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.

Each week, The Times-Picayune’s New Orleans Hornets beat reporters Jimmy Smith and John Reid will take a topic or question and debate or analyze. We encourage and welcome your input on the topic as well.

This week: How important is Eric Gordon to the New Orleans Hornets?

Smith

One stat stands out from this season relating to Eric Gordon. He played nine games. The Hornets were 6-3. In two of the victories, he scored the winning points. 

His defense and his passing ability, I think, were easy to overlook this year because of the brevity of his season. 

But his explosion off the dribble and ability to get into the lane are powerful complements to his outside shooting. He’s the piece around which this team can rebuild, and that reconstruction can be accomplished rather quickly, provided he remains healthy. 

The only question is whether Gordon can be satisfied financially with a contract extension.

Reid

If Gordon hadn’t missed 51 games because of his knee injury, the Hornets would have won between 30 to 35 games instead of 21. 

There is no question about Gordon’s talent. He is a scorer. When your team need a clutch shot down the stretch, Gordon is the guy you get the ball to. Another strength is ability to play both guard spots. 

He can score off drives, so teams cannot just concentrate on defending him on the perimeter. My only question is his durability. He’s been injury prone for the past two seasons. He missed 26 games with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2010-11 season because of a slow-healing wrist injury. 

He also missed four games because of a sore lower back this season. However, Gordon will become a restricted free agent this summer and the Hornets should match any offer he receives to keep him around regardless of his previous injury problems. He is star you can build a team around. He’s coachable and is a good defender.

What’s your take? How important do you think Gordon is to the team?

By now, you’ve had a chance to digest the numbers the NBA released last week on the total games missed by individual clubs because of injuries to players. The New Orleans Hornets were second in the league this season with 218 games missed by 11 different players.

And Sunday’s gruesome knee injury sustained by former Hornets guard Baron Davis, the second major knee injury to a New York Knicks players (Iman Shumpert tore his ACL last week in Game 1 vs. the Miami Heat), is just an indication that the NBA’s shortened 66-game schedule might be contributing to players breaking down.

Defending league MVP Derrick Rose tore his ACL in Game 1 of the Chicago Bulls’ playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers and could be out for 10 months. The Hornets, meanwhile, say they’ll be closely monitoring the progress made by center Emeka Okafor from his still-to-be-fully-disclosed knee injury.

The league said 3,353 games were missed this season by 304 players.

Do you think this season’s condensed schedule is a major factor in the number, and severity, of the injuries we’re seeing?

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

Tom Benson wants to change Hornets’ name

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?

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.’’

HOUSTON — As the events unfolded in the last 12 minutes of the 2011-12 season for the Hornets, it was as if those final moments had played themselves out many times before, almost with mind-numbing regularity.

Here was outmanned, overmatched New Orleans, nine players available, leading the Houston Rockets from the jump, by 17 points at one juncture, with a lineup on the court consisting of three NBA Development League graduates and two still-evolving second-year pros, who this season have taken turns opening eyes and closing them.

With nothing for which to play Thursday night, the Hornets once again were scrappy, but also again faded down the stretch, watching that bountiful lead dissipate under 1-of-16 shooting in the fourth quarter. The Rockets limited New Orleans to six points in the final period in taking an 84-77 win in the season finale for both teams.

The Hornets didn’t trail until 1:18 remained in the fourth, when Marcus Morris hit a 3-pointer from the left baseline to put the Rockets ahead 80-77. The Rockets held the Hornets scoreless in the final 2:37, closing on a 9-0 run.

“I could kind of see it coming,” Hornets Coach Monty Williams said. “The one timeout that messed me up was when I had to call a (first-half) timeout when (Jerome) Dyson got hurt, because I wanted to save one and I knew I wanted to play those guys the rest of the game.

“I could see it coming; I just didn’t have enough timeouts left to help get us a win. But in a way, you get out to a big lead, and they come back. Those guys who were in the game (in the fourth quarter) usually aren’t in that position. They don’t know how to handle that.”

The Hornets’ loss left New Orleans with a 21-45 record, third worst in the NBA, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, just ahead of Sacramento. The Kings closed with a victory Thursday night at home against the Lakers.

