The Hornets are hoping to add legitimacy of their renaissance season with a semifinals series victory over NBA defending champ San Antonio.
Game 1 is Saturday at 9 p.m. in the Arena and The Spurs are headed into the series with their eyes wide open.
"Everybody saw what the Hornets did to us in a couple of games during the season, " said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, the league's Sixth Man of The Year and the team's leading scorer with 19.5 points per game despite starting only 34 games. "They really killed us." The Hornets handed the Spurs two of their biggest losses on the season.
The Hornets and Spurs split their four regular-season games but many remember the two the Bees won: 102-78 on Jan. 26 in San Antonio, and 100-75 on March 12 in the Arena.
After their most successful regular season in their 20-year history, in which they finished 56-26 and won the South West Division, the Hornets defeated Dallas 4-1 in the first round. It was the team's first postseason series victory since relocating from Charlotte in 2002, and only its fifth ever.
"I wasn't surprised by what they did to Dallas," said Spurs forward Kurt Thomas. "They have been playing at a high level all season long."
Hornets doubters were critical of the team's chances in the playoffs because of their youth and lack of playoff experience, but those factors didn't slow down the Hornets against Dallas.
This series features the king of the hill against the new kid on the block.
The Spurs have won four NBA championships since 1999, establishing themselves as the NBA's model franchise. They are what the Hornets would like to become someday.
The Spurs are the oldest, most-veteran-laden team, with 11 players in their 30s. Although many of the Spurs at the end of their careers, each member of the Spurs' star-studded trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Ginobili is still in their “primes”. Hornets coach Byron Scott said Duncan could be the best power forward to every play in the NBA. He will be guarded by David West.
Conversely, the Hornets' roster includes eight players who are under age 30. highlighted by the emerging trio of Chris Paul, who will turn 23 on Tuesday, Tyson Chandler, 25, and West, 27. Two other members of the Hornets' playoff rotation, Hilton Armstrong and JuJu Wright are 23 and 20 respectively.
Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have been together for three of the Spurs' four NBA titles. Duncan has bee around for all of them.
Robert Horry, relegated to reserve duty, owns more championship rings than any active player (seven), and is closing in on another milestone. With five more appearances, Horry can catch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leader in playoff games played.
"There's no substitute for experience," said Duncan, a WakeForest alum like Paul. "Guys don't panic, we don't for the most part take bad shots. We come down, we execute, we make the right plays and take the right shots."
The Hornets bench was another target of criticism before the playoffs, but that has changed.
Jannero Pargo was termed the team's unsung hero of the first round by Mo Peterson. Pargo, who takes over for Paul when he's out, was the Bees' fourth-leading scorer in round 1, including a 30-point effort in Game 3. Wright continued to show glimpses of his finishing ability on offense and on one-on-one defense. Bonzi Wells only averaged 16.6 minutes vs. Dallas, but has a history of giving the Spurs trouble and unique post-up skills for a guard.
The Hornets are playing with a lot more confidence than they were in the regular season," said Spurs guard Michael Finley. "With that being said, we have to kick it up a notch."
Q&A WITH SAINTS KICKER
Saints coach Sean Payton has always liked kickers that can produces touchbacks on kickoffs.
That's why the Saints drafted former Wisconsin kicker Taylor Mehlhaff with a sixth-round selection in Sunday's draft.
The left-footer kicked 21 of 25 field goal attempts last season with a long of 52 yards. Even more important to Payton were his 123 touchbacks during his Wisconsin career.
After the draft, Mehlhaff answered questions from the media. His session:
Q: How much conversation did you have with the Saints leading up to your being drafted?
A: It came as a little bit of a surprise. They had flown up and worked me out Monday morning and I had a good workout with them. I though Denver or Seattle would probably come a little bit sooner, to be honest.\, but I am excited. I was a little bit nervous for a while so I was excited to get that phone call. I think it's a great opportunity and I am excited to come down there.
Q: You know the last kicker they drafted was Morten Andersen so they might have high expectations.
A: That is certainly true. Morten Andersen had a pretty good career there.
Q: Do all left-footed kickers grow up wanting to be the next Morten Andersen?
A: I think so. Anyone that can stick around that long in the NFL is someone you definitely look up to.
Q: You were the first kicker taken this year in the draft, were you surprised by that?
A: A little bit. I was confident in myself and I thought I was in a good position going into it. I had a great combine and a good year. From what all teams were telling me, a lot of people said that I was the top guy and I had my hopes set high. As it started getting more and more into the sixth round I started getting a little nervous, but that was the most amazing feeling I ever had getting that phone call.
Q: What are the strengths that made you stand out above all other kickers in this draft?
