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.

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.

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.

Hornets point guard Greivis Vasquez took more shots Wednesday night than he normally does for pregame warmups.

He also appeared to be more intense, not chatting much with his teammates.

None of it helped, however.

Vasquez committed a team-high seven turnovers and was held to nine points in the Hornets’ 103-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in front of 14,507 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

Vasquez, 6 feet 6, said he gets emotionally charged for every game, but he admitted he takes it to another level whenever he plays the Grizzlies, who traded him to the Hornets in December.

For the second time in four days, Vasquez faced his former team. But the playoff-bound Grizzlies (36-25) won for the third time in four games against the Hornets (19-43).

Coach Monty Williams said the Hornets, who ended a four-game winning streak, took a step back from the recent progress they had made. New Orleans committed 24 turnovers and allowed Memphis to score 56 points in the post.

After matching his career-high with 20 points in Monday night’s 75-67 victory at Charlotte, Vasquez went scoreless in the second half and committed four turnovers.

“He turned the ball over too much, and that’s unacceptable,” Williams said. “I told him, and he accepted it. That’s why you love him. He always stands up to the plate, takes the criticism, and that’s why I think he’s going to get better.”

Williams has shifted nearly all of his focus to evaluating young players like Vasquez for next season.

“When you get an opportunity like this, you can’t take a step back,” said Vasquez, who has a year remaining on his contract. “I’m very disappointed. My play tonight was unacceptable.”

After getting hit by an inadvertent elbow by Grizzlies forward Hamed Haddadi, Vasquez didn’t return after playing just more than a minute in the fourth quarter. After the game, Vasquez said he felt fine.

The Grizzlies put the game out of reach in the third quarter when they made 15 of 20 shots, outscored the Hornets 37-12 and extended their lead to 24 after trailing by one at halftime. During the quarter, New Orleans took only eight shots and had 11 turnovers, four by Vasquez.

“The third quarter got away in a hurry,” Williams said. “Any time you have that many turnovers, you can’t be surprised. We didn’t have the execution we needed, and that is part of the growth that we need to see from our young guys.”

Williams praised the play of backup point guard Jerome Dyson and center Darryl Watkins, who was signed Wednesday because centers Chris Kaman (left tibia) and Emeka Okafor (knee) aren’t expected to return before the season ends.

Watkins grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds and played 28 minutes. Watkins, 6-11, is in his second NBA season. He played nine games for the Sacramento Kings in the 2007-08 season.

Playing 26 minutes, Dyson scored a team-high 24 points, which included making 14 of 16 free throws. He was quick off the dribble and repeatedly got into the lane.

“He played with a desperation that you see from guys who aren’t in the NBA and trying to earn a spot,” Williams said. “I thought some of our young guys who have been with us for some time took their position for granted.”’

To make room for Watkins, the Hornets waived center Chris Johnson, who had missed the past eight games with a concussion.

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.

There have been times this season when Hornets point guard Greivis Vasquez has to pause momentarily and wrap his head around just who is on the floor with him. Most recently, it happened Friday night in Denver when newly signed center Jeff Foote was part of the rotation while Vasquez was running the show, causing Vasquez to change the play he wanted to call because Foote hadn’t yet learned its components.

“I was thinking about that,” Vasquez said, “watching the tape and watching myself … it’s been extremely hard. Sometimes, you can call a play, and we’ve just got a new guy, and being a young guy, you’ve got to figure it out quick. It’s not easy. This whole year has been ups and downs. It’s definitely a learning process. It’s hard. Especially for me.”

The Hornets have used 15 starting lineups this season heading into tonight’s game against the Charlotte Bobcats at the New Orleans Arena, with 10 players having missed time because of injury, and four more — including Foote — who have been on the roster via 10-day contracts.

As a point guard, it is the job of Vasquez and starter Jarrett Jack to run the Hornets’ offense, keeping players in the right spots and directing the action on the floor, optimally, without turning the ball over.

