http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1090313959215810.xml Attitude change Hornets' top need Scott expected to get team to play harder Tuesday, July 20, 2004 John DeShazier Now that expectation and reality have collided, it's clear the Hornets won't make huge waves in free agency. Effective ripples, sure, if center Chris Andersen proves to be a solid backup and the Raptors don't match the Hornets' offer sheet to Morris Peterson, who could start at shooting guard or small forward. But since a six-year, $38 million contract, which is the maximum offer the Hornets can make, simply doesn't attract the caliber of NBA player it used to, no jaw-dropping signing will happen. And yet, there's no cause for alarm because the team wasn't able to sign guard Stephen Jackson away from the Hawks, forward Carlos Boozer away from the Cavaliers, guard Manu Ginobili away from the Spurs or a host of other restricted or unrestricted free agents away from their teams. As much as the 2004-05 Hornets are looking for an injection of youth and athleticism, which they will receive from Andersen and maybe also from Peterson, they need an attitude adjustment, as well. Which is where the team's most important "free agent" signing, Coach Byron Scott, comes into play. "They made the team better when they got him down here," Andersen said. For Scott, the returning Hornets will play harder, which means they'll play better, which means they'll be better. And, while that doesn't mean the team will win more games than last season, better and harder play is an upgrade we'll take for now. "We won 41 games last year," General Manager Allan Bristow said. "There were numerous games we lost to teams below .500. We feel like we've got a pretty good team coming back. "The core of the team is going to be our veteran players, but we've got a lot of athleticism around them." Entering free agency, the Hornets were one of 21 teams over the salary cap, limiting their chase to players who might be enticed by the $5 million mid-level exception they could offer, which escalates to $38 million over six years when yearly salary increases are included. That doesn't lure the Kobe Bryant-, Rasheed Wallace- or Kenyon Martin-types. It gets what the Hornets are after -- serviceable players who, hopefully, are ready for better-than-serviceable seasons. Which means the significant change must come from within. Perhaps we've already seen the biggest of them, All-Star guard Baron Davis' obvious attempt to evolve from star player to team leader. Davis has spent a significant portion of his offseason in New Orleans, involving himself in the inner dealings of the franchise as never before, working out and giving input on potential draft picks, pressing palms with season-ticket holders, showing his face in the community on behalf of the team. Foremost, he must buy into Scott, and so far all signs point to a happy purchase. And if he behaves like a leader -- practices hard, studies film dutifully, reports for all functions on time, holds himself and his teammates to a star effort and production level -- everyone else will follow. Rule out the impact trade for now, and maybe for the season. The player the team most would want to peddle, forward Jamal Mashburn, has to show he's healthy. Until then, he's a Hornet. But, again, that isn't the major concern. Because signing a big-name free agent or trading for a big-timer means nothing if he isn't, or can't be, inspired to play hard. No, as much or more than adding a name, the returning Hornets have to be changed. They can't be the same lackluster bunch they were too often last season, consistently inconsistent, capable of beating the best or losing to the worst. Hopefully, the most important "free agent" the team has signed, Byron Scott, will create that change. . . . . . . . DeShazier can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3410. --

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