The 2003–04 NBA season was the Hornets' second season in the National Basketball Association .[ 1] During the offseason, the Hornets signed free agent Steve Smith . Despite losing Jamal Mashburn for the first 44 games due to a knee injury, the Hornets got off to a solid 17–7 start to the season under new head coach Tim Floyd . However, they would struggle posting a losing record in January, and only managed to play .500 ball in February. Mashburn would return to play just 19 games averaging 20.8 points per game, but then re-injured his knee sitting out the rest of the season. The Hornets struggled losing 11 of their 16 games in March, but would rebound in April winning 4 of 7 games.
Despite posting an average record of 41–41, the Hornets finished fifth in the Eastern Conference , and qualified for their fifth straight playoff appearance . This was also the team's final season in the NBA's Eastern Conference. Baron Davis was again hampered by injuries and he played just 67 games. Despite another injury-plagued season, Davis and teammate Jamaal Magloire both represented the Eastern Conference at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles .
In the playoffs, they faced the Miami Heat in the first round, but lost in seven games. Following the season, the Hornets moved to the new Southwest Division of the NBA's Western Conference . Also following the season, Floyd was fired as coach after just one season, Smith left in the 2004 NBA Expansion Draft , Stacey Augmon signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic , and Robert Traylor re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers .
Round
Pick
Player
Position
Nationality
College
1
18
David West
PF
United States
Xavier
2
48
James Lang
United States
2003–04 New Orleans Hornets roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
PG
32
Alexander, Courtney
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1977-04-27
Fresno State
PG
3
Armstrong, Darrell
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
1968-06-22
Fayetteville State
SF
2
Augmon, Stacey
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1968-08-01
UNLV
PF
42
Brown, P. J.
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
239 lb (108 kg)
1969-10-14
Louisiana Tech
SG
5
Carter, Maurice
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
209 lb (95 kg)
1976-10-12
LSU
PG
1
Davis, Baron
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
212 lb (96 kg)
1979-04-13
UCLA
SF
9
Lynch, George
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
218 lb (99 kg)
1970-09-03
North Carolina
C
21
Magloire, Jamaal
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
265 lb (120 kg)
1978-05-21
Kentucky
SF
24
Mashburn, Jamal
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
1972-11-29
Kentucky
SG
8
Smith, Steve
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
221 lb (100 kg)
1969-03-31