Through Sunday night’s win against Minnesota, Jack had turned the ball over 81 times, Vasquez 80. And, not unexpectedly, many of those mistakes can be attributed to the patch-work lineups the Hornets have been forced to utilize.

Jack, who save for a stretch of a week when he returned from a sore knee and played behind Vasquez with the second unit, has been the beneficiary of a little bit more stability playing most of his minutes with starters or players who were more familiar with the Hornets’ schemes and tendencies.

“Actually, it’s not that big a deal,” Jack said. “You just try to keep the play-calling packages simple where everybody knows how to play. Most of the people I’m pretty familiar with them regardless of whether they played with me or not. You’ve seen them play in passing, or watched games they played in college. You get familiar with most everybody’s game.

“But you try to put them in positions where they’ll be successful. The biggest thing is trying to call a play where (a teammate) will be able to react. If you call a play, you don’t want to make it too complicated if a person has only been here for two days or whatever the case may be. You don’t want to put him a position where that possession gets wasted because you call a play that was too complicated or one he hasn’t gotten down pat yet.”

Hornets Coach Monty Williams sees the conundrum from both perspectives, offensively and defensively. There are defensive sets he’d like to call, but cannot because of newcomers’ unfamiliarity with the system.

“I’m putting guys in position who have never been in our defensive system,” Williams said. “(Friday) night was indicative of that. I was ready to call a play, and I looked out there and saw Jeff Foote and it was like, ‘I can’t call that. I can only call about three plays because that’s all he knows.’

“When you have this many new guys in your system, you’re going to have breakdowns, and that’s something we have to guard against.”

What has made it doubly difficult for Jack and Vasquez, Williams says, is the Hornets’ lack of weapons.

“I think it’s tough on them, because the best point guards in the league are throwing it to guys who can score every night,” Williams said. “Let’s just be honest. The guys who have the most assists are throwing it to the same guys every night. And they know they can count on four or five assists from that guy every night. We don’t have that.

“Playing the point guard position, you have to have balance. You have to be able to know when to shoot, know when to pass, run the team, keep your poise. We haven’t been inconsistent there, but I think there’s times where the warts show in tough situations. It’s been tough for our point guards because they’ve had to carry the load scoring and running the team.”

Vasquez, though, is a glass-half-full type of player. He has taken this opportunity and continues to try to improve.

“The rest of the season,” he said, “I’m going to try to get 10 assists a game. Whether I score 10 points, four points, I don’t care. I just care about getting people better around me. I think that will make me a better point guard when we have an established roster on this team.”

Chicago — Nearly 30 minutes after the game ended, New Orleans Hornets Coach Monty Williams had committed to memory the two most glaring statistics from Tuesday night’s white-knuckle 99-95 Bulls win against New Orleans.

“When you give a team 60 points in the paint,” Williams said somewhat disgustedly, “that’s inflated. That’s a straight-up bully job. They played in our paint all night long. You know, Derrick Rose had to play 41 minutes to beat us tonight. But you give a team 60 points in the paint, that’s hard to come back from that.”

The Bulls did assert themselves inside throughout the evening at the United Center, but it was Rose, the reigning league most valuable player, who needed to make a 19-foot baseline jumper with 19.4 seconds remaining — a shot that hit rim and backboard before dropping through — that allowed the Bulls to escape what for them would have been an embarrassment.

The Hornets jump right back into action tonight, hosting the Toronto Raptors, who were 88-85 losers Tuesday night at Houston.

Rose’s jumper gave Chicago a 97-95 lead after New Orleans had successfully clawed back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit, with the help of a 13-0 run, to take a 95-91 lead with 1:26 remaining.

Rose, who was relegated to a cameo appearance in Chicago’s 90-67 win in New Orleans on Feb. 8, playing just 22 minutes and scoring six points because of a stiff lower back, played 41 Tuesday and led all scorers with 32 points.

The Hornets had an opportunity to tie the score after Rose’s jumper, but a play designed to perhaps confuse the Bulls came up empty when Jack missed a driving layup.

