By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
When it comes to acquiring international players, the Hornets certainly do not have an extensive track record. In fact, of the franchise’s 40 all-time draft picks since the expansion year of 1988, the team has only selected one man who did not come from a U.S. college or high school (Brazilian forward Marcus Vinicius, in 2006). So when Gustavo Ayon made his debut on New Year’s Day in Sacramento, it was not only a noteworthy night for Mexico – Ayon is just the third player from that nation to play in the NBA – but also for the Hornets.

As a former member of the San Antonio front office, New Orleans general manager Dell Demps vowed to improve the Hornets’ ability to unearth gems from around the globe when he took over in the summer of 2010. Ayon proved to be a quality find, appearing in 54 games as a rookie, including starting 24 times. Demps credited assistant GM Tim Connelly for helping scout Ayon and make the determination that the Hornets should sign the power forward, who’d been successful overseas in Venezuela and Spain. Additional quotes on Ayon that we couldn’t squeeze into his season-review article on Hornets.com:

MONTY WILLIAMS
On Ayon during the first half of the 2011-12 season:
“He’s been a surprise to everyone. His energy, his spirit and his game have helped us a ton this year. He’s gotten better over the long haul. He’s probably played more games than he is used to. I know he’s tired, but he’s showing our fans that he can compete, rebound and is a great passer. He works hard. He’s going to get better when he gets a consistent jump shot. We really like having him around.”

On what Ayon’s upside might be:
“It’s too early to tell. He’s got to do a lot of work and get better, but he’s shown the ability to work hard. He’s going to get better if he adds a jump shot and gets better defensively, but he’s got a bright future. He defends the ball, he can pass well and makes plays that you can’t create.”

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
On one hand, Hornets point guard Jarrett Jack had the best statistical season of his seven years in the NBA, averaging career bests in several categories. Though he entered training camp as a backup, by season’s end he led New Orleans in scoring average (among players who qualified in that category) and assists. On the other hand, 2011-12 marked the sixth time in his seven years that he has missed the playoffs.

After making his NBA postseason debut for the 2010-11 Hornets – including draining a crucial basket that led to a Game 4 victory against the Lakers – Jack was forced to sit out the spring tournament after NOLA went 21-45 this season. Often one of the NBA’s best second-string point guards since joining the league in 2005, Jack has generally been underappreciated due to playing for so many sub-.500 squads. He was in Portland from 2005-08, just before the Trail Blazers reached the postseason three straight years. The Indiana and Toronto teams Jack played for also were competitive but missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2010 despite going 36-46 and 40-42 in the Eastern Conference.

Aside from being in the wrong place at the wrong time, another theme of Jack’s career has been durability, which made his late-season absence due to injury an unexpected development. Jack played 82-plus games for four consecutive seasons prior to missing time this season. It’s always difficult to pinpoint the exact reason behind an injury, but it’s possible the hectic pace of the 66-game schedule contributed to Jack sitting the final three-plus weeks of the season. “To see him get hurt, you know it was because of the wear and tear,” Monty Williams said, alluding to how rare it’s been for Jack to sit out games in the NBA. “That’s one thing you worry about with the guys.”

During his downtime, Jack continued to serve in a leadership role, cheering his teammates from the sideline. The team captain also occasionally jumped in as the third man in the Cox Sports Television booth, joining Bob Licht and Gil McGregor (which didn’t prevent Jack from yelling encouragement to other Hornets players, even while wearing a headset). In a good news-bad news year, Jack sat out an unlucky final 13 games with his stress fracture.

“I’m very disappointed, because you’d like to finish the season the same way you started it,” Jack told reporters in early April upon learning he’d miss the rest of the season. “But it gives me some clarity. I was telling you guys all along I didn’t remember doing anything to my ankle or foot that warranted the swelling or the pain I had been feeling. Getting the MRI and finding out I had a stress fracture, it made stuff makes sense. It stinks because I want to be out there with my guys. It hurts to be on the sideline, kind of feeling helpless.”

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Late in the season, a newspaper reporter asked Monty Williams to discuss some of the team’s most improved players, suggesting that any one of several young players could’ve potentially received that designation. Williams quickly responded, “It has to be Jason Smith.” The 7-foot power forward probably received as many compliments from Williams over the course as any player, with the second-year coach giving glowing assessments of Smith’s work ethic and commitment to getting better.