New Orleans closed the season with six wins in the final 10 games, each win diminishing the chances of a higher potential pick in the June 28 draft, when the Hornets will have two lottery choices.

Yet, while unhappy fans filled social media with vitriol after each Hornets victory in the final three weeks, Hornets players, many of whom were auditioning for an NBA future, exhibited a will to win, ignoring the league-wide trend among league lesser-lights of tanking. That earned New Orleans, and Williams, an unexpected dose of respect.

“I get a lot of credit for that,” Williams said, “but I think it’s who these guys are. When you bring in guys who are fighting for an NBA spot, those guys are going to fight every night.

“And then the guys we already had, the Jasons (Smith), the Jarretts (Jack), the Marcos (Belinelli), they set the tone every single day. I think that combination helped it, and our coaches do an extremely good job of making sure they know what I want. I think guys know if they don’t play hard, they’ll sit.”

Dyson sat only briefly against the Rockets. He scored 11 first-quarter points, then crashed hard to the floor midway through the second quarter after being fouled from behind by Houston’s Goran Dragic, forcing the critical timeout to which Williams referred.

Dyson played 41 minutes and finished with 13 points, only two after being roughed up.

“It was a tough one,” Dyson said. “We tried to push through it. We’ve got a lot of people who are injured, so it was a battle. I think we just ran out of gas at the end. The rest of the game, my ankle, my calf, they were bugging me the whole game. I just tried to push through it. It’s just the way the ball was going.”

As it had all year, with regularity.

•••••••

Jimmy Smith can be reached at jsmith@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3814.

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.

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.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Jason Smith scored 22 points, hitting 10 of 12 shots, to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 105-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Marco Belinelli added 21 points and Greivis Vasquez 15 for New Orleans, which shot 55.9 percent (38 of 68) and surged ahead for good with an 18-3 run in the third quarter.

Marcus Thornton led all scorers with 25 points and Tyreke Evans added 19 points for the Kings, who have lost six straight.

DeMarcus Cousins had early foul trouble and played only 20 minutes, missing nine of his 12 shots.

Reserve guard Xavier Henry scored 14 points, while Chris Kaman grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots for the Hornets, who have won two of three.

Sacramento led 59-53 after Jason Thompson’s three-point play on a layup as he was fouled, but then managed only one basket during a span of more than five minutes while the Hornets made their decisive run.

Kaman’s 15-foot fade started the spurt, during which he added a basket from inside. Vasquez hit a pair of jumpers, Henry converted a steal into a breakaway dunk and Belinelli hit one of his three 3s as the Hornets built a 71-62 lead.

New Orleans’ lead reached 11 when Vasquez’s 3 made it 79-68 late in the period and got as large as 12 early in the fourth quarter when Gustavo Ayon tipped in Carl Landry’s missed free throw as he was fouled, then hit his free throw for a three-point play that made it 84-72

The Kings pulled back as close as 94-90 when Evans’ jumper capped an 8-2 spurt, but Vasquez hit a jumper and Belinelli found Kaman cutting to the basket for a layup to give New Orleans enough of a cushion to hold on.

Thompson scored 18 points and Terrence Williams added 16 for the Kings, who shot 43.4 percent and were hurt by missing 15 of 22 shots they attempted from 3-point range. New Orleans outrebounded Sacramento 44-37.

Thornton, a former LSU star and Hornets player, had 13 of his points in the first quarter, when Sacramento took its largest lead at 29-20.

New Orleans erased its deficit early in the second period and Belinelli’s 3 gave the Hornets a 50-49 lead at halftime.

Notes: Hornets G Jerome Dyson made his debut, one day after being signed to a 10-day contract. The rookie out of Connecticut was the 21st player to appear in a game for the injury-riddled Hornets this season. He had 3 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal in 23-plus minutes. …. Hornets G Eric Gordon missed his second straight game with a back injury that forced him out of last Saturday’s victory over Minnesota. … Thornton scored 20 or more in three of his four games against New Orleans this season. … Cousins, who had seven points, failed to reach double figures in scoring for only 10th time this season.