A: I think my athleticism. I grew up playing a bunch of different sports and I think definitely that. Also. I think my mentality. I just have an athlete's mentality that I bring to the table. Not only is that an edge over other guys, but physically with my kickoff I think if you put me one-on-one with somebody I can beat them out and I feel very confident with my field goals. I am continually getting better and I think I have a lot of upsides. I played a bunch of different sports in high school and really didn't start kicking seriously until my senior year of high school so I really think I have a ton of upsides.
Q: Do you think your strength in kickoffs is where you will make headway with the Saints?
A: Yes. That is one of the things that excites teams and I feel that put of the top set of kickers, field-goal-wise there isn't a lot of difference. a miss here. a miss there, but what really separates us is who can put the ball in the end zone. the kickoff are becoming a premium and it is getting more and more important. You look at guys like Devin Hester and Josh Gibbs up in Cleveland; these returners are getting better and better. You need to have a good kickoff team and it starts with the kicker.
Q: If you played a lot of sports previously, what led you to become a kicker?
A: I don't know. I was a quarterback and I thought I was going to play quarterback in college, but it was it was either going to be for a Division II or III school here in South Dakota or kick at a Division I level, and I'm a gamer. I'm big on atmosphere of the game and I grew up going to Division I football games and that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to play in front of those crowds and I thrive in those situations. That is why I chose football; I was able to kick at the Division I level.
Q: Did you ever throw a pass on a fake kick or anything?
A: We had a lot of those in the bag at Wisconsin and just never got the opportunity to do them. But I would definitely feel good about doing something like that.
Q: Did you participate in a lot of activities at the combine?
A: I did the bench press, I wanted to run the 40, but I didn't want to risk tweaking a hammy so I just did the bench press. I had done 15 reps (with 225 pounds) at school right before I left and banged out 14 at the combine. I am an athlete and if you need me to make a tackle on he field I can do that.
Q: After kicking in Wisconsin, are you looking forward to kicking in friendly conditions, warmer weather, and domes?
A: Yes, for sure. Growing up in South Dakota I am used to the cold and the wind and everything, but it will be nice to kick indoors a little bit. It's not like all the time when you are on the road though. I'm excited to come down there and compete and I am going to go there and work my butt off. I expect a lot out of myself.
Q: Are you left-handed?
A: I actually throw right-handed. I kick left and throw right-handed.
Q: Adam Vinatieri is from your area, is that correct?
A: Adam is from South Dakota. He is a guy that I have obviously looked up to forever. I think every kicker would love to be able to accomplish what he has acomplished, making game winners and being know as such a clutch guy. Ikind of compare myself to him. I think we have the same mentality. He is a guy that is known as an athlete, a guy that is out there kicking and I think that we kind of compare a little bit.
GEORGIA QB TOP DOG
Off the typewriter...
Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford is considered the top draft prospect for the 2008 season. CBSSports.com has rated the top prospects and has Stafford the No. 1 prospect, but he's not the Heisman Trophy winner. The Georgia junior enters the season having started 19 games in his first two seasons. Last season, he threw 19 touchdown passes with 10 interceptions. The challengers to Stafford are Purdue's Curtis Painter, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Louisville's Hunter Cantwell. The cream of the '09 crop includes: Herman Johnson, G, LSU: He's a huge (6-5, 350) guard who might move outside and play right tackle; Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU; at 6-5, 292 pounds, he's a big, powerful end, but he has the speed to come off the edge. He could be the star of the Tigers' defense now that Glenn Dorsey is gone; Just missed: Demetrius Byrd, WR, LSU; Al Woods, DT, LSU; Ciron Black, T, LSU; Darryl Beckwith, LB. LSU. Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, QB, Florida, Jr., will have to adjust to the next level, but he throws it well enough. We know he's tough enough...
LSU's annual Tiger Tour, featuring coach Les Miles and new men's basketball coach Trent Johnson, starts next week in Alexandria in the first of 12 stops. The first stop is is May 7 at the AlexandriaRiverfrontCenter. Johnson, who took over the Tigers' men's basketball program two weeks ago, will participate in 11 of the 12 stops, missing only the one in Houston on June 16.
The annual LSU Tiger Tour 2008, which is presented by Capital One, CST and Eagle 98.1 FM, is a join venture by the Tiger Athletic Foundation and the LSU Alumni Association, all of which are collaborating to support the Forever LSU Campaign. In addition to Miles and Johnson, the tour will also feature baseball coach Paul Mainieri, women's basketball coach Van Chancellor, LSU Chancellor Dr. William Jenkins and Gen. Ron Richard, who serves as CEO of the TAF.
Event times and ticket prices vary for each tour stop. All times and prices are available at the LSU Tiger Tour Web site at www.lsutigertour.com, the Tiger Athletic Foundation Web site at www.lsutaf.org. and at the official Web site of LSU Athletics. www.LSUsports.net.
The Hornets are hoping to add legitimacy of their renaissance season with a semifinals series victory over NBA defending champ 