The result was a new-and-improved Jason Smith that would’ve been mostly unfamiliar to those who watched him play in the previous three years of his NBA career. With the 2011-12 season ending last week, it’s for us to look back at what took place as a new era began for the franchise. First up in the season reviews among players is Smith. Beyond what appeared in the Hornets.com season-review article, here are some additional quotes on the fourth-year pro:

MONTY WILLIAMS
On Smith’s impact:
“Any time you can get a guy like Jason on the floor, his energy, his spirit gives us a different dimension. He can shoot the ball, so you have to play him. He runs the floor better than any big we have. He knows what we do.”

CHRIS KAMAN
On what Smith brings to the team:
“I like his energy. He plays hard for us every night. You can’t say anything bad about him. He plays hard, works hard, plays when he’s hurt and battles through injuries. He doesn’t know how to quit.”

GREIVIS VASQUEZ
On Smith as a player:
“He does everything right. He’s so professional. He’s getting more minutes now. The NBA works in a weird way. Sometimes you can’t really show your game. Now he’s showing what he can do.”

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
This is the latest 2011-12 edition of “Give-and-Go,” a periodic Hornets.com feature with Hornets players. In this installment, New Orleans guard Eric Gordon directly answers Twitter questions sent to www.twitter.com/Jim_Eichenhofer. We caught up with the four-year NBA guard in Houston, prior to Thursday’s season finale against the Rockets.

From @shelbywmccarty: How did that lane-driving dunk feel against your former team, the Clippers, on April 22?
Gordon: [smiles] It felt great. It was good to get back to doing that kind of dunking after being able to get back healthy and be on the court. It was interesting to play against most of the same guys I played with for the first time. I’ve still got a lot of close friends on that team.

From @buffyanne: What’s your favorite book?
Gordon: Probably a book about Michael Phelps. It talks about his life story.

Favorite TV show? Favorite movie?
Gordon: Everybody Hates Chris. My favorite movie of all time is Scarface.

Also from @buffyanne… just curious, are you the same Eric Gordon from Space Jam? (kidding)
Gordon: [laughs] I’ve heard that many times. The kid in the movie was a year younger than me, so sometimes people wonder about that. We both have the same name, but no, it’s not me.

From @matt0_0: Do you think your injuries will be reoccurring?
Gordon: No, they’re not going to be. All of my injuries in the NBA have been one-time things. They happened, and then they were over. It’s never been anything chronic, and I’ve never had the same injury twice. You never know – I could go the next 10 years without having another injury. You never know.

From @mknkachow: How have you enjoyed your first season here in New Orleans?
Gordon: It was very enjoyable to be in New Orleans. But obviously no one expected that I would miss this many games.

From @KevinParnella: What is your perfect scenario on where you want to play next year?
Gordon: Obviously what happens this summer is unpredictable and out of my control. I’m open to staying here and seeing what happens. It’s not like I can choose where I play. It’s going to be a situation where it’s up to the Hornets (to match an offer sheet from another team).

From @ScottandEmily: Why didn’t you sign your extension offer? Was it because you figured you could make more money in the offseason?
Gordon: I felt like we both couldn’t come to an agreement as far as a contract. Now it’s to the point where if they really want to have me this summer, then I’ll be here. Now it gives other teams a chance to try to sign me. All players want to do is play ball (not focus on contracts). At the end of the day, if I’m here, I’m here to win.

From @abelshelby: Does having an owner now convince you more to stay here?
Gordon: It does mean a lot to the players, because now you have someone to play for. You always have a voice now – maybe not something that you always hear, but someone there that you know is the owner of the team. It’s a major addition.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Rockets (34-32), Hornets (21-45)
It was over when… Goran Dragic drained two free throws, putting Houston up by three possessions at 84-77 with 24 seconds remaining. After the Hornets had led wire to wire, the Rockets significantly outplayed their guests in the final quarter for a comeback victory. Playing with another new starting lineup, New Orleans played well for much of the game before running out of gas late. The Hornets closed April with an 8-6 record, by far their best month of 2011-12. New Orleans heads into the offseason with the next big date being May 30, when the draft lottery will be held. The Hornets ended up tied for the third-worst record in the NBA, matching Cleveland’s record of 21-45. Sacramento is 21-44 heading into a late-night Thursday home game vs. the Lakers.

Hornets MVP: Tough call but why not give it to Darryl Watkins? He easily cleared his career high in scoring with 13 points, while also grabbing 10 rebounds to achieve a first NBA double-double. The second-year center also was a disruptive force on defense, posting one block and three rebounds

Hornets Sixth Man of the Game: With Watkins taking MVP honors, it's logical to give the top reserve honors to Carl Landry, who had an extremely efficient game in only seven minutes of action. The power forward scored eight points on 4-for-5 shooting, while grabbing three rebounds. Landry also received an extremely warm welcome from the fans of his first NBA team.