“I was supposed to take it over to the wing,” Jack said. “I was going to (fake a) pick-and-roll, and we had another play for Marco (Belinelli) to come off a screen. I’ve just got to do a better job of handling the ball.”

“We tried to cause a misdirection play, fake a pick-and-roll and let Jarrett go to the basket,” Williams said. “It was just a play where you get Rose to change his feet, let Jarrett take off and possibly hit Marco in the corner. He missed the shot. That’s part of the game.”

Rose, on the other hand, didn’t miss when it mattered most.

“We started pretty good,” said Rose, “but toward the end we let them back in, and they made a run. But it worked out for us in the end. We definitely held it together. Other teams may have folded in a situation like that. We stayed together and played good defense and got the win.”

Chris Kaman scored 17 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the Hornets, and Trevor Ariza had 16 points and eight rebounds.

New Orleans’ bench, led by 12 points from Xavier Henry, outscored Chicago 39-19, and the Hornets put up 95 points against the league’s second-best defensive team, which came into the game allowing only 82.89 points per game.

“The turnovers really hurt us,” said Chicago Coach Tom Thibodeau. “They did a real good job of attacking the basket, and as a result, they got to the line (the Hornets shot 22 free throws, making 19). We were closing to their drives not under control. As a result, they had a lot of free throws early. But we’ll take the win.”

Once again, the Hornets left with a feeling that they let one get away, especially against one of the best teams in the league.

“You know,” Williams said, “we should have won that game. Our players competed for 48 minutes tonight, but our execution down the stretch was less than what it should be in situations like that. Best team, worst team, I don’t want to get caught up in that. I think if you allow that to filter in, and you think you can just show up (Wednesday night against Toronto), walk into the gym and win the game, we’re not that kind of a team.

“I thought we competed, but we put ourselves in holes tonight. We were fighting back from 11, from nine. That’s hard. And at the end of games, you look at the foul calls, you’re not going to get it on the road. We did compete, we did put ourselves in a position to win the game, but at the same time, for us to grow and become a team and organization, you’ve got to close those games out.”

••••••••

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

In practice, New Orleans Hornets guard Marco Belinelli persistently works to make shots he’ll likely attempt in games. Although he shows a push to improve, Belinelli’s shooting percentage has dropped from last season — 43.7 to 39.5 percent — and his scoring average has slipped from 10.5 to 9.7 points.

Belinelli leads New Orleans with 37 3-pointers made, but he has twice as many attempts as anyone else on the team with 107.

“I know that’s not really good for me because I knew this year I needed to score more,” Belinelli said. “I think the last couple of games were pretty good, but I need to be more aggressive every game.”

In the Hornets’ 94-86 loss to the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, Belinelli scored 12 points but missed five of seven shots in the fourth quarter.

New Orleans re-signed Belinelli as a restricted free agent in December, extending him a one-year, $3.3 million contract.

“We have to keep him confident and don’t let him go through a shell or get bashed for it,” Hornets point guard Jarrett Jack said. “He’s a gunslinger, and he’s got to come out with that kind of mentality every night.

“This league is up and down, and there are going to be peaks and valleys. Only a few guys stay on an even keel all season, but his shots are going to fall for him.”

The Hornets (4-23) need all the help they can get, especially from players like Belinelli, who is familiar with Coach Monty Williams’s system after playing last season.

Williams said one of the problems they are having is trying to integrate several young players into the lineup. The Hornets also have struggled with injury problems.

Going into tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz at the New Orleans Arena, the Hornets have lost eight consecutive games and 23 of 25 overall. They have lost 14 of 16 at the Arena.

“Most people don’t expect for us to be in games,” Williams said. “From that standpoint, guys like Marco should be able to go out and play free. Last year we would be up by eight or 10 points, and Marco would miss a shot and it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“Now he misses a shot, I kind of have to check myself on that — but we would like for him to get him more consistent from that spot. Marco is probably playing more minutes than he should. Therefore, those guys tend to get more tired. That’s more pressure.’’

