League prospects, little did anyone know it would be the last time Paul spoke publicly as a member of the Hornets.

Two weeks later, Paul was traded to the Clippers, and the Hornets officially found themselves in a rebuilding mode for a season that mercifully ended Thursday night with an 84-77 loss against the Rockets at Toyota Center. The Hornets led by 17 at one point, and for all but the final 1:18 of the game.

The Hornets finished tied for the third worst record in the league at 21-45.

For Hornets Coach Monty Williams, Thursday’s game was the end of a two-year stretch that he conceded he figured would be unusual.

“I knew coming in when I heard all of the speculation with Chris Paul that it wasn’t going to be a ‘normal’ two years,” said Williams, harkening back to the previous offseason when rumblings of an impending Paul exit began. “I didn’t want to admit that and tried not to say it. But when I took on the job, I kind of knew that. What happened in December only solidified that.

“It’s one thing to hear the forecast. But to feel the rain, it’s a different deal. When we got to December, I felt the rain. And it was one of those deals that I realized, ‘This is going to be a tough year.’ ”

In the days that preceded Paul’s departure and the arrival of Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman and a potential 2012 lottery pick in return, NBA Commissioner David Stern, acting in his role as Hornets’ owner, vetoed a trade that would have sent Paul to the Lakers in return for a group of veteran players that might have provided enough firepower for the Hornets to be a low-seed playoff contender this season.

The deal that finally was consummated no doubt could have made the Hornets a stronger team this season had Gordon not arrived with a right knee injury that eventually required arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage and resulted in him being sidelined for 51 games.

With Gordon in the lineup nine times, New Orleans’ record was 6-3, and Gordon made the winning points in two of those six victories, including the season-opener Dec. 26 at Phoenix.

Gordon’s 20.6 scoring average led the team.

Gordon’s injury, while the most significant, certainly wasn’t the last, nor was it the only mystery that shrouded the Hornets.

Emeka Okafor went out with a sore left knee before the All-Star break and did not return, playing only 27 of 66 games. The extent of Okafor’s knee injury has never been revealed by the club.

Jason Smith missed 20 games with a concussion and Carl Landry was out for 23 with a second-degree medial collateral ligament sprain in his left knee.

Jarrett Jack missed the final 13 games with a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

Kaman, who had an expiring $14 million contract, missed 11 games with bronchitis and a bruised left tibia, after being exiled from the team for a week at the end of January while, the team said, it attempted to trade him. When that failed, Kaman was welcomed back and he remained with the team after the March 15 trading deadline despite getting 10 double-doubles in the 20 games after his return.

Forward Trevor Ariza missed 17 games with injuries, then was benched for the final 10 games, and did not accompany the Hornets on this last road trip. The Hornets will no doubt seek to trade Ariza in the offseason.

On Jan. 4, the Hornets traded for swingman Xavier Henry, who arrived recovering from torn ligaments in his right ankle and did not play until Jan. 25.

Williams used an NBA-high 28 starting lineups this season, and the Hornets have had a total of 22 players on the roster.

Still, the Hornets registered 10 wins this year against teams who’ll be in the playoffs when they begin Saturday.

“This year was difficult, with the schedule and just having to pick up and start playing, and the trade we had at the beginning of the season,” said Jack, one of three co-captains. “There was just a bit of uneasiness. Getting used to the guys in training camp, only being in a week, two preseason games, free-agency was a week. It was crazy from the jump.

“You had to do things on the fly. That’s no excuse. Other teams had to deal with the same thing. It hasn’t been an easy-going season as far as being stable, being healthy or having the roster set. That was the most difficult part.”

Yet Williams said in some respects, this season has been more gratifying than his first, though admittedly a playoff run a year ago was exhilarating.

“Some older guys taught me a long time ago, if you’re teaching, then you’re not winning,” Williams said. “You’re only winning if you’re coaching. I felt we had to teach a lot this year, and that took away from our ability to win close games.