The buzz on… center. Like so many things this season, the initial plan for this position went completely out the window due to injuries. The season began with Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman starting together in a super-sized frontcourt, but the Hornets later decided to move Kaman to the bench. After a stretch in which Kaman was not with the team, Okafor later sustained a knee injury that caused him to miss the final two and a half months of season. With Okafor sidelined, Kaman regained an extremely critical role, playing the lion’s share of the minutes at the 5, with virtually no other true center on the roster. Kaman helped the Hornets recover from a 4-23 start by often powering the offense, particularly during the team’s 3-2 pre-All-Star break road trip. Kaman is an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Okafor still has two years remaining on the extension he signed with the Bobcats prior to being traded to New Orleans. When Okafor and Kaman were both out, Jason Smith slid over to the 5 and did a commendable job in spot duty.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Hornets (21-44), Warriors (23-42)
It was over when… Golden State tossed an errant inbound pass with 0.7 seconds remaining, which deflected high off the backboard and into Darryl Watkins’ hands as time expired. New Orleans took a two-point lead on the previous possession, when a Gustavo Ayon blocked shot led to a transition opportunity for the visitors. Greivis Vasquez quickly dribbled ahead, finding Marco Belinelli for a go-ahead layup.

Hornets MVP: Two of Belinelli’s top three scoring games this season came on the home floor of his first NBA team, the Warriors (Belinelli also lists San Francisco as his favorite NBA city to visit). After scoring 22 points in the previous trip to play Golden State, this time the shooting guard registered a team-best 23 points. He was superb in the second quarter, piling up 10 points to help pull the Hornets to a 43-all deadlock at intermission.

Hornets Sixth of the Game: Carl Landry has claimed this honor in seemingly every recent game. He again was easily the most productive bench player Tuesday, scoring 14 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. Landry’s eight final-stanza points were critical to New Orleans boasting a 22-17 edge in the fourth, allowing the Hornets to overcome a deficit.

The buzz on… power forward. In a season filled with injuries, this position was also hit hard by the bug, with both Landry and Jason Smith missing an extended period of time (coincidentally, they were injured in incidents involving Jason Maxiell during the same disastrous Feb. 4 loss at Detroit). Fortunately, this was undoubtedly the team’s deepest position. When Landry and Smith were available – combined with the solid NBA debut of Gustavo Ayon and the steady season-long improvement of Lance Thomas – there were essentially too many options to get everyone ample opportunities to shine. As a result, Ayon’s playing time dipped in the latter portion of the year, with Landry thriving as the backup behind Smith. Despite being out with a concussion for a big chunk of the abbreviated season, Smith made major strides – Williams called him “easily our most improved player this season.” Particularly late in the season, Landry again showed his rare ability to come in off the bench and be a productive scorer, often as a post-up option and go-to guy. Overall, there were plenty of individual positives at this spot for the quartet of players who suited up at the 4 in 2011-12.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Clippers (40-24), Hornets (20-44)
It was over when... Chris Paul sank two free throws with 27 seconds remaining, finally giving the Clippers some breathing room at 105-98. After an intense, hard-fought game, Los Angeles picked up a much-needed victory, allowing the Clippers to remain in the Pacific Division title race with the Lakers. The Hornets played one of their best quarters of the season in the third, outscoring their hosts 32-17 to go up by 10, but the Clippers responded in a big way. Los Angeles held a 33-14 edge in the fourth quarter, spoiling an excellent and balanced showing by upset-minded New Orleans.

Hornets MVP: When five different players register double-digit scoring and three others tally at least seven points, it's not easy to pick who was most valuable, but let's go with Al-Farouq Aminu. The starting small forward scored 13 of his 14 points after halftime, including a dozen in the third quarter. Sunday's third period was probably the finest span of play as a Hornet for Aminu, who had two dunks, a layup, a three-pointer and a deep two-point jumper, showing off his range of talents. Meanwhile, Eric Gordon scored a team-best 17 points against his former team. NOLA is now 6-3 when Gordon plays this season, with the losses coming against Philadelphia, San Antonio and the Clippers.

Hornets Sixth Man of the Game: No one had an overwhelming game statistically, but Jerome Dyson finished as a plus-8 in plus-minus ratio, while scoring seven points in 18 minutes. Dyson's efficient performance included 2-for-2 shooting, as well as three assists, though he did have three turnovers.

