原文出自 nola.com http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1097562690113580.xml Nailon doing the 'dirty work' Hornets' forward gets praise for his defense Tuesday, October 12, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer It was an opportunity Lee Nailon found hard to resist, especially with Hornets coach Byron Scott and his assistants watching. When veteran Hornets forward George Lynch put up a jump shot in the lane during Monday's intrasquad scrimmage, Nailon soared to block the ball. It wasn't spectacular enough to make Scott stop play or praise him in front of everybody. But it clearly was another sign that Nailon is not the same player he was when former Hornets coach Paul Silas waived him during training camp before the 2002-03 season. Mainly known for his shooting, Nailon is providing the same hustle on defense as he has been known for on offense. Several of his teammates have noticed the change. "I think he's really made an impression, and you can see that he's really focused on trying to defend and rebound," veteran forward P.J. Brown said. "We all know Lee can shoot the ball easily, but it was doing the dirty work that people had questions about. He's really been asserting himself on the defensive end." Nailon's inability to do those "little things" likely is the reason why he bounced around the league last season, playing for three teams. During the 2002-03 season, he played limited minutes for the New York Knicks, averaging 5.5 points in 38 games as a backup. In 2003, the Atlanta Hawks signed Nailon before the regular season, but he was waived in December. In January, he was extended two 10-day contracts with the Orlando Magic before being released again. Then, in March, Nailon was signed to two more 10-day contracts, this time by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Silas ended up keeping him for the remainder of the season. "I think for a lot of teams, the negative was that I didn't play defense as hard as I play offense," said Nailon, who is entering his fifth season in the league. "So my thing this season is playing defense hard, and hopefully it will cause a turnaround for me." With Rodney Rogers missing his third consecutive practice because of a sore left hamstring, Nailon has been getting a large chunk of the minutes on the second team at small forward. Lynch, who reported early last month to start learning Scott's Princeton offense, has the edge as the starter at that spot. But the battle between him and Nailon has been competitive and likely will get more intense when Rogers returns to the mix. Free-agent Tremaine Fowlkes also is competing for time at the position. "I know for sure it's going to come down to who plays the best in the preseason," Lynch said. "Lee is a different-type player. He looks to score more. Rodney and I are similar. I think it's all about who the other guys are most comfortable playing with and what the coaches expect." When several general managers around the league began calling this summer to offer Nailon a contract, he wasn't swayed by the first offer. He mainly was looking for a team where he could adjust easily and have a fair chance to earn a spot and playing time. Nailon thought the Hornets were the perfect fit. "I knew, coming here, I would have a great shot at playing a lot of minutes because Scott is a fair coach at giving guys opportunities," said Nailon, who signed with the Hornets on Sept. 30. "George was here last year, but it's a new offense to everybody, so I think I have a fair opportunity." Nailon, who is 6 feet 8 and a former college standout at TCU, was drafted by the Hornets in the second round of the 1999 draft. But he played in the Italian League for a season before joining the Charlotte Hornets for the 2000-01 season. Nailon's best season came in 2001-02, when he started 41 games that season in place of injured starter Jamal Mashburn and averaged 15 points and five rebounds. He scored in double figures in 34 of the 41 games. Scott said they reviewed several game tapes from that season before they offered Nailon a contract to return. "We know what Nailon can do," Scott said. "We also know that he was a very good teammate with a lot of the guys here. We figured it was a no-lose situation to bring him back. "If he does real well in camp, he has a good chance of making the team. If he doesn't, we haven't lost anything. But he has played extremely well and can get things done. He might be a guy that we need." . . . . . . . John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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