Hornets coach Williams credits Riley
New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul, left, listens to head coach Monty Williams during the first half of their NBA basketball game with the Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles. (Nov. 22, 2010) Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
NEW ORLEANS - Monty Williams had as good a start as a rookie coach could, winning his first eight games with the Hornets this season. The former first-round pick of the Knicks (1994) credits his success to the experience he had as an assistant coach, which includes five years with Nate McMillan in Portland. But his well-known discipline and work ethic, traits that made him a popular coaching candidate during the offseason, were learned in New York when he was a rookie coached by Pat Riley.
"Being under coach Riley taught me how to work," Williams said. "Once I left there [1996], different teams always talked about my work ethic. But I learned that from coach Riley. Just every day was intense, and a lot of guys weren't used to that kind of environment."
It's what he's trying to create with the Hornets, who are 13-6 following Friday's loss to the Knicks.
Williams said coaching wasn't a consideration early in his career. "I just wanted to play for a while, get my money and leave the game and nobody hear from me anymore," he said. "But I just love the game. To be in the NBA is a blessing. To be able to work in this industry, especially in this economy, is a blessing."
Knicks fix
The Hornets hope to keep point guard Chris Paul, who can become a free agent in 2012, but the city might not keep its NBA franchise if attendance doesn't hold steady. According to a report in the Times-Picayune, if the Hornets do not average 14,213 fans in the next 13 games, the team can opt out of its lease. The Hornets are 25th in the NBA in attendance, averaging 14,214 in the first eight home games. It was 14,020 Friday . . . Renowned New Orleans artist Randy Leo Frenchette painted a portrait of Amar'e Stoudemire during the game. Real-time portraits are his specialty.