Michigan State
C
34
Traylor, Robert
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
290 lb (132 kg)
1977-02-01
Michigan
SG
4
Wesley, David
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
203 lb (92 kg)
1970-11-14
Baylor
PF
30
West, David
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
250 lb (113 kg)
1980-08-29
Xavier
PG
11
Williams, Shammond
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1975-04-05
North Carolina
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Roster Last transaction: March 25, 2004
Point guard Courtney Alexander missed the entire season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Record vs. opponents
edit
2003-04 NBA Records
Team
ATL
BOS
CHI
CLE
DAL
DEN
DET
GSW
HOU
IND
LAC
LAL
MEM
MIA
MIL
MIN
NJN
NOH
NYK
ORL
PHI
PHO
POR
SAC
SAS
SEA
TOR
UTA
WAS
Atlanta
—
3–1
3–1
1–3
2–0
2–0
1–3
0–2
0–2
0–4
0–2
1–1
0–2
1–3
2–2
1–1
1–3
2–2
0–3
1–3
1–2
1–1
0–2
0–2
1–1
1–1
1–3
0–2
2–2
Boston
1–3
—
1–2
3–1
1–1
2–0
0–3
2–0
1–1
1–3
0–2
0–2
1–1
2–2
1–3
1–1
2–2
0–4
1–3
3–1
3–1
1–1
0–2
1–1
0–2
1–1
3–1
1–1
3–1
Chicago
1–3
2–1
—
2–2
0–2
0–2
0–4
1–1
0–2
1–3
1–1
0–2
0–2
0–4
1–3
0–2
0–3
2–2
2–2
3–1
0–4
1–1
0–2
0–2
0–2
0–2
4–0
1–1
1–3
Cleveland
3–1
1–3
2–2
—
0–2
0–2
2–2
0–2
0–2
1–3
1–1
0–2
0–2
2–2
2–2
0–2
1–2
3–1
4–0
2–1
3–1
0–2
1–1
0–2
1–1
2–0
1–3
1–1
2–2
Dallas
0–2
1–1
2–0
2–0
—
2–2
1–1
3–1
3–1
0–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
1–1
1–1
2–2
2–0
2–0
2–0
2–0
1–1
3–1
3–1
3–1
3–1
3–1
1–1
2–2
1–1
Denver
0–2
0–2
2–0
2–0
2–2
—
0–2
3–1
2–2
0–2
2–2
1–3
2–2
1–1
2–0
1–3
0–2
1–1
1–1
1–1
2–0
4–0
4–0
2–2
1–3
2–2
0–2
3–1
2–0
Detroit
3–1
3–0
4–0
2–2
1–1
2–0
—
1–1
1–1
1–3
2–0
1–1
2–0
4–0
3–1
0–2
2–2
1–3
3–1
3–1
2–2
2–0
2–0
0–2
1–1
1–1
3–1
1–1
3–0
Golden State
2–0
0–2
1–1
2–0
1–3
1–3
1–1
—
2–2
0–2
2–2
1–3
1–3
1–1
1–1
2–2
0–2
0–2
2–0
1–1
1–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–1
2–2
1–1
Houston
2–0
1–1
2–0
2–0
1–3
2–2
1–1
2–2
—
1–1
4–0
2–2
1–3
1–1
2–0
2–2
1–1
2–0
2–0
2–0
2–0
1–3
3–1
0–4
0–4
1–3
1–1
2–2
2–0
Indiana
4–0
3–1
3–1
3–1
2–0
2–0
3–1
2–0
1–1
—
2–0
1–1
1–1
3–0
1–3
1–1
3–1
2–2
3–1
3–1
4–0
2–0
1–1
0–2
1–1
2–0
4–0
2–0
2–1
L.A. Clippers
2–0
2–0
1–1
1–1
2–2
2–2
0–2
2–2
0–4
0–2
—
1–3
0–4
0–2
2–0
0–4
0–2
1–1
1–1
2–0
1–1
3–1
2–2
0–4
1–3
0–4
1–1
1–3
0–2
L.A. Lakers
1–1
2–0
2–0
2–0
2–2
3–1
1–1
3–1
2–2
1–1
3–1
—
2–2
2–0
2–0
1–3
2–0
1–1
2–0
2–0
1–1
3–1
2–2
1–3
3–1
3–1
2–0
3–1
2–0
Memphis
2–0
1–1
2–0
2–0
2–2
2–2
0–2
3–1
3–1
1–1
4–0
2–2
—
1–1
1–1
1–3
2–0
1–1
1–1
2–0
2–0
2–2
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
2–0
1–3
2–0
Miami
3–1
2–2
4–0
2–2
1–1
1–1
0–4
1–1
1–1
0–3
2–0
0–2
1–1
—
1–2
0–2
3–2
3–1
1–3
4–0
1–3
1–1
0–2
1–1
0–2
2–0
2–1
1–1
4–0
Milwaukee
2–2
3–1
3–1
2–2
1–1
0–2
1–3
1–1
0–2
3–1
0–2
0–2
1–1
2–1
—
0–2
3–1
1–3
2–2
3–1
2–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
0–2
3–1
1–1
3–1
Minnesota
1–1
1–1
2–0
2–0
2–2
3–1
2–0
2–2
2–2
1–1
4–0
3–1
3–1
2–0
2–0
—