“Lately, I’ve felt we’ve been coaching a lot more, reminding guys as opposed to showing them the whole deal. That was the tough part: having to teach every day.”

Since signing a 10-day contract more than two weeks ago, Hornets backup point guard Jerome Dyson has stayed on the edge, trying to make enough of an impact to be re-signed for next season. Dyson has one more opportunity to impress Coach Monty Williams when New Orleans closes the regular season against the Houston Rockets tonight at the Toyota Center.

“Someone in my position, you can’t take anything for granted,” Dyson said. “I just wanted to put myself in the right position to be here next year. I’m just trying to survive that next day; I’m just going to go out and give it all I have.”’

The Hornets’ injury-riddled roster has been the biggest factor in a 21-44 season. New Orleans enters tonight’s finale with its fewest wins since 2004-05 when it finished with a franchise-worst 18-64 record.

With the Hornets’ rebuilding around younger players this season, the injuries afforded point guards Dyson and Greivis Vasquez, forwards Lance Thomas and Gustavo Ayon and several others an opportunity to play extended minutes, which they probably wouldn’t have been able to do if New Orleans had been in playoff contention.

Headed for the NBA lottery, Williams turned his attention more than a month ago toward developing the younger players. He pulled starting small forward Trevor Ariza out of the rotation so second-year forward Al Farouq Aminu could play starter’s minutes.

Aminu, who was acquired in a December trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that involved point guard Chris Paul, still appears to be a work-in-progress. He still has a tendency to avoid shots, but he’s one of the team’s most athletic players and has shown flashes of tough defensive play.

Similar to Aminu, Williams extended opportunities to Dyson and Thomas after they were waived in training camp but re-signed after playing in the NBA Development League.

Thomas, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, started his ninth game at Golden State on Tuesday night. Thomas, who played at Duke but went undrafted in 2010, hadn’t played in an NBA game until this season with the Hornets.

“I’ve closed out games and proved that I can do more than just hold my own,” Thomas said. “With that said, I know what I have to work on, and I’m going to take it along. Coach knows if my number is called, I’m going to be ready. This whole opportunity has been a blessing to me. I got experience that most rookies that were drafted don’t usually get.”

Williams has altered his lineup to evaluate Thomas at both forward spots, and he has done the same for Ayon, who has played power forward and center. In the Hornets’ 83-81 victory against the Warriors, Ayon started at center in place of injured Jason Smith, and he finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.

Since starting point guard Jarrett Jack suffered a season-ending stress fracture in his right foot earlier this month, Dyson’s playing time off the bench has increased as Vasquez moved into the starting lineup. Last week against the Memphis Grizzlies, Dyson scored a career-high 24 points, and he played 25 minutes against Golden State, finishing with five points and three assists.

“Our young guys have been phenomenal all year long,” Williams said. “Once they got used to how we work and what we do, I think they’re starting to see the results of being around a good atmosphere. It’s good to see them still excited about playing.”

Although the Hornets are tied with the Sacramento Kings for the worst record in the Western Conference, Phoenix Suns Coach Alvin Gentry said after a game earlier this month that he thought the Hornets were the hardest playing team in the league. Williams has given his young players more than enough incentive to play hard by not giving any assurances toward who might be brought back, traded or waived.

“When you get an opportunity like this in the NBA, you have to take advantage,”’ Vasquez said. “We have one more game left, but I wish we could play another two months because I’m trying to develop myself into a good point guard that can run a team, and that’s what I’m trying to show coach.”

After tonight’s game, Williams said, the Hornets will take two weeks off before they begin their offseason program for the younger players, and they will be working off and on until the Las Vegas Summer League begins in July.

“That’s part of our program that we didn’t get a chance to implement last year because of the lockout, but this summer will be the first time to get a chance to fully put it in,’’ Williams said. “We’ll have some of our older guys come back for extended periods. By mid-August, we want to get everybody back to start playing ball. Our coaches are going to get about two weeks. We’re going to be back at it again.’’