NEW ORLEANS
– Jason Smith scored 22 points, hitting 10 of 12 shots, to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 105-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Marco Belinelli added 21 points and Greivis Vasquez 15 for New Orleans, which shot 55.9 percent (38 of 68) and surged ahead for good with an 18-3 run in the third quarter.

Marcus Thornton led all scorers with 25 points and Tyreke Evans added 19 points for the Kings, who have lost six straight.

DeMarcus Cousins had early foul trouble and played only 20 minutes, missing nine of his 12 shots.

Reserve guard Xavier Henry scored 14 points, while Chris Kaman grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots for the Hornets, who have won two of three.

Sacramento led 59-53 after Jason Thompson’s three-point play on a layup as he was fouled, but then managed only one basket during a span of more than five minutes while the Hornets made their decisive run.

Kaman’s 15-foot fade started the spurt, during which he added a basket from inside. Vasquez hit a pair of jumpers, Henry converted a steal into a breakaway dunk and Belinelli hit one of his three 3s as the Hornets built a 71-62 lead.

New Orleans’ lead reached 11 when Vasquez’s 3 made it 79-68 late in the period and got as large as 12 early in the fourth quarter when Gustavo Ayon tipped in Carl Landry’s missed free throw as he was fouled, then hit his free throw for a three-point play that made it 84-72

The Kings pulled back as close as 94-90 when Evans’ jumper capped an 8-2 spurt, but Vasquez hit a jumper and Belinelli found Kaman cutting to the basket for a layup to give New Orleans enough of a cushion to hold on.

Thompson scored 18 points and Terrence Williams added 16 for the Kings, who shot 43.4 percent and were hurt by missing 15 of 22 shots they attempted from 3-point range. New Orleans outrebounded Sacramento 44-37.

Thornton, a former LSU star and Hornets player, had 13 of his points in the first quarter, when Sacramento took its largest lead at 29-20.

New Orleans erased its deficit early in the second period and Belinelli’s 3 gave the Hornets a 50-49 lead at halftime.

Notes: Hornets G Jerome Dyson made his debut, one day after being signed to a 10-day contract. The rookie out of Connecticut was the 21st player to appear in a game for the injury-riddled Hornets this season. He had 3 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal in 23-plus minutes. …. Hornets G Eric Gordon missed his second straight game with a back injury that forced him out of last Saturday’s victory over Minnesota. … Thornton scored 20 or more in three of his four games against New Orleans this season. … Cousins, who had seven points, failed to reach double figures in scoring for only 10th time this season.

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon did not participate in the team’s shootaround workout this morning and his status for tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings remains unclear because of a sore lower back.

Hornets Coach Monty Williams said he wasn’t sure if Gordon would play and that he’ll find out later today regarding his status.

Gordon experienced tightness in his lower back during last Saturday’s victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves and did not play Monday night against the Lakers. He missed 51 games this season because of cartilage damage in his right knee before returning April 2 against the Denver Nuggets.

Also, Williams wouldn’t confirm if center Emeka Okafor will miss the remainder of the season with a sore left knee, saying only that it’s something he’s not thinking about. Okafor has not played since a Feb. 10 game against the Portland Trail Blazers. After tonight against the Sacramento Kings, the Hornets have only eight games remaining before the regular season ends. 

“He’s been gone so long and (Chris) Kaman has done such a good job in that spot,” Williams said. “I’ll find out when the trainers tell me.”

Minutes after the Hornets’ 93-91 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, Coach Monty Williams sat in the bowels of the New Orleans Arena and searched for a new way to describe yet another faulty finish from his gritty, but overmatched, team.

“We just didn’t make shots,” Williams said while shaking his head, a hint of exasperation and resignation in his voice. “We just didn’t have what we’ve been talking about down the stretch — the closer.”

The Hornets thought they had a closer when they traded for Eric Gordon last December. Instead, for the 52nd time in 57 games this season, the Hornets’ designated finisher was a non-starter. Gordon missed the game with a tight back.