The buzz on... small forward. For the bulk of the season, Trevor Ariza was one of the most consistent players on the roster, frequently playing major minutes and often handling the assignment of guarding the opponent's top wing scorer. Over his two seasons with New Orleans, Ariza's defensive acumen has been one critical - though sometimes overlooked - aspect of the team's above-average play at that end of the floor. With any hope of reaching the playoffs in 2012 having evaporated early in the season, in recent weeks Ariza has been receiving DNP's due to coach's decision, allowing Aminu and Xavier Henry to get more playing time and experience. Aminu was extremely erratic during the first half of the season, often making confounding mistakes on the offensive end, but he has made major strides in recent weeks, capped with another solid game at the Clippers. Henry has been similarly difficult to predict from game to game, but has benefited from his expanded opportunities to play. For a second straight season, he has not displayed a reliable perimeter shot, leading Monty Williams to project that Henry may be more suited for small forward instead of shooting guard. Henry has gotten more aggressive as 2011-12 has progressed, leading to more consistency and fewer ups and downs. Aminu and Henry have both had their third-year options picked up, meaning they'll be under contract in 2012-13. Ariza also has another guaranteed season left on his deal, followed by a player option in 2013-14.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Barring an unlikely series of events, the 2012 first-round pick New Orleans received from the L.A. Clippers will land in the 10th slot of the May 30 draft lottery. Minnesota (26-38) only has two games remaining on its schedule – including a home game Sunday night vs. Golden State – making it a virtual certainty that the Timberwolves will finish with the 10th-worst record in the NBA.

The only team Minnesota has a mathematical chance to “catch” in the standings is Portland (28-36), while the only squad that can finish tied with Minnesota is Detroit (23-40). In other words, the pick conveyed to the Hornets will fall in the 10th position unless one of these two scenarios takes place:
a) Minnesota wins twice and Portland loses twice, causing a deadlock at No. 10
b) Minnesota loses twice and Detroit wins three times, causing a deadlock at No. 9

The team that collects the 10th slot of the lottery has a 1.1 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick. Those odds increase slightly to a 1.3 percent chance of earning the No. 2 pick, as well as a 1.6 percent chance of garnering the No. 3 pick. Keep in mind, tiebreakers do not apply to the draft lottery. If two teams finish tied in the standings, the percentage odds of the two spots are added together then divided.

In other news with only a handful of days remaining in the regular season:
• Although it seemed like a given that New Orleans’ 66th regular season game at Houston would have major consequences for the Rockets, that’s a long shot now. Due to its recent six-game losing streak, Houston can be eliminated as soon as Sunday night, when it visits Miami. For the Rockets to get to Thursday still alive in the race, they must beat the Heat tonight, then hope Phoenix prevails at Utah on Tuesday (if the Jazz win that game, they are automatically in the playoffs). The Rockets also need Phoenix to lose to San Antonio on Wednesday in Arizona. If all three of those results happen, the Rockets could clinch a playoff berth by defeating the Hornets on Thursday – but they also would need the Jazz to lose to Portland on Thursday.
• The Clippers (39-24) enter Sunday just a half game behind the No. 3 Lakers (40-24) in the Western Conference standings, making their Sunday home game against the Hornets a crucial affair. The Clippers are also just a half game ahead of No. 5 Memphis (39-25), meaning they could still squander homecourt advantage in the first round of the postseason. The Clippers do own the tiebreaking advantage over the Grizzlies, however, meaning if they defeat the Hornets on Sunday, they’ll only need one more win in their final two games to be assured of at least the No. 4 seed. The Clips close the season with road games at Atlanta and New York.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Hornets (20-43), Rockets (32-31)
It was over when… Eric Gordon drained two free throws with 12 seconds remaining in overtime, giving the Hornets a three-possession advantage. After a nip-and-tuck second half, New Orleans dominated the extra period, scoring 12 of the first 15 points. The result was a memorable victory in the final home game of the 2011-12 regular season. For Houston, a sixth straight loss put its playoff hopes in serious peril. New Orleans won six home games during the month of April, more than doubling that total to 11 on the season.

Hornets MVP: Gordon put together a methodical 27-point game, scoring 12 points in the first half, 10 in the second half and five more in overtime. It was the kind of steady offensive performance that was so sorely lacking in the vast majority of the 55 games the shooting guard missed this season. With the victory, New Orleans improved to 6-2 with the fourth-year pro on the floor, but has gone just 14-41 without him. “We have a good group of guys here,” Gordon said. “A good young core. Like I’ve told everybody, the future is bright here. I think I can help any team. If I’m here, I’m definitely going to look forward to helping this organization win games.”

