Dein erstes Forum » quarterback Danny Etlings winning 15

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kemba Walker keeps hearing from his friends around the league that the Charlotte Hornets wont be as good after losing Jeremy Lin, Courtney Lee and Al Jefferson to free agency in the offseason.Walker doesnt mind hearing that.I kind of like it that way, the Hornets 6-foot point guard said with a big grin. The year we did have high expectations (in 2014-15), it didnt work out so well. So Id rather be the underdog. It works out better for us.Last year the Hornets were viewed as an underdog and won 48 games during the regular season -- tied for third-most in the Eastern Conference -- but were ousted in the first round by the Miami Heat. The Hornets led that series 3-2 and had a chance to close out the Heat and home, but Miami got a huge Game 6 from Dwayne Wade and advanced.For several players, that defeat still stings.The Hornets have made the playoffs in two of three seasons under coach Steve Clifford, but have not been able to make it out of the first round.After giving Nicolas Batum a five-year, $120 million contract, the Hornets couldnt afford to keep Lin, Lee and Jefferson. They replaced them with Marco Belinelli, Ramon Sessions and Roy Hibbert.I honestly wish we couldve brought back the rest of the guys, Walker said. But its business and thats the way this league works. They had great years and they deserved to make a lot of money in this league and they did.Added Clifford: I would say forecasts of our season is kind of mixed. Some people feel that we can be a good team. Others arent as optimistic. I think we can have a very good team.REPLACING OFFENSE: Cliffords main concern this preseason has been finding ways replace the offense the team lost in free agency, especially with Lin and Jefferson.We may not have as much offense in our roster as we did a year ago, Clifford said. Defensively, we were ninth last year. And I believe we can take another step in that direction, which will allow us to play with the balance that we need to be a consistent regular season team and a good playoff team, too.KIDD-GILCHRISTS RETURN: The Hornets only had forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for seven games last season due to a shoulder injury, so Clifford is excited to have his top defensive player back in the lineup.Hes an elite defender, Clifford said. ... He makes our team different. The numbers prove it. The first few years he was here, when he played, we played well. When he didnt play, we didnt (play well). He impacts winning in so many ways.BELINELLIs IMPACT: Clifford is extremely high on Belinelli, a player he has admired for years. He loves the way Belinelli plays in big games and said the veteran seems motivated to improve after a down season.For me, I take it as more motivation right now, Belinelli said. The year I spent in Sacramento was tough for me and tough for the Kings. That kind of thing happens. The most important thing is to be more motivated.Added Clifford: He can do a lot of the things we lost offensively with Jeremy (Lin) and Courtney (Lee).HIBBERTS RESURGENCE: Another player the Hornets are hoping can rise to the occasion is the 7-foot-2 Hibbert, an All-Start just three years ago.He hasnt played at the same level the last two years, Clifford said. And yet, when you watch him on film, I dont see that hes lost anything physically. I think hes hungry to play well again. And I think the way we play will benefit him.BATUMS CONSISTENCY: Batum is the Hornets best player but Clifford doesnt want him trying to do more because hes the teams highest-paid player.This guys been 14-15-12-13 points for his whole career, Clifford said. You dont give him an extension and say hes got to improve to, like, 19 points. He plays how he plays. Ill say this: If he can stay healthy and play at the same level or, hopefully, a little bit better, then well have a great year. Thomas Welsh Jersey . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Jamal Murray Nuggets Jersey . 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General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. Les Miles still plans on watching LSU play on Saturday night, just not from the Tiger Stadium sideline.Miles, 62, said hell be cheering for the Tigers from his Baton Rouge home when they play Missouri on Saturday night. LSU athletics director Joe Alleva fired Miles on Sunday, one day after the Tigers lost 18-13 at Auburn to fall to 2-2 this season.In an interview with ESPNs Tom Rinaldi, which was broadcast on College GameDay on Saturday morning, Miles said he planned to spend his first Saturday away from college football watching games at home. His eldest son, Manny, is a backup quarterback at North Carolina, which plays at No. 12 Florida State on Saturday.I will watch that game feverishly with the idea that Im rootin for the Tar Heels, Miles said. And I will absolutely watch the Tigers play. Theres no way around it, and [Ill] root and scream and holler.LSU defensive line coach Ed Orgeron was named the teams interim coach for the final eight games.Itll be another view because Ive really never seen me take the field, Miles said. And I will get to see Coach O and root for him and his team. Itll be a descriptive moment to me. Theres where you were and thats what you were doing for the last 12 years.Miles, who had a 114-34 record at LSU and guided his teams to two SEC titles and the 2007 BCS national championship, said he hoped to coach again. He spent four seasons as Oklahoma States coach before LSU hired him in 2005.This Saturday will be a difficult thing for me, Miles said. Every Saturday I have had a game, unless it was a bye week. Theres not been that time. I may just get in the backyard and walk around, make some calls and sweat and get some water. I need to maybe get the big screen TV and put it up so I can watch all the games.Miles said he understood Allevas decisioon to make a change.dddddddddddd The Tigers rank 120th among 128 FBS team in passing (147.8 yards per game), 110th in total offense (339.5 yards) and 109th in scoring (21 points per game). They scored only one offensive touchdown in a 16-14 loss to Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in the opener and again at Auburn.Im certain that they wanted more production, Miles said. They wanted more wins. ... If you get first downs then you have two more downs to light it up, and thats the key piece. You have to be efficient and execute. And to me, thats one of the things that I wish Id shined the light on a little bit better.The Tigers lost at Auburn after replay officials nullified LSU quarterback Danny Etlings winning 15-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Chark on the final play of regulation because the ball was snapped after time expired.It seemed like a fitting end for the Mad Hatter.Minus a second, I think wed be a 3-1 team, Miles said. If I had to have one play define who I am, I take that one. And heres why: cause there was nothin left. There was not time on the clock. Everything was running down and our team took the snap, without instruction took the snap. We had a play called, dont get me wrong.The [quarterback], without instruction, took a snap, rolled to his right and fired a ball in a end zone that wins the game. If that play is allowed we win the game. Ill take that play. Ill take the very last play that we had. That would be a fighting heart [and] a group of men that could not be denied. And except for time, we would have won the game.And what if LSU had snapped the ball before time expired?Id be getting sweaty over there with the Tigers, Miles said. ' ' '