As a motivational ploy, Williams demoted Belinelli from the starting lineup, replacing him with DaJuan Summers, who was waived by the Hornets last week despite starting six games.

When Williams returned Belinelli to the starting lineup, he said the experiment didn’t work with trying to inject something new after moving Summers from small forward to shooting guard.

For most of the season, Belinelli has got open shots because opposing defenses have turned their attention on limiting the Hornets’ inside scoring. New Orleans is shooting 29.3 percent from 3-point range, which ranks 27th in the league.

“I just want to be ready when he (Williams) calls me and do my best,” Belinelli said. “It’s tough because last year was a different team. There was a double team every time C.P. (Chris Paul) had the ball, and I got open more.’’

QUICK HITS: Williams said he doesn’t know how Hornets center Chris Kaman got injured during warm-ups before Friday night’s game against the Trail Blazers. Kaman sprained his left ankle and had it heavily wrapped during Sunday’s practice at the Arena. … Jack could miss up to a week with a bruised left knee that he re-aggravated last week against the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night after playing 27 minutes.

“I was playing through it for four or five games before that, but it got to the point that I couldn’t perform like myself — and I was doing the team a disservice,” Jack said.

The Hornets took steps Wednesday to bolster their depth at shooting guard and small forward, obtaining Xavier Henry from the Memphis Grizzlies for a 2013 second-round draft choice.

New Orleans was part of a three-team trade in which the 76ers sent forward Marreese Speights to the Grizzlies.

Henry, 20, was a lottery pick (12th overall) by Memphis in the 2010 draft, but his development has been hindered by injuries. He is recovering from a second-degree right ankle sprain, including some ligament tearing, which happened at the outset of the Grizzlies’ training camp.

“I think I’ll definitely be out there in the next two weeks,” said Henry, who played at Kansas and worked out for the Hornets at the Alario Center in a predraft audition. “I have a good estimation of about 10 days maybe, but I’d say in the next two weeks I’ll be out there playing.”

Hornets Coach Monty Williams, who has expressed concerns over his team’s shooting guard performances in the absence of starter Eric Gordon the past four games, says he can see Henry sliding between two positions. Gordon returned to the starting lineup in Wedneday night’s 101-93 loss to Philadelphia.

“Xavier is a guy who, when he’s healthy, is going to play for us because he can do a number of things on the floor,” Williams said. “I told him my biggest issue with guys is defending and competing, playing hard. Offensively, he has some things you can’t really teach. He has a good feel for the game. He can shoot the ball, not to range yet, but 18 or 19 feet.

“He might be more of a three (small forward) than he is a two (shooting guard). He has got a big body (6 feet 6, 220 pounds). He can do both. I’d probably call him a wing. A guy like Eric is just a two, but Xavier might be a wing, a guy who can play both. I don’t see him ever being a guy who handles the ball and initiates offense like Eric. I’d say he’s a solid wing.”

No matter the description, Henry, who missed 33 games because of injury last season, says he’s ready.

“This seems like a great team, a lot of defense, a lot of team work, and offensively, it just lets you play,” he said. “I think I’ll fit in pretty well with the guys. I always believed myself I could play either two or three. If I just come in and work hard, work hard on defense and do everything right, I’ll have an opportunity to play.”

The Hornets rank second to last in the NBA in 3-point shooting, at 17.9 percent. Williams said aside from the obvious, there are other issues that could be eliminated by Gordon’s return.

“I still think the guys that have been playing have to make shots,” Williams said. “If you look at our film, guys are getting open looks. What’s hurting us is turnovers in timely situations. In the last two minutes of the (Utah) game, we had two turnovers out of three possessions. You can’t get shots if you’re giving it to the other team. We are missing shots.

“But I don’t want to put all that pressure on Eric. He’s got to play his normal game. (Point guard Jarrett) Jack has got to continue to produce. We may be one of the only teams in the league that may count on our point guard to score double figures every night. But it’ll help our team.”