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–0
1–1
4–0
1–3
3–1
2–2
3–1
2–0
2–2
2–0
New Jersey
3–1
2–2
3–0
2–1
0–2
2–0
2–2
2–0
1–1
1–3
2–0
0–2
0–2
2–3
1–3
1–1
—
2–1
3–1
4–0
3–1
1–1
0–2
1–1
0–2
2–0
2–2
1–1
4–0
New Orleans
2–2
4–0
2–2
1–3
0–2
1–1
3–1
2–0
0–2
2–2
1–1
1–1
1–1
1–3
3–1
0–2
1–2
—
1–2
4–0
2–2
1–1
2–0
0–2
1–1
0–2
1–3
1–1
3–1
New York
3–0
3–1
2–2
0–4
0–2
1–1
1–3
0–2
0–2
1–3
1–1
0–2
1–1
3–1
2–2
1–1
1–3
2–1
—
3–1
3–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
0–2
1–1
3–1
0–2
4–0
Orlando
3–1
1–3
1–3
1–2
0–2
1–1
1–3
1–1
0–2
1–3
0–2
0–2
0–2
0–4
1–3
0–2
0–4
0–4
1–3
—
2–2
1–1
0–2
0–2
0–2
0–2
1–2
1–1
4–0
Philadelphia
2–1
1–3
4–0
1–3
1–1
0–2
2–2
1–1
0–2
0–4
1–1
1–1
0–2
3–1
1–2
1–1
1–3
2–2
1–3
2–2
—
1–1
1–1
0–2
2–0
1–1
1–3
0–2
2–2
Phoenix
1–1
1–1
1–1
2–0
1–3
0–4
0–2
2–2
3–1
0–2
1–3
1–3
2–2
1–1
1–1
0–4
1–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
1–1
—
2–2
1–3
0–4
2–2
0–2
1–3
1–1
Portland
2–0
2–0
2–0
1–1
1–3
0–4
0–2
2–2
1–3
1–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–0
1–1
3–1
2–0
0–2
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–2
—
3–1
0–4
2–2
1–1
2–2
1–1
Sacramento
2–0
1–1
2–0
2–0
1–3
2–2
2–0
2–2
4–0
2–0
4–0
3–1
2–2
1–1
1–1
1–3
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–0
2–0
3–1
1–3
—
2–2
3–1
2–0
3–1
1–1
San Antonio
1–1
2–0
2–0
1–1
1–3
3–1
1–1
2–2
4–0
1–1
3–1
1–3
1–3
2–0
1–1
2–2
2–0
1–1
2–0
2–0
0–2
4–0
4–0
2–2
—
4–0
2–0
4–0
2–0
Seattle
1–1
1–1
2–0
0–2
1–3
2–2
1–1
1–3
3–1
0–2
4–0
1–3
3–1
0–2
2–0
1–3
0–2
2–0
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–2
2–2
1–3
0–4
—
1–1
1–3
1–1
Toronto
3–1
1–3
0–4
3–1
1–1
2–0
1–3
1–1
1–1
0–4
1–1
0–2
0–2
1–2
1–3
0–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
2–1
3–1
2–0
1–1
0–2
0–2
1–1
—
1–1
1–3
Utah
2–0
1–1
1–1
1–1
2–2
1–3
1–1
2–2
2–2
0–2
3–1
1–3
3–1
1–1
1–1
2–2
1–1
1–1
2–0
1–1
2–0
3–1
2–2
1–3
0–4
3–1
1–1
—
1–1
Washington
2–2
1–3
3–1
2–2
1–1
0–2
0–3
1–1
0–2
1–2
2–0
0–2
0–2
0–4
1–3
0–2
0–4
1–3
0–4
0–4
2–2
1–1
1–1
1–1
0–2
1–1
3–1
1–1
—
2004 playoff game log
First Round: 3–4 (home: 3–0; road: 0–4)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Series
1
April 18
@ Miami
L 79–81
Baron Davis (17)
Brown , Magloire (11)
Augmon , Davis (4)
American Airlines Arena 20,102
0–1
2
April 21
@ Miami
L 63–93
Baron Davis (13)
Jamaal Magloire (10)
Baron Davis (7)
American Airlines Arena 20,189
0–2
3
April 24
Miami
W 77–71
Baron Davis (21)
Brown , Lynch (11)
Baron Davis (5)
New Orleans Arena 14,251
1–2
4
April 27
Miami
W 96–85
Baron Davis (23)
Brown , West (7)
Baron Davis (10)
New Orleans Arena 16,009
2–2
5
April 30
@ Miami
L 83–87
Baron Davis (33)
P. J. Brown (13)
Baron Davis (7)
American Airlines Arena 20,147
2–3
6
May 2
Miami
W 89–83
Brown , Lynch (16)
Brown , Magloire (9)
Baron Davis (12)
New Orleans Arena 17,297
3–3
7
May 4
@ Miami
L 77–85
Steve Smith (25)
Jamaal Magloire (10)
Davis , Williams (4)
American Airlines Arena 20,286
3–4
2004 schedule