For the Hornets and their loyal fan base, the DNP line next to Gordon’s name in the box score has become an all-too common sight. The centerpiece of the club’s blockbuster deal that sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers has played less than 10 percent of the Hornets’ games this season.

Without a go-to man in the clutch, the Hornets have foundered down the stretch of several close losses and subsequently sunk to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They’re now engaged in a heated competition the Charlotte Bobcats and Washington Wizards in the Race for Davis Sweepstakes, hoping to get a crack at consensus top pick Anthony Davis of Kentucky in this summer’s draft lottery.

It’s not a good situation when journeyman Lance Thomas has twice as many minutes as Gordon with nine games remaining.

The Hornets have shifted into evaluation mode. They aren’t completely tanking the season, but they’re top priority isn’t the won-loss column anymore either. Williams sat healthy swingman Trevor Ariza on Monday night to take an extended look at Al-Farouq Aminu. Center Emeka Okafor and point guard Jarrett Jack have been shelved for the rest of the season.

Williams and General Manager Dell Demps will use the final two weeks of the regular season to determine who’s in and who’s out, who will be a part of their future and who won’t. And despite Gordon’s limited body of work, if Demps and Williams have their way, Gordon will be in New Orleans next season and for years beyond.

The club is expected to try to sign the explosive shooting guard to a long-term contract this summer.

Now, Gordon won’t be the cornerstone of the Hornets’ rebuilding program, but he’ll be a key building block. Players who can score 20 points per game are difficult to find in the NBA. Gordon’s ability to get his shot or get to the foul line could have added as many as 10 more wins to the Hornets’ ledger this season. Despite his limited playing time, he still leads the team at 19.6 points per game.

There’s a reason the Hornets are 3-2 in games he has played. He knows how to make shots in the clutch.

It certainly was missing in Monday night’s late collapse against the Lakers, as the Hornets’ eight-point lead disintegrate under an avalanche of errant jumpers, ill-advised decisions and empty possessions.

“Eric is about as explosive as anybody in the NBA,” Williams said. “He and (Oklahoma City’s James) Harden are the guys that are pushing Kobe (Bryant) as the best twos (shooting guards) in the West, maybe in the league.”

The Hornets did their homework on Gordon before dealing for him. By all accounts, he’s a prideful team player. They’re convinced his injury history is attributable to bad luck more than bad attitude.

“He’s a high-character person who comes to play every day,” Demps said. “You mix all of that with his talent level, that’s the kind of player we’re looking for.”

Nevertheless, Gordon’s fragile frame has to be a concern for the Hornets’ brain trust. He hasn’t played more than 62 games in a season since his rookie year in the 2008-09 season. That’s an astonishing number of DNPs for a 23-year-old who left Indiana after his freshman season.

“He’s fighting like heck to get back out there on that court,” Demps said. “He’s trying to get out there. You see it in his eyes. When I talk to him, you know he wants to get back out there, he wants to show it.”

It’s a delicate situation for the Hornets. Gordon needs to play for several reasons. First and foremost, he needs show the staff, teammates and fans he’s “in” with the program. It’s important for Demps and Williams to see how his style of play meshes with teammates. Equally important, the club needs Gordon on the court to create enthusiasm — i.e., ticket sales — for next season.

Yet, there also are incentives to shelve him. Gordon’s long-term health is paramount to the future and — wink, wink; nudge, nudge — ping-pong balls are at stake. Blessed with two potential lottery picks and a boatload of cap space this offseason, the Hornets are in position to get good in a hurry, and Gordon is a key piece to the puzzle.

But as the Hornets close this grim season, they need their closer on the court. If the club is asking the fans, the mayor and Drew Brees and everyone else in sight to be “in,” it’s only fair they also ask their star player.

CBSSports.com wire reports
April 9, 2012

NEW ORLEANS — Pau Gasol figured the onus was on him to score even more than usual with Kobe Bryant out of the Lakers’ lineup.

Despite the efforts of New Orleans 7-footers Chris Kaman and Jason Smith, Gasol poured in 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Los Angeles to a 93-91 victory over the Hornets on Monday night.