Hornets Sixth Man of the Game: There aren’t many players in the NBA who can put up 20 and 10 off the bench and you’re not at all surprised, but that’s one reason why Carl Landry has been such a valuable performer throughout his pro career. The power forward only had two points at the half, but delivered seven points in both the fourth quarter and overtime to finish with 20 points along with 10 rebounds. Landry and fellow reserve Gustavo Ayon worked well together in the paint, with Ayon often feeding Landry for a point-blank opportunity.

The buzz on… shooting guard. The obvious plan for Gordon to carry the Hornets’ offense all season had to be scrapped due to his lengthy absence with a knee injury, but the best part of this recent stretch is that New Orleans has not looked at all like a bottom-feeder when he’s in uniform. It’s a small sample of just eight games, but Gordon has averaged 21.0 points and appears to be the difference between non-stop narrow losses to more talented opponents (a persistent theme throughout much of 2011-12) and wins over quality foes. It’d be one thing if the Hornets were beating the dregs of the NBA lately, but that’s not the case. Marco Belinelli was supposed to be the backup to Gordon, but he’s instead started 53 times in 63 appearances. He started the campaign shooting below his career norms, but as the year progressed he’s often played extremely well. Gordon is a restricted free agent, while Belinelli is an unrestricted free agent, meaning there’s no guarantee either player will be a Hornet next season, but the Hornets have complete say-so on Gordon’s future. Belinelli can sign with any NBA team in the offseason. He’s been a Monty Williams favorite, but Belinelli has been reluctant to discuss his future, saying he’d prefer to wait until the 66-game season has concluded. Xavier Henry also could be part of the future equation at the 2, but appears to be more suited for small forward, particularly with him having much more success on offense around the basket than on jumpers.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Grizzlies (37-25), Hornets (19-43)
It was over when… Jeremy Pargo drove to the basket for a layup to give Memphis an 84-60 lead late in the third quarter, capping an extremely impressive 12 minutes by the Grizzlies. The hosts trailed by one point at halftime, but outscored New Orleans by a staggering 37-12 margin in the third period. The Hornets, who committed 10 turnovers in what was their poorest-played quarter in April, never seriously threatened the Grizzlies in the fourth. New Orleans headed home immediately afterward, to face Houston in a key game for the Rockets on Thursday in the Crescent City.

Hornets MVP: In his four previous games with New Orleans, point guard Jerome Dyson had shown that his biggest strength is the ability to dribble past defenders and get into the lane for layups. He put that skill to use to the nth degree Wednesday in Tennessee, going to the foul line a total of 16 times. The NBA rookie sank 14 of those tosses, resulting in a career-high 24-point game. He went 5-for-7 from the field.

Hornets Sixth Man of the Game: Like Dyson, despite the Hornets falling into a big hole in the second half, Carl Landry continued to work hard at the offensive end, drawing fouls and capitalizing by making his free throws. The Purdue product was 8-for-9 at the charity stripe, accounting for half of 16 points. Honorable mention went to Darryl Watkins, who in his first official NBA game since 2007-08 grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds, including six offensive boards.

The buzz on… wrapping up the 2011-12 season, position-by-position, starting with point guard. Wednesday’s visit to face his old team wasn’t one of Greivis Vasquez’s finest moments (9 assists, but 7 turnovers) this season, but the Maryland product made significant strides over the course of his second pro year. Playing with a pass-first mentality, Vasquez was in the starting lineup during the Hornets’ two longest winning streaks of the year, including the four-game stretch that ended in Memphis tonight. Meanwhile, prior to a season-ending stress fracture in his foot, Jarrett Jack put up career-high statistics in virtually every major category. After longtime Hornets franchise player Chris Paul was traded less than two weeks before the Dec. 26 season opener, Jack had enormous shoes to fill, but did a commendable job providing scoring for a team that desperately needed it (particularly with Eric Gordon sidelined for all but seven games). Dyson was signed late in the year and showed flashes of offensive excellence, causing Monty Williams to suggest that the UConn product might be part of New Orleans’ summer program, such as participating in Las Vegas summer league.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Hornets (19-42), Bobcats (7-53)
It was over when… Charlotte’s Kemba Walker misfired on a three-pointer that was rebounded by Greivis Vasquez with less than 10 seconds remaining. The Bobcats then fouled Vasquez, who sank two free throws for a 75-67 edge with just 4.5 seconds remaining. Playing with only nine guys available, the Hornets posted their season-high fourth straight victory. Since the season’s low point record-wise of 4-23, New Orleans has gone a much more respectable 15-19.