GORDON’S BACK: Saying his bruised right knee is still not at 100 percent, Gordon nonetheless returned to the starting lineup against the Sixers and scored a team-high 22 points, although he was just 1-of-6 from 3-point range.

“It’s good to come back and finally get back with the team,” he said. “We’re still playing hard and are capable of beating those teams we lost to.”

ALL-STAR MENTIONS: While it’s unlikely, given the lack of superstar faces on the roster, that the Hornets will garner any All-Star Game support as fans vote in the starters. Nonetheless, four players appear on this year’s ballot revealed Wednesday.

Gordon, centers Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman and power forward Carl Landry are all on the Western Conference portion of the ballot.

The game will be played on Feb. 26 in Orlando.

Kaman is the only member of that group to have been selected on an All-Star team. He was a member of the Western Conference squad in 2010 as a member of the Clippers.

Since the 2007-08 season, the Hornets have had at least one All-Star representative each year, either Chris Paul or David West, both of whom are playing for different teams now.

A new beginning? You can call it that, if you look back on the six-season era of CP3. What you had Wednesday night was a welcome-back-home to the man that spanned both eras.

I say this remembering it was at an early stage of last season, with the New Orleans Hornets on their way to coming out of the starting bocks a surprising 8-0, that I posed the question to Chris Paul.

“What do you think about your rookie head coach?’’

There was no hesitation.

“He knows how to relate,’’ came the reply from the All-Pro point guard. “All coaches are busy sending messages. In some cases, not all messages are received. Coach (Monty) Williams makes contact, and that has plenty to do with the man and his personality. You get the message because you respect the messenger.’’

The messenger at the time was 39, the youngest head coach in the NBA, and once he started talking you realized you were dealing in mutual admiration.

“Right now,’’ said Williams, “Chris could be a head coach in this league. I’m more impressed than I was before I got to know him. He knows so much more than I did at his age. His attention to detail is amazing, and when it comes to individual defense, team defense, everyone has bought into what coach is selling.’’

Dell Demps, the General Manager who hired Williams from a list of candidates, says, “whenever Monty’s involved, it’s a soft sell. Monty has a special calmness about him. He doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve. But, inside, you’ll find a competitive fire and a smart man.’’

There was the Hornets coach Wednesday, preparing to bury the Boston Celtics 97-78, preparing for the first home game in an abbreviated season of 66 games, wondering how long it would take him to assess what he had. .

Only four games into his rookie season, Williams figured it was going to take at least 25 games of an 82-game season to find out “how good, how bad, we were.’’

All he knew then was he had the best point guard, the best pick-and-roll player, in the game, and he had to do his best to keep Chris Paul as fresh as possible.

Now he’s dealing with virtually a new roster, still getting acquainted with one another, in some cases still getting acquainted with the English language.

In a way, Williams has been dealing with nothing but change from Day One on the job.

“It continues to be a learning process for most of us,’’ he said, ‘’and that’s what makes it so interesting. It’s not an excuse.’’

Williams had no excuses last season when his 12-3 Hornets lost their first home game to the San Antonio Spurs, in the hands of Gregg Popovich, the man who helped shape Williams’ coaching career.

“I was outcoached by a lot,’’ said Monty who watched a 17-point halftime turn into a 14-point loss. After shooting 62 percent in the first half, the Hornets went 5-for-15 in the third quarter and turned the ball over five times to bring the Spurs back in the game.

“Coach Pop made move after move after move, and I had no answer,’’ said Williams.

The way he handled that defeat told me the Hornets had someone who could rock with the punches that would come and never look back.

On Thursday, you had Williams’ ball club, with a roster of nine new faces, without his top scorer, Eric Gordon, the hero of an opening game victory, send a serious message as to what you can accomplish with a take-it-to-you defense for a full 48 minutes.

Quite simply, the Hornets held a team known for its aggressive defense with one that not only limited the men in green to 78 points, but also limited them to 37 percent shooting, by forcing nine turnovers, by forcing seven steals, by blocking a dozen shots.

