October 27, 2009 Forget about easing into a new season. Scratch the baby steps. Toss out the idea for a dress rehearsal. The Hornets open the 2009-2010 NBA season on Wednesday with a good, loud, BANG! For that matter they don’t truly get to catch their breath until December 2nd. Prior to that date Byron Scott’s squad has more obstacles in their way than Jimmy Cliff…okay, maybe Johnny Nash if you’re a Baby Boomer. It’s really not until the back to back off days in early December, followed by four consecutive contests against non-playoff teams that the Bees can…as Cliff would sing…”see clearly now”. Hopefully, the Hornets will be singing about “…bright, bright, sun shiny days…” a lot earlier than the first week of December; but, the NBA schedule-maker did the franchise no favors early this season.
The Hornets open the season on October 28th at San Antonio against the division rival many expect to make one final run at a fifth NBA title in the Tim Duncan era. In addition to their healthy all-star trio (Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli) they re-stocked the pantry with veterans Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, and Keith Bogans. Oh, and the season opener is on national television as part of an ESPN doubleheader. CASE IN POINT #2 After an apparent breather against the rebuilding Sacramento Kings in their October 30th home opener (need we remind fans that last season’s 17-win Kings team won in New Orleans 105-96 in the opening month of play?) the Hornets travel to the east coast to take on a Boston Celtics squad that is deeper than last year’s 62-win team. This version of the winningest franchise in league history has Rasheed Wallace to turn to if Kevin Garnett has more knee issues. This year’s Beantowners can bring athletic Marquis Daniels off the bench to complement Eddie House, Tony Allen, and Wallace. Not to mention the potent duo of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, two of the best shooters in the league. In a back to back, the Hornets travel to New York to take on the run-and-gun Knicks (who, need I remind you, SWEPT the Hornets last season). CASE IN POINT #3 Upon returning home from New York the Hornets play seven games in 11 days including Southwest rival Dallas (who has added Sean Marion and Drew Gooden to Nowitzki, Kidd, and Howard), Toronto (which made a large free agent splash by adding Hedo Turkoglu to Chris Bosh up front), the defending champion Lakers in LA, high scoring Phoenix and athletic Atlanta on the road, and Roy, Aldridge, Oden and the up and coming Portland Trail Blazers at home. CASE IN POINT #4 Four of the next five games are at the Hive, but include Baron Davis and the Clippers, the Suns for the second time in eight days, the second meeting in eight days against Atlanta, and Dwyane Wade and the Heat in Miami. Just when Byron Scott thinks “…all of the bad feelings have disappeared…” with only a single home game against the lowly Milwaukee Bucks over the next six days the schedule-maker has the Hornets heading to the west coast for the second time in three weeks to take on Sacramento and the defending champion Lakers in California. If the Hornets can survive the first 35 days of the season healthy and in the thick of both the Southwest Division and Western Conference races there is little doubt in my mind that every Hornets fan will be harmonizing Jimmy Cliff’s song because by then it will be easy to “…look all around…there’s nothing but blue skies…” No doubt Byron Scott may even chime in, “…here is that rainbow I have been praying for…” With apologies to Johnny Nash and Jimmy Cliff, the beginning of the Hornets season looks, feels, and even SOUNDS a little like their famous song. The Hornets certainly hope they both end the same. |
|