CLOSER LOOK AT THE LOTTERY: In the event that teams in the lottery finish the regular season with the same record, each tied team receives the average of the total number of combinations for the positions that they occupy.

Should the average number not be an integer, a coin flip is then used to determine which team or teams receive the extra combination(s). The result of the coin flip also is used to determine who receives the earlier pick in the event that neither of the tied teams wins one of the first three picks via the lottery.

After Wednesday night’s game, the Hornets and Sacramento Kings are tied for the third-worst record at 21-44. The team with the third-worst record has a 15.6 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick.

In honor of our culinary heritage and restaurant critic Brett Anderson, I would like to suggest these new names for the Hornets: the New Orleans Crescents, the New Orleans JAM-balaya (or just JAM) and the New Orleans Poor Boys.

Stephen Hellman

Houma

The Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as one of the most exciting teams in the NBA with their high-flying displays of athleticism every game, but don’t count New Orleans Hornet Coach Monty Williams among their admirers.

Williams says the Clippers are over the top with their taunting of opponents and continue to establish a reputation as floppers. He specifically singled out All-Star forward Blake Griffin, who along with Chris Paul is a leader on a team dubbed “Lob City” for its myriad alley-oop dunks.

“Who is the common denominator with all this fluff going around the league every night? Blake Griffin,” said Williams, whose team blew a 13-point lead and lost to Los Angeles 107-98 at the Staples Center on Sunday night. “We play the same way every night — we don’t dunk, we don’t stare at people, we don’t taunt people.”

Griffin said he doesn’t believe he taunts opponents. He said if anything, he has had to bear the brunt of harder fouls as teams make a concerted effort to prevent him from driving to the basket and creating highlights.

“It starts to wear on you, but I’ve got to make sure I keep a level head,” Griffin said.

Williams said it was difficult for New Orleans to play against the Clippers on Sunday night because of all the flopping they did.

Case in point. Clippers backup forward Reggie Evans collided into the back of Hornets point guard Greivis Vasquez after Evans tried to set a screen at midcourt. When Vasquez turned around and pushed away with his elbow, Evans hit the floor like he had been socked by a punch. Williams could only glare from the bench at Evans’ display.

The referees initially assessed Vasquez with a flagrant 2 foul before they reversed the call after reviewing it on replay monitors.

“They put Reggie in the game for one reason — to come in and hit people,” Williams said. “It’s hard to play against all the flopping and all the nonsense that goes on with that team. I’m trying to teach our guys on the fly how to deal with that. You just got to play the game the right way and not worry about that, but it’s hard.”

Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro disagreed with Williams’ assessment of the Clippers.

“I wish we would flop a lot, maybe we’d get some charges,” Del Negro said. “I don’t know anybody on our team that flops.”

Los Angeles made 43 free-throw attempts compared to New Orleans’ 34. In the fourth quarter, when the Clippers outscored the Hornets 33-14, they made 12 of 15 free-throw attempts.

“I told our guys we have to be used to games like that,” Williams said. “When it’s heated, you have to be able to make plays. We’ve been a no-excuses, no-explanations team. We’re not going to start making them now. I think some of our guys grew up because they never had been in a situation like that.”

Since a trade in December involving Paul, it appears the Hornets and Clippers have emerged into an intense rivalry. Tempers have flared among players from both teams since forward Jason Smith lowered his shoulder and knocked Griffin to the floor as he drove to the basket during a game March 22 at the New Orleans Arena. Smith was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and suspended for two games by the league.

In his first game at the Staples Center since his foul against Griffin, Smith was booed every time he scored.

“You just got to block that stuff out and just play through it and just continue to fight,” Smith said.

ARIZA EXCUSED: Williams said Trevor Ariza was excused from the team’s season-ending three-game trip.