Hornets MVP: On a night when not a whole lot was working at the offensive end, the 6-foot-6 Vasquez was effective getting into the lane and using his height advantage over the Bobcats to get floaters and layups. The native of Venezuela racked up 14 points in the second half, en route to a 20-point game. Typical of Monday’s game, he was 0-for-5 from three-point range but went 8-for-13 on twos. “We missed a lot of shots and were a little tired,” Vasquez said. “We kept fighting and fighting and got the win.”

Hornets Sixth Man of the Game: Like Vasquez, Carl Landry’s offensive production in the second half enabled New Orleans to escape with a victory in a hoops war of attrition. The power forward scored 12 of his 14 points after intermission, including one stretch in which the Hornets cleared out a side and let Landry go to work one-on-one. He also had 12 rebounds. “Any time you’ve got guys beat up and limited, it’s going to be tough,” Landry said of the scratch-and-claw nature of Monday’s game. “We took care of business and got the win tonight.” Landry was playing with a strained calf muscle in his left leg.

The buzz on… a new name to replace “Hornets.” If there still were any doubts that incoming New Orleans owner Tom Benson was serious about the notion of changing the club’s nickname, those should’ve been completely erased Monday afternoon. During a lengthy press conference and media gathering, the New Orleans Saints owner said several times that he wants the NBA franchise to have a moniker that is more closely associated with the city. He believes that "Hornets" is too generic, with no specific reason for a NOLA team to have that tag. Although Benson appears intent on making the sweeping change, there is no early indication of any frontrunner or leader in terms of a potential name. In fact, Benson at one point asked the large gathering in the New Orleans Arena today if they could provide him with some assistance in finding a better name.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Hornets (18-42), Grizzlies (35-25)
It was over when… Al-Farouq Aminu threw down an athletic dunk with about 1:45 remaining, giving New Orleans an 86-72 lead. The Hornets went on to upset the Grizzlies and finish 4-1 on their five-game homestand, playing the role of spoiler against playoff contenders Minnesota, Utah and Memphis. The Hornets also improved to 5-2 this season with Eric Gordon in the lineup, more evidence that this team may not have finished near the bottom of the standings with a healthy squad. New Orleans heads to the road for games at Charlotte and Memphis over the next three days.

Hornets MVP: Sometimes one of the best gauges of a player’s ability takes place when he doesn’t appear to have a great game, but you look at his stats afterward and it’s still an impressive line. It didn’t seem like Gordon was particularly dominant Sunday, but by the end of the night he had scored a team-best 18 points on only nine field-goal attempts. The key to his efficient performance was an 8-for-8 effort on free throws. The fourth-year shooting guard was aggressive taking the ball to the rim, again showing his knack for getting into the lane and drawing fouls. Asked whether he wonders what a healthy Hornets team may have been capable of, Gordon said, “Of course. I say that myself. I look forward to helping this team. That’s all I’m here to do. (The recent winning) shows that we’re making progress. The future is bright. It’s always good with a lot of young guys to beat playoff teams. That’s what we’ve been doing.”

Hornets Sixth Man of the Game: Carl Landry was a force in the paint, scoring all 18 of his points in the second through fourth quarters. Like with Gordon, the Grizzlies struggled to keep Landry from scoring around the basket. The power forward scored five of his six baskets from near the hoop, with only a mid-range jumper coming from outside point-blank range. He also pulled down 11 rebounds, tying his season high.

The buzz on… a special pregame meeting. Prior to Sunday’s Southwest Division game, new Hornets owner Tom Benson met with his basketball players for the first time. As Jason Smith put it simply, “it feels great to have an actual owner.” Smith said Benson was joined by Saints executives and management during their greeting. “We met his entire staff,” Smith described. “(Benson) was saying he loves to win, and has the mindset of winning. He was very nice. He introduced himself and was looking forward to things to come.” Meanwhile, Gordon addressed how the recent development will affect his offseason, where he’ll become a restricted free agent. Gordon sounded a bit like a man participating in the basketball version of a job interview. “The Hornets have all my rights,” Gordon said of being a restricted free agent. “He has to know that I have a winning mentality. At the end of the day, it’s his decision whether he wants to keep me or not. If you ask anyone on this team, I get along with everybody, the coaching staff and teammates. I’m just here to win. That’s it.”