Meanwhile, Williams watched five of his players hit in double figures, led by Jarrett Jack’s 21 and Carl Landry’s 20.

He also watched 7-footer Chris Kaman come off the bench and contribute 27 minutes that included 12 points, some from the outside, nine rebounds and three blocks.

All things considered, two games into a new start, there’s more sunshine than clouds.

Welcome home, Monty Williams.

Posted: Monday, December 26, 2011, 11:47 PM

Hornets win a thriller on the road.

In his preseason debut, newly acquired New Orleans Hornets center Chris Kaman made a strong first impression Wednesday night in the preseason finale against the Memphis Grizzlies. With starting center Emeka Okafor sitting out to rest, Kaman was a big presence inside with his scoring ability off pick-and-roll plays, helping the Hornets rout the Grizzlies 95-80 at the New Orleans Arena.

Kaman finished with 18 points, four rebounds and blocked two shots in 23 minutes.

The Hornets acquired Kaman, guard Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu, along with a first-round draft choice, last week in a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers for four-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul.

The trio made their much anticipated debut Wednesday. Gordon finished with 17 points and Aminu had six.

It was the kind of performance that encourages Coach Monty Williams, with less than a week to prepare for their season opener at the Phoenix Suns on Monday.

Though they are still learning Williams’system, Kaman, Gordon and Aminu all showed how they can help the Hornets.

“I just think they are guys that should get more comfortable with me and the team as we go along. Eric is a guy that is as explosive as anybody, but I think people don’t understand is that he defends. He gets into the ball and he’s strong. I want him to be free out there.”

When Jarrett Jack’s or Gordon’s drives were cut off by Grizzlies defenders, they frequently looked to Kaman, who attacked the basket for layups. Kaman made five of his first nine shots.

“All in all I thought we played well as a team and our defense was solid,” Kaman said. “I felt a little uncomfortable early on, a little stiff. I’m an older guy, you know. When I had offensive opportunities, I took advantage of those. These coaches are very meticulous about where guys are and where they are supposed to be.”

Kaman, 29, missed 50 games with an left ankle injury last season for the Clippers, but he’s fully recovered, and it was evident in the way he ran floor. He was quick to cover defensively, especially on the high post, and when the Hornets pushed the pace offensively he got to spots quickly.

“Kaman, he’s been there done that,” Williams said. “He has been an all star. He has got to learn how we do things, but I think the fans will love that these guys love the game and compete every game.”

Rookie Lance Thomas, whom Williams said has practiced well, started ahead of Kaman. But once Kaman entered early in the first quarter, he dominated the minutes.

For this regular season, Williams plans to use various lineups, some that could have Kaman and Okafor on the floor together.

While Kaman controlled things inside against the Grizzlies,Gordon delivered from the perimeter, hitting three of five shots from behind the 3-point-line. In 29 minutes, Gordon also showed he can handle the ball under pressure on the perimeter and spot open shooters quickly. He had four assists and grabbed four rebounds.

“I’m getting there,” Gordon said. “I wasn’t as aggressive like I probably should have been, but I’m still just trying to fit in.”

“I think we’re going to be a team this year that cannot make too many mistakes, and we’re going have to play really good defense.”

Aminu did not provide much offensively, going 2-for-5 from the field, but he made an impact by forcing Grizzlies star Rudy Gay into taking difficult shots. At the start of the game, Gay had little trouble establishing his rhythm against small forward Quincy Pondexter, who started in place of starter Trevor Ariza, who sat out the game.

Gay, who scored 20 points, made his first six shots before Aminu came in. Gay missed his next attempt. Aminu, though, became overaggressive during a stretch in the first half, picking up three fouls in seven minutes. He ended the game with five fouls.

A priority for Williams was seeing how well his team would defend a tough Grizzlies team that has proven scorers in forward Zach Randolph and Gay. But the Hornets held Memphis to only 17 points in the second quarter and just 16 in the third. For the game, the Grizzlies shot 37.8 percent.