Ariza hasn’t played since April 7 against the Minnesota Timberwolves when he scored four points in 16 minutes. It’s likely the Hornets could push to trade Ariza in the offseason.

Williams said he spoke to Ariza three weeks ago to inform him of his plans to start Al-Farouq Aminu ahead of him at small forward. Williams’ plan has been to give most of the minutes to the younger players during the final stretch of games to better evaluate them.

Aminu played 29 minutes against the Clippers, finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds.

My suggestion for the new Hornets name is the New Orleans Sugar. Sugar, as in the granulated stuff our state produces so much of, and

the bowl that our city takes so much pride in.

“The New Orleans Sugar: How sweet it is.” The cheerleaders can be the Crystals.

Joe McKeever

River Ridge

LOS ANGELES — With his knee and lower back problems behind him, Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon finally got a chance to play against the Los Angeles Clippers for the first time since they traded him in December. Although he still says the trade caught him by surprise, he had no other motive Sunday night but to help the Hornets get a win.

Gordon didn’t meet that objective as the Hornets lost 107-98 in front of sellout crowd of 18,315 at the Staples Center. The Hornets couldn’t hold a 13-point fourth quarter lead because of Randy Foye, who scored 24 points. Former Hornets point guard Chris Paul scored 33 points.

However, Gordon still showed he can attack off the dribble and sank jumpers. He got a scare with 3:33 remaining when it appeared he might have turned his right ankle after stepping into Foye on a defensive play. But Gordon remained in the game.

No play better showcased Gordon’s ability than how he maneuvered around forward Blake Griffin on a crossover dribble near the end of the first quarter before bolting to the lane for a dunk.

“I looked to have fun and trying to help us win,” Gordon said. “That’s what it’s all about. Of course, the trade caught me by surprise. But at this point, I’m not worried about it. A lot of people ask me about it, but I don’t get in to that anymore. It’s a new journey, and I like this journey here with the Hornets.”

Even though he missed his first three shots, Gordon — who finished with 17 points — stayed aggressive the entire game. He repeatedly attacked the rim, regardless if Griffin, Kenyon Martin or center DeAndre Jordan was in the lane.

It was Gordon’s first and last opportunity to play against his former teammates this season after missing 51 games with a knee injury that forced him to have arthroscopic surgery in February.

Gordon heard cheers during player introductions, but several times throughout the game he was heckled by some Clippers fans.

The Hornets acquired Gordon in a blockbuster trade that sent Paul to the Clippers. Besides Gordon, the Hornets acquired Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman and Minnesota’s unprotected first-round pick.

But Gordon had a pre-existing knee surgery that he aggravated during the opening game of the season against the Phoenix Suns after bumping knees with Grant Hill. Initially Gordon was diagnosed with having a bone bruise, but after further examinations by doctors, it was determined that Gordon had cartilage damage in his right knee.

Despite playing in nine games with two games remaining in the regular season, Hornets Coach Monty Williams said he has seen enough of Gordon to know that it’s essential to put more talent around him.

The Hornets were unable to sign Gordon to an extension in January, and he will become an restricted free agent this summer. New Orleans can match any offer he receives from another team.

“I had a good look at him (Gordon) when I was in Portland,” Williams said, recalling his days as an assistant with the Trail Blazers. “I always scoutd guys who had to play against Brandon Roy. He was one of the few guys that never backed down from Brandon. He would go right at Brandon, offensively and defensively.”

Gordon did the same thing Sunday night against Foye, Mo Williams and several others.

“All I can do is look forward to trying to win,” Gordon said. “One thing I wanted to create is that I can help this team win games whoever is on the court.

“We’ve been shorthanded throughout these games. I wish we had a full team during the entire stretch; I think we would have won every game no matter who we played. That’s the one thing I wanted to accomplish was winning and create for other players.”

Williams said he initially planned to curtail Gordon’s minutes to continue with his plans to evaluate his younger players by playing them extended minutes. But Williams made an exception for Gordon.