04/13/2009 - 08:47
Back in Time
by Devon Jeffreys

Tyson won't be back in the lineup when the Hornets take the floor in Houston tonight, but Wednesday in San Antonio is a distinct possibility.

The Times-Picayune had the latest report on the status of No. 6 in today’s edition:

Chandler has been sidelined for 14 consecutive games with an inflamed left ankle, but there were hopes for his return tonight at Houston. But Scott believes Chandler can be playoff ready by playing in the regular-season finale instead of taking the risk of playing two games in three days that could aggravate his ankle injury.

Scott met with Chandler on Saturday to discuss the appropriate return time.

“I’m optimistic that he will be fine for the playoffs,” Scott said. “I just really don’t want to chance him playing two games before the playoffs.”

Tyson has been cautious in returning after he was immobilized to help the injury heal. So he’s heeded his coach’s advice, but Ty wants to be in the fold come playoff time.

“It’s been tough sitting around watching,” Chandler said. “But in this situation, I have to kind of listen to him because I feel for the long run he is right. If I come back now and tweak it, it’s going to hurt the team.”

At the Hive, they know Tyson’s presence will make all the difference:

“Maybe this team turns it around with Tyson returning for the playoffs. It really isn’t that crazy an idea; Tyson has an amazing impact on defense and a considerable one on offense. This team could very well make a deep run with him patrolling the middle. One thing is for sure though. The Hornets will go as far as Chris Paul and David West and Tyson Chandler take them.”

MISSING LINK
The Hornets haven’t been the same on the glass in The Big Easy’s absence, making it ever so important that he play in the playoffs, as noted by hldomingue At the Hive after the Hornets 102-92 victory over Dallas on Sunday:

“The Hornets Offensive Rebounding. They had 14. We had 2. Tyson, please hurry back.”

At the Hive also made some interesting observation about the Hornets in Ty’s absence after a Friday loss to Dallas:

“I noticed something today that I’m stunned I hadn’t noticed before. The gameplan hasn’t changed one, single, tiny iota since Tyson Chandler left the lineup. We run the exact same plays with guys “pretending” to be Chandler. Hilton tries and fails miserably to set the same screens, Melvin Ely tries and fails miserably to roll hard to the hoop. I can’t even begin to describe how stupid this is. I mean, I’ve been seeing it happen for weeks; it just never fully registered in my brain. Byron Scott has not even attempted to alter his game strategy for Tyson’s loss. He’s refused to come up with new plays, even though it’s painfully obvious that Ely and Armstrong are no Chandler.

In fact, we even play defense the same way! Instead of Chandler waiting to block a shot though, it’s Hilton providing the defender with a three-point play. With Chandler, the Hornets’ defensive strategy was to funnel penetration towards the big. Without Chandler, the Hornets’ defensive strategy should be to meet penetration earlier in the drive using the forwards. It’s extraordinarily basic basketball. Yet nothing has changed.”

FACE TIME
No. 6 may have sat on the bench during the Hornets’ victory over Dallas yesterday, but at Hornets Hype, they believe the Big Easy made an impact anyway.

Tyson’s face was on the tickets to yesterday’s game and the win was the 7th with TC’s mug on it in 8 games:

“So, maybe, just maybe, this ticket somehow augurs some cosmic sense of causality, and even if it doesn’t decide the fate of our team per se, it might have a knowing read of the preordained outcome of the game and resultant the Western Conference standings. Or not. As you can see from the above, Tyson’s mere presence doesn’t guarantee a win, but it puts the odds in our favor. Believe it.”

Sounds like all playoff tickets should feature No. 6 on them.

WHERE THEY STAND
With two games remaining in the season, No. 6 and the Hornets sit in the Western Conference’s sixth spot. One win by New Orleans in their final two games would clinch that spot.

But there are other ways for the Hornets to secure the six seed: One loss by the Jazz in their final three will help the Hornets avoid a first round meeting with the Lakers.

Sunday’s win also put the Hornets a full game ahead of Dallas and gave them the tiebreaker, meaning one Dallas loss will guarantee the Hornets the sixth seed.

If the season ended today, the sixth seed would mean the Hornets would face the Spurs, but San Antonio, Portland and Houston have identical records, so plenty can change over the next three days.

Stay tuned.

RELATED STORIES
Game 79 High Five (At the Hive, April 10, 2009)
http://www.atthehive.com/2009/4/10/830327/game-79-hive-five
So it is as it was (Hornets Hype, April 11, 2009)
http://hornetshype.com/wp/2009/04/11/so-it-is-as-it-was/
Game 80 Hive Live (At the Hive, April 12, 2009)
http://www.atthehive.com/2009/4/10/830327/game-79-hive-five
Tyson Chandler expected to return to court in regular season finale (The Times-Picayune, April 12, 2009)
http://blog.nola.com/hornetsbeat/2009/04/hornets_center_tyson_chandler_1...