Sunday wasn’t the night to be a New Orleans Hornets fan.Walking back to my dorm after the 29-point beatdown, I was embarrassed for the first time in my life to wear a New Orleans Hornets jersey.The Hornets played more like mosquitos in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets. Their offense couldn’t find its rhythm, shooting only 37 percent from the floor. The defense was nonexistent, allowing the Nuggets to shoot more than 50 percent. Denver struck gold from the 3-point line as well, shooting 52.4 percent from behind the arc.Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups had his way with the Bees. “Mr. Big Shot” scored 36 points and shot 8-of-9 from 3-point land. Former Hornets J.R. Smith and Chris “Birdman” Andersen got the last laugh Sunday night, earning a combined 28 points.But don’t be scared, Hornets fans.It was only the first game of a seven-game series. The Hornets do have Chris Paul — the best point guard in the league who can take over a game at the drop of a dime.That dime needs to be dropped soon, though.  The Hornets can’t let the Nuggets continue dominating the series.The Hornets’ defense must wake up from the slumber that was Game 1. If New Orleans can steal Game 2 in Denver, the momentum would drastically swing the Hornets’ way. It will only take one win to give the Hornets their groove back.The Nuggets are a hot and cold team. If J.R. Smith is on, he’s on. If the Birdman gets going, he can do damage. If they are cold, all you’re left with is a goofy head of hair and a whole lot of tattoos.The Bees need center Tyson Chandler to return to midseason form. New Orleans can’t rely on Sean Marks.Relying on Marks to be the starting center is like counting on Joey Harrington to be the starting quarterback. They are backups, and that’s where they belong.The bench disadvantage killed the Creole Blue in Game 1. Somebody needs to tell James Posey it’s the playoffs. Isn’t this why the Hornets brought him to New Orleans? The Hornets didn’t pay him to score two points in Game 1.New Orleans coach Byron Scott must make adjustments. The Hornets have to find a way to stop Billups and get Chandler back into the series.Billups won’t score 36 points, and the Hornets won’t shoot worse than 37 percent.   Kenyon Martin won’t contain David West as he did in the second half of Game 1. The Nuggets played their best basketball Sunday, while the Hornets played their worst.  CP3 will play like the MVP candidate he is, but he needs the help of perimeter shooting. Peja Stojakovic and Rasual Butler must get their shots rolling.Denver has a history of winning the first game of a series but then losing the next four games. In 2005 and 2007, the Nuggets won Game 1 in a series against San Antonio but eventually fell, 4-1.The Hornets are one of the best close-game teams in the NBA. They had a streak of 13-straight overtime wins going into February.The Bees will need that clutch play down the stretch in this series. Call me a perpetual homer, but I still think the Bees will make it to the Western Conference Finals. The Hornets are on the opposite side of the bracket from the Los Angeles Lakers, who are destined for the Western Conference Finals. The Hornets would only have to come back and defeat the Nuggets and then beat either the Spurs or the Dallas Mavericks, both of whom the Hornets could handle.San Antonio is aging and injured. The last game of the regular season proved the series would be close — the Hornets lost 105-98 in overtime after leading by five with 48.7 seconds left.Even though Dallas is playing well, New Orleans has experience against the Mavs in the postseason, taking care of business against them last year in the playoffs, 4-1.Get your Peja heads ready. Gear up your vocal cords for a few “Wooooooo’s.”The playoffs are just beginning for the New Orleans Hornets.
 
 
 
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