http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/108374957199090.xml Hornets changes imminent Players agree team didn't meet its expectations Wednesday, May 05, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer MIAMI -- After each driving shot the Miami Heat made in Tuesday's Game 7, Hornets coach Tim Floyd quickly looked away. The Hornets narrowed a 16-point deficit to five with 2:49 remaining. But there was no decisive plan that Floyd could draw to overtake the Heat without point guard Baron Davis on the court. Davis missed most of the second half after suffering a bruised tailbone in the second quarter. So Floyd kept pacing, hoping for a miracle. But none came. The season, which started with NBA Finals aspirations, ended with an 85-77 loss to the Heat in the first round of the playoffs. It was the Hornets' final game as a member of the Eastern Conference. They will be shifted to the more balanced Western Conference next season. Now, as the off-season begins, uncertainty reigns. Majority owner George Shinn has maintained his stance for the past month that Floyd and the team's entire basketball operations staff will be evaluated. "I expect there are going to be some changes made," said guard David Wesley. "From what has been the consensus of the talk, everyone knows that is going to happen." But Wesley wouldn't comment regarding Floyd. Neither would George Lynch and several other players when they were asked Tuesday night whether they think Floyd would be retained. "I know we didn't accomplish all the things that we wanted to get accomplished, but you can't blame all of that on the coach," forward Robert Traylor said. "We still have a great group of guys who can still play, and I would like to see all of us back. I want to come back." Traylor is a free agent, along with Steve Smith, Stacey Augmon, Shammond Williams and Maurice Carter. And Wesley could be put on the expansion draft list for the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that begins play next season. "The thought of leaving here hasn't once crossed my mind," Wesley said. "I like it here and I want to stay." But for the second consecutive season, the Hornets could not advance past the first round. "They just got us on our heels early with their attack," Floyd said. "We're not going to take away from what Miami did to us. This team (Heat) is selfless, they have no agendas and they are playing to win and they are playing like they are older." The Hornets fought, but it wasn't enough. Like in the regular season, when they lost 22 games to teams with losing records, they couldn't shoot at a high percentage and their defensive play wasn't as strong as in Sunday's Game 6 victory. "It's tough because we didn't get it done like we thought we would," forward P.J. Brown said. "We played hard tonight, but the Heat protected their home-court advantage. That's what you play for during the season. You win games to put yourself in the best position at the end of the regular season. The Heat put themselves in position to be on their court and they protected it. They deserve to move on." Brown will now spend a quiet summer with his family in Slidell. He said he is unsure what's going to happen between now and next season, though. "I've been in the league for 11 seasons, and it's going to be tough because we didn't get to where we wanted to go," Brown said. "You play this game to win championships." . . . . . . . John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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