http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/basketball/8520619.htm Posted on Mon, Apr. 26, 2004 HORNETS A made man Shooting guard David Wesley plays with a reckless abandon that has made him a valuable commodity for New Orleans. BY STEPHEN F. HOLDER [email protected] NEW ORLEANS - If you want the best out of veteran Hornets guard David Wesley, simply tell him he can't do something. There was a time he was told he might not make it in the NBA. A short CBA stint and 11 NBA seasons later, he has scored more than 10,000 career points. Later, there came a time when the undersized 6-1 shooting guard was told he would struggle to defend bigger opponents at his position. Wrong again, as Heat 6-6 guard Eddie Jones has learned during Miami's first-round playoff series against New Orleans. "David has the toughest assignment, chasing Eddie Jones around and facing all those screens, and he's done a great job," Hornets coach Tim Floyd said. "[He has] a big heart, just tremendous determination from a guy who's played undersized his whole career. He wears that on his sleeve and goes out there and takes every matchup as a challenge. He couldn't play in this league if he couldn't defend a lick, and he can. He's defended bigger guys his whole career." STELLAR DEFENSE The Hornets' win in Saturday's Game 3 was a byproduct of Wesley's play. He handcuffed the sharp-shooting Jones, who finished the afternoon 2 of 13 from the field. Through three games, Jones has the lowest postseason shooting percentage among any of Miami's starters, 34.4 percent. By no coincidence, he has been guarded almost exclusively by Wesley. But Wesley's impact extended beyond the defensive end Saturday, as he turned in his best offensive performance of the series with 18 points, including a 3-for-4 day from three-point range. After shooting 7 of 22 through Games 1 and 2, it seems Wesley has met another challenge. He has been doing it for years, actually, but when talking with Wesley, you come away thinking he's the same undrafted 21-year-old who came out of Baylor in 1992, unsure of where his basketball career was headed. KNOWING HIS ROLE "It makes you a little more appreciative of where you are," said Wesley, 33, who played for the CBA's Wichita Falls Texans in 1992-93. "Some guys play in this league and act like they're supposed to be here. This is a privilege to be playing in this league. As long as you keep it that way in your mind and always stay hungry." It takes a certain type of personality to make a good defender -- the determined, unrelenting type. Wesley has those attributes and refuses to change for fear of what might result. "I'm in a starting position in this league because of where I came from," he said. "I know there's somebody out there trying to get my spot every year." EARNING RESPECT Said teammate Shammond Williams: "[Wesley] was an individual who nobody thought would have accomplished all this, and he carries himself that way." Entering Tuesday's Game 4 at New Orleans Arena, Wesley's goal is to duplicate the production he and backcourt sidekick Baron Davis provided in Game 3, when they combined for 39 points. If New Orleans' guards keep the pressure on, the Heat might be forced to adjust its defensive philosophy, which puts a premium on preventing points in the paint. "I think it's real important for our guards to score and be consistent in scoring," Wesley said. "When we don't score and aren't shooting the ball well, [the team] tends to struggle. [Saturday] we started off really aggressive, penetrating the ball, and I think that's what kept [the Heat] on their heels." --

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