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Hornets (17-42), Jazz (31-29)
It was over when… Eric Gordon finished off a string of great individual plays in the fourth quarter by drilling a deep two-point jumper over Gordon Hayward, bringing the New Orleans crowd to its feet and providing a 94-82 lead with 2:09 remaining. The Hornets held on for a nice win on a memorable day for the franchise, hours after learning that Saints owner Tom Benson had purchased the team. On the flip side, Utah was dealt a costly loss in its pursuit of a Western Conference playoff berth. It was the Jazz’s second loss in the Crescent City this season.

Hornets MVP: Gordon put on a show for part of the final period, finishing with 10 points in the quarter en route to 25 points overall. New Orleans improved to 4-2 in the six games the shooting guard has played this season, with none of those victories coming against lower-echelon foes. “That gives you a great insight into what he can do,” Jason Smith said of Gordon’s late scoring outburst. “He’s an amazing player. We missed his presence. He’s a big part of our team. When you have someone like that who can score at will, you don’t even have to run a play for him. You just get out of his way.”

Hornets Sixth Man of the Game: It was a quietly solid night for the bench, with no player scoring more than seven points, but overall the group had 22 points on 9-for-19 shooting. Xavier Henry picked up the in-arena award with six points in 12 minutes. He also had three rebounds, an assist and a steal.

The buzz on… a franchise gaining some long-awaited permanency. Given how many times it appeared as though the Hornets were on the verge of getting a new owner over the last few months, Friday was a bit of a surreal day for the players. The Hornets were told after their morning shootaround that Benson was buying the club. “We’re happy that we have an owner,” Smith said. “We’re happy that we’re going to stay in New Orleans. That’s basically the entire focus. It’s very nice. With Mr. Benson coming in, that’s a great job on his part to try to keep this team in New Orleans. It’s very commendable.” In a description many hopeful local fans could relate to, Smith explained that there had been several “false alarms” in which players believed a Hornets owner was forthcoming, only to see it not take place. “That’s the whole thing that’s been going on all year,” Smith said. “(People have said to us), ‘Oh you guys got an owner (who is coming in) the next couple weeks. Well, we’ve been waiting for the next couple weeks for months and months and months. Now hopefully everything will get done in writing. These are the greatest fans in New Orleans, and this is a great atmosphere to play in.”

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Updates from today’s shootaround in the New Orleans Arena:
• The first question asked of Hornets coach Monty Williams this morning regarded the potential sale of the team. As has been his custom during a season of distractions and injuries, Williams responded that his focus is on preparing for Friday’s game and trying to defeat Utah. “I have nothing to say (because) I haven’t heard any official statement,” Williams said. “All I’ve heard is a lot of stuff for the past three or four months – actually, a lot longer than that. My concern is getting ready for the Jazz tonight. Until I hear something official – or someone comes to me face-to-face and tells me what’s happening – there is nothing for me to say.”
• In a follow-up question on whether it will be a sigh of relief for the Hornets to have a long-term owner, Williams said, “Obviously. That’s an easy one. If for no one else, the city of New Orleans, to be able to say OK (it’s completed).”
• Asked what he hopes his team shows fans in the third-to-last home game of 2011-12, the second-year coach said, “The same thing we’ve shown them all year long, that we compete, we play hard, play to win. We want to make our fans proud. We take our jobs seriously. We feel like we are privileged to be in this position. We have a few more games at home. We want to make sure we go out playing our best basketball.”
• Eric Gordon (back) is a game-time decision, while Emeka Okafor and Chris Johnson are both listed as out. Jarrett Jack is out for the season.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, www.twitter.com/Jim_Eichenhofer
This is the latest 2011-12 edition of “Give-and-Go,” a periodic Hornets.com feature with Hornets players. In this installment, New Orleans guard Marco Belinelli directly answers Twitter questions sent to www.twitter.com/Jim_Eichenhofer. We caught up with the fifth-year NBA guard after a game at the New Orleans Arena.

From @loveyou5678: Marco, what is your favorite thing about being an NBA player?
Belinelli: I love to play basketball. I started playing basketball when I was 6 years old. I love the sport, I love the competition. Being in the NBA is the ultimate level.

From @zlwool: What is your favorite Italian place in New Orleans? Having lived in Bologna where he played, I miss the food too! From @TomMagnum: What is your favorite Italian restaurant/dish in NOLA?
Belinelli: My favorite Italian place here is Domenica. They’ve got great pizza and have great Italian food.