“We’re a defense-first team and it takes talent to run the kind of defense we run,” Williams said.

After a slow start, Pondexter got his rhythm and finished with 14 points. Forward Jason Smith, who signed a three-year contract last week, delivered with clutch shooting and was active around the post defensively. He made six of 12 shots for 12 points.

Trying to earn a roster spot, New Orleans native Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson didn’t score 10 points in the fourth quarter like he did in last Friday’s 97-90 preseason victory against the Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum. He finished with four points Wednesday.

However, Johnson made a no-look pass to Kaman in the first quarter. He finished the game with two points and four assists.

Trey Johnson, also contending for the backup point guard position, had four points in nine minutes.

“As you play hard, good things will happen, and that’s all I was trying to do,” Johnson said.

John Reid can be reached at jreid@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3407.

In his preseason debut, newly acquired New Orleans Hornets center Chris Kaman made a strong first impression in Wednesday night’s preseason finale against the Memphis Grizzlies. With Emeka Okafor sitting out to rest, Kaman made a big presence inside from his scoring ability off pick-and-roll plays that helped the Hornets rout the Grizzlies 95-80 at the New Orleans Arena.

Kaman finished with 18 points and had four rebounds in 23 minutes.

The Hornets acquired Kaman, guard Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu last week in a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for four-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul.

The trio made their much anticipated debut Wednesday and Gordon had 17 points and Aminu scored six.

It was the kind of performance to make Coach Monty Williams feel encouraged with less than a week to prepare for their season opener against Phoenix Suns.

Though they are still learning Williams’system, Kaman, Gordon and Aminu all gave glimpses of what they can become to help the Hornets.

When Jarrett Jack’s or Gordon’s drives were cut off by Grizzlies defenders, they looked frequently to Kaman, who attacked the basket for layups. Kaman started the game hitting five of his first nine shots.

Gordon delivered from the perimeter, hitting three of five shots from behind the 3-point-line. In 29 minutes, Gordon also showed he can handle ball under pressure on the perimeter and spot open shooters quickly. He had four assists and grabbed four rebounds.

Aminu was unable to provide much offensively, but he made an impact by forcing Grizzlies star Rudy Gay into taking difficult shots. At the start of the game, Gay had little trouble establishing his rhythm against small forward Quincy Pondexter, who started in place of Trevor Ariza, who sat out the game.

Gay made his first six shots before Aminu came in and forced him to miss his first attempt. Aminu, though, became overaggressive during a stretch in the first half, picking up three fouls in seven minutes. He ended the game with five fouls.

Kaman missed 50 games with an ankle injury last season for the Clippers, but he’s fully recovered now and it was evident by the way he ran floor. He was quick to cover defensively, especially on the high post and when the Hornets pushed the pace offensively, he got to spots quickly.

Rookie Lance Thomas, whom Williams said has practiced well, started ahead of Kaman. But once Kaman entered early in the first quarter, he dominated the minutes.

For this season, Williams plans to use various lineups this season that could have Kaman and Okafor on the floor together.

A priority for Williams, however, was seeing how well his team would defend a tough Grizzlies team that have proven scorers with forward Zach Randolph and Gay. But the Hornets held Memphis to only 17 points in the second quarter and just 16 in the third. For the game, the Grizzlies shot 37.8 percent.

“We’re a defense-first team and it takes talent to run the kind of defense we run,’’ Williams said.

After slow start, Pondexter got his rhythm established and finished with 14 points. Forward Jason Smith, who signed a three-year contract last week, delivered with clutch shooting and he was active around the post defensively. He made 6-of-12 shots for 12 points.

Trying to earn a roster spot, New Orleans native Carldell “Squeaky’’ Johnson didn’t score 10 points in the fourth quarter like in did in last Friday’s 97-90 preseason victory against the Grizzlies. However, Johnson made a no-look pass to Kaman in the first quarter. He finished the game with tow point and four assists. Trey Johnson, also contending for the backup spot, had four points in nine minutes.