http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1082968214281480.xml Lynch's play gives Hornets an advantage in intangibles Monday, April 26, 2004 By Jimmy Smith Staff writer In an NBA box score, there are categories for many statistics: field goals made and attempted, free throws, offensive and defensive rebounds, steals, assists, turnovers, blocked shots, personal fouls, points. Nowhere, however, is there a line that measures intangibles. If there were, Hornets forward George Lynch arguably would be among the league leaders in whatever fashion one could define the indefinable. Lynch's collegiate head coach, the legendary Dean Smith, never failed to point this out to a player he freely admits was one of his favorites in a line of North Carolina players that included notables such Michael Jordan and James Worthy. "Coach Smith always told me, 'You can be the best player on the floor without scoring buckets,' " Lynch said Sunday following the Hornets' brief workout, one day after getting their first post-season victory, 77-71 over the Miami Heat. "But not a lot of coaches understand that. Still, you have to keep it in mind. Some guys score. Some guys do other things -- rebound, play defense. When you find that right mixture of guys on the floor, I think it's better for the team. You can't have five guys on the floor trying to score 20 points. It doesn't work that way." It is difficult to overlook the contributions Lynch has made to the Hornets success this season, and Saturday specifically. For a team that was struggling to find some offensive identity and consistency, Lynch made three of five shots from the field and had a team-high seven points, five rebounds and a blocked shot in the first quarter. This in just nine minutes. Then, Lynch disappeared until the final three minutes of the first half. Typically, though, no complaints were forthcoming. "There's a lot going on," Lynch said. "Coach (Tim Floyd) is trying to make a lot of decisions, play a lot of people. I probably sat a little longer than I thought I was going to sit. But we got the win. That's the good part about it. "I was feeling good. But what can you do? Actually, I was tired. I gave them a sign, told them I was a little tired and needed a blow. But I didn't want to sit for 10 minutes." The inactivity forced Lynch out of his early shooting groove. He finished hitting one of his last seven shots, but he worked hard away from the ball on defense and collected 11 rebounds, four offensively. He blocked another shot and had four assists. His teammates appreciate his effort. "George has been a key for us all season," guard Baron Davis said. "Depending on how he plays is how we play, defensively and offensively. When he's coming out and he's aggressive and knocking down shots, that opens up a lot of things for us offensively. "It allows me to penetrate, allows David Wesley to get some looks and allows us to post Big Cat (Jamaal Magloire) on the back end. He did a great job of coming out aggressive." Forced into the starting lineup by a preseason injury to Jamal Mashburn, Lynch stayed there through Mashburn's absence. In games in which Lynch played 30 minutes or more in the regular season, the Hornets were 10-5. With Lynch in the lineup along with P.J. Brown, Magloire, Davis and Wesley, the Hornets were 23-18 (.541), the most successful of any of the 17 lineups New Orleans employed. And in the 51 games Lynch started, the Hornets were 30-21 (.588). When he has started in the past three seasons, the Hornets are 57-42 (.576). Yet his importance can't be calculated by the modest numbers: 4.8 points and four rebounds per game this season. There's another immeasurable asset Lynch brings as well: humility. "I'm not one of those guys offensively who'll bring the ball up the floor and go one-on-one," he said. "I try to do what's good for the offense, whether it's to set picks, or wait for the ball to be rotated around to me. "It's probably bad for my numbers career-wise, but I just try to be a team player and try to fit in wherever I'm needed." . . . . . . . Jimmy Smith can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3814. --

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