From @mknkachow: What’s your favorite place to eat in NOLA?
Belinelli: I like Rock-n-Sake, the sushi place. Also GW Fins. There are so many good restaurants here.

From @TheRealPanicFC: What is your favorite soccer team? Bologna, or one of the giants?
Belinelli: I’m not really a big fan of soccer, but my favorite team is Inter (Milan).

From @JZeser25: Marco, how does it feel to be the most smooth and purest shooter in the league? #Money3ball
Belinelli: I don’t know. [smiles] I work at it every day. I try to do my best. But I also try to do everything. I’ve played point guard sometimes, tried to score more and try to help us win more games.

From @psuhoops333: Marco, do you still want to stick around for a few years with the presence of Eric Gordon?
From @tommyblaze777: Marco, would you like to be back in NOLA, knowing that Eric Gordon is likely the future at the 2? Would you mind being a reserve?
Belinelli: It’s too early right now to think about that. I’m going to be a free agent, so we’ll have to wait and see.

From @PaulAlgu12: Would you rather have an Olympic gold medal or an NBA championship?
Belinelli: An NBA championship. I always dreamed of playing in the NBA. When I was young, I watched a lot of NBA Finals where Michael Jordan won the championship. But I mean, I want to do both! [smiles]

What area do you think you’ve improved in your game the most during the 2011-12 season?
Belinelli: My balance on my shot and my defense. I try to not be just a shooter. I try to drive the ball more and dunk the ball, to be better overall on offense.

How do you explain the recent stretch you had, including the best two-game scoring span of your NBA career during the Western road trip?
Belinelli: I don’t really know. When you play a lot of minutes, you get a lot of confidence in yourself and play well. Playing against Golden State, that was one of my former teams. But every night in the NBA is tough.

By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Hornets (16-42), Kings (19-40)
It was over when… Jason Smith made one free throw to give New Orleans a 102-94 lead with less than a minute remaining. The Hornets have won three of their past five games, the first time they’ve done that since mid-February. New Orleans now heads into consecutive home games against Utah and Memphis on the weekend, two opponents who are vying for position in the Western Conference playoff race.

Hornets MVP: Just two games after he easily cleared his previous career high of 20 by scoring 26 points in a win over the Timberwolves, Smith posted the second-best offensive game of his four-year NBA career, with 22 against the Kings. The 7-foot power forward explained that he’s trying to be more aggressive during this final stretch of the season, which has resulted in unprecedented success. Just as impressively, he’s not taking a ton of shots to put up big numbers, going 10-for-12 on Wednesday. “It’s really trying to mix in not just pick-and-pop, but also pick-and-roll to the basket, or being able to do a little shot fake and get to the basket or to the free-throw line,” Smith said of the diversification of his game. “If you’re just a jump shooter, teams can just D up for that. If you’re (only) a jump shooter, there is not much else you can do.”

Hornets Sixth Man of the Game: Xavier Henry hasn’t shot well from the outside for most of the season, but as Monty Williams has said recently, the second-year pro may develop into a small forward (as opposed to a shooting guard), where perimeter accuracy isn’t as much of a must. Henry again played like a 3 on Wednesday by getting most of his baskets on drives to the basket. Only his first field goal came off a jumper; the rest were close-range layups and a fast-break dunk. “They don’t have a lot of shot-blockers,” Henry said of Sacramento, “so getting to the rim (was an emphasis) and not worrying about getting your shot blocked, attacking, is always good. I always try to be aggressive.”

The buzz on… one primary objective of the final two weeks. Prior to Wednesday’s game, Williams noted that the reason Trevor Ariza has been moved out of the rotation is that the Hornets want to give more playing time to the likes of Henry, Al-Farouq Aminu and Lance Thomas at Ariza’s position of small forward. With the playoffs well out of reach long ago, the focus is on 2012-13 and trying to determine which players have a future in New Orleans. Understandably, the players truly appreciate the chance to prove themselves. “It’s being smart,” 25-year-old Greivis Vasquez said of Williams’ approach. “He’s giving us experience. Not every coach does that in the league, to put a young guy out there so he can learn. As a young guy, you’ve got to take advantage of that. I went through a situation last year where I wasn’t even touching the floor (in Memphis) the first 60 or 70 games. But I was ready (late in the season and playoffs). You’ve got to be ready now, because they’re giving you an opportunity. Management is looking to the future, to see who’s going to stay and who’s not. But we can’t control that. We can only control how hard we play. That’s his decision, and we’re all going to take advantage of that.”