http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/108219228489040.xml Hornets' Magloire fulfills promise Breakout season no surprise to 'Big Cat' Saturday, April 17, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer In front of 200 family and friends last fall in Toronto, Hornets center Jamaal Magloire grabbed the microphone at his going-away party before training camp started and made a promise: He would have his best season yet and top it by participating in his first NBA All-Star Game. "At the time, I really believed that in my heart, or else I wouldn't have put myself out there in front of all those people and said it," Magloire said. "But if it didn't happen, the worst thing for me would have been going home and hearing people say I underachieved." He need not worry about that. Magloire enters Sunday's opening-round playoff series against the Miami Heat as one of the top centers in the Eastern Conference. As promised, Magloire played in his first All-Star Game last February and neither Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal nor 7-foot-6 Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets could keep him from leading the East team with 19 points. Since that accomplishment, Magloire's confidence has soared, along with his scoring and rebounding. He's scoring from a variety of ways -- spin moves, hook shots and short-range turnaround jumpers. And it has changed his role on the team. Magloire has moved from being a secondary scoring threat to a post player the Hornets' plan to feature prominently, along with fellow All-Star Baron Davis, in their attack against the Heat. "He's been able to grow on the job and worked very hard before and after practice on his continued post development," Hornets coach Tim Floyd said. Assistant coach Kenny Gattison, a former Hornets' post player, has worked with Magloire before and after practices since training camp. Their teaching sessions have included everything from developing a variety of shots to handling double teams in the post. "I know from experience that you can't give a guy too much, too fast," Gattison said. "But he mastered that jump hook first and now he's mastered the spin move on the baseline and reverse pivot move. "Big guys only have a split second to make a move. They're under the microscope because they're three feet under the basket and they're expected to make at least 52 percent of their shots. But Jamaal is very coachable and he applies information and goes out and does it." During the final month of the regular season, no Hornets player was more productive than Magloire, who averaged 21.7 points and 12.1 rebounds in the final seven games. He finished the season with a team-leading 45 double-doubles, which ranked third in the NBA. He led the Hornets in rebounding in 51 of the 82 games played. "Big Cat just wants to win," forward P.J. Brown said. "He's done everything that can be done to help this team." Maglorie hasn't let obstacles interfere with his progress. For two weeks in March, he kept his right foot in a bucket of ice before and after games to relieve pain from a sprained ankle. He said he never considered sitting out. For the past 15 games, he has played with a swollen left elbow that has been drained once and might need it again before the first-round playoff series ends. But Magloire, nicknamed "Big Cat" from his college days at the University of Kentucky, pushes on. He hasn't missed a game since 2000-01, his rookie season. "When people say I can't do something, I like to conquer and thrive on that," Magloire said. "I see myself as being a soldier on the court. The road I had to take to get in the NBA from living in a different country (Canada) has prepared me to deal with everything. "I've played international ball with Team Canada and we played oversees. I've been in a lot of different atmospheres where the play was a lot rougher than what I go through now." To many of his teammates, he is someone to be trusted because he's going to battle the entire game. "Jamaal is one of the best centers in the Eastern Conference," Davis said. "Every year he's gotten better. He plays hard and really wants to be successful. He doesn't want to let anyone down who believes in his potential." In his rookie season, Magloire averaged 4.6 points in 74 games. He improved to 8.5 points in 2001-02 before finishing with a 10.3 scoring average last season. His rebounding numbers have improved, too. He has averaged 10.3 this season after grabbing 8.8 last season. "He's confident because of all the work he put in this summer," said Simeon Mars, Magloire's personal trainer and former high school coach. "He did a lot of conditioning drills and stuff on the court. He's so mentally tough. He has goals and aspirations that he wants to achieve." That's why the Heat are embracing for a tough playoff series. They know the Hornets' biggest advantage is their inside game featuring Magloire. "I expect nothing less than a very physical, all-out war," Miami Heat center Brian Grant said. "I have a lot of respect for Jamaal because he's aggressive, physical and I know that because I'm going to get that every time I see him. "Some guys, you might see it sometimes, but you always get it from him. I think he's getting the ball a little more than he used to when he first got into the league." Magloire wants to continue what he started last October. No letdowns and continued progress at making a high percentage of shots and free throws. "I'm just a lot more comfortable around the basket now," Magloire said. "But what's most important is that I'm going to play how the defense is playing me. If they play to take away my jump hook, I've worked real hard to find ways to counter that. I'm understand more now how defenses are playing me and I'm going to use that to my advantage." . . . . . . . John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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