“I’m one of the anchors — when [Bryant] is not there, even more — so I get a lot more involved in the offense,” Gasol said. “I’m not trying to be the main guy here. We have a great team and some great weapons. … I just picked up a little bit the role of scoring and being aggressive offensively just because, obviously, the absence of the top scorer in the league.”

Bryant missed his second straight game with a sore left shin, but point guard Ramon Sessions helped pick up the slack with 17 points and six assists. His best highlight might have been his sudden burst to the hoop for a soaring dunk over Kaman, but his ability to hit in the clutch was most evident on a 3-pointer that put the Lakers ahead by six with 26 seconds left.

“We were down Kobe, and any time you’re missing a guy like that, everybody’s got to step up,” Sessions said. “I just tried to fill the void, taking what they give me, attacking the basket, trying to get guys shots.”

Andrew Bynum added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who used a 15-2 run inside the last half of the fourth quarter to wipe out a seven-point hole and surge in front for good.

“Our composure was there,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. “We had big play after big play.”

Carl Landry had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Marco Belinelli scored 20 points for New Orleans. Greivis Vasquez added 18 points and 11 assists for the Hornets, hitting a career-high five 3-pointers on six attempts.

Kaman had 16 points and five blocked shots, but committed his fifth foul with 6:04 left and had to sit for nearly four crucial minutes as New Orleans lost to the Lakers by six or fewer points for the third time in three meetings.

“Chris was about as efficient as he can be,” Hornets coach Monty Williams said. “He just got in some foul trouble.”

New Orleans also was without shooting guard Eric Gordon because of back soreness that has lingered since last Saturday’s victory over Minnesota.

Williams said the Hornets simply lacked “that closer down the stretch.”

Gasol and Bynum helped the Lakers control the paint, as Los Angeles outscored New Orleans 42-28 inside and outrebounded the Hornets 46-35.

New Orleans stayed close thanks in part to 9 of 15 shooting from deep, with Belinelli hitting four 3s.

After trailing by as much as nine points in the second quarter, the Hornets surged ahead by nine in the third period after a 12-4 run that included a 3 by Vasquez and a three-point play by Al-Farouq Aminu.

The lead was still at nine after Smith’s floater late in the third quarter, but the Lakers quickly cut it to 72-68 on Sessions’ driving layup shortly before the end of the period and Metta World Peace’s 3 to open the fourth.

The Hornets did not wilt right away as they often have this season, thanks to Belinelli, who scored seven straight Hornets points on a bail-out jumper at the shot clock buzzer, a double-pump jumper and a 29-foot 3 late in the shot clock to make it 79-71.

Soon after, a rare sellout crowd was chanting: “Beat L.A!”

That was right about the time the Hornets started missing shots and the Lakers stormed back.

“We came alive when we needed to down the stretch,” Gasol said. “We were covering for each other. We limited them to one shot for the most part and then we attacked on the other end and played smart. … It was good to see.”

Steve Blake drained a 3 from the corner and sank an off-balance floater off the glass. Bynum added a pair of inside baskets and blocked a shot by Landry. World Peace’s 3 put Los Angeles back in front 89-86 with 1:31 left, then Sessions added a 3 to make it 92-86. New Orleans could not quite recover, despite World Peace nearly turning the ball over with a long inbound pass to the Lakers’ back court with 1.2 seconds left. Smith got his hand on the bouncing pass but could not corral it.

Notes

• The Hornets used their NBA-high 23rd different starting lineup this season.
• Trevor Ariza did not play because of what Williams described as a move to get more playing time for younger players like Aminu and Lance Thomas.
• Devin Ebanks started at guard with Bryant on the bench in a dark suit. Ebanks finished with six points in 26 minutes.
• Saints general manager Mickey Loomis sat on the baseline near the Hornets’ bench. Earlier in the day, his eight-game suspension was upheld by the NFL in connection with the Saints’ bounty scandal.
• Sitting on the other baseline was actor Christoph Waltz, who plays a German bounty hunter in Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained,” which is currently filming in New Orleans. Leonardo DiCaprio, who also stars in the film, sat in courtside seats.