04/06/2009 - 12:39
Monday in Houston?
by Devon Jeffreys

With the playoffs just around the corner and the Hornets beginning to struggle again, No. 6 is getting antsy to get back out and help his team.

“At this point, regardless if I am ready or not, I want to play in the playoffs,” Ty told the Times-Picayune. “I need to start walking around, and I need to get a couple of games under my belt.”

According to the Times-Picayune’s report, the walking boot is off and No. 6 has targeted a week from today, in Houston, for his return to the court. That would give TC two games to prepare for the playoffs, as the Hornets close out their season a week from Wednesday in San Antonio.

Hornets coach Byron Scott is hopeful this timetable will work because he’d like to get a look at Tyson before the postseason, as quoted in the Times-Picayune:

“If he can play the last two or three games to get ready for the playoffs, I think that will probably be a fair assessment, ” Scott said. “It’s still very slow in healing. He’s under the assumption the last game or so, even if it’s not 100 percent, he wants to play.”

CINCH TO CLINCH
The Hornets, however would have to lose the rest of their games and have the Phoenix Suns win the rest of their games to miss the playoffs.

Despite those long odds, the Bees have lost four of their last seven games in Ty’s absence and have dropped to sixth place in the Western Conference standings, half a game ahead of Utah for 7th and 1.5 ahead of Dallas for the 8th spot.

If the season ended today, New Orleans would have a first round date with the team that knocked them from the postseason last year, the San Antonio Spurs.

Scott is confident that, given their full compliment of players, the Hornets can beat any team they come across, as quoted by the AP:

“I’m pretty comfortable if I’ve got my starting unit together and I know how they can play, I’m pretty comfortable that we can beat anybody in the West,” Scott said. “But I would love to have them together a little bit sooner so we can go into the playoffs on a high note. That’s going to be I think pretty important.”

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James Posey and Tyson Chandler still on the mend (Times-Picayune, April 6, 2009)
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Scott confident if he gets his starting unit back (ESPN.com, April 4, 2009)
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