Butler will get start for Hornets

By Darnell Mayberry

Published: November 28, 2006

Rasual Butler is half the player he was a year ago for the Hornets.

Well, at least statistically he is.

Butler, the team's 6-foot-7 reserve forward, has been invisible throughout the season's first month, averaging a disappointing 4.4 points on 32.9 percent shooting.

The Hornets need that to change immediately.

With starters Peja Stojakovic and David West both sidelined because of injuries for tonight's game against the Toronto Raptors, Butler will be thrust into the starting lineup at shooting guard. But before the sharp-shooting Butler can help the Hornets regain their offensive prowess, he must first shed his own early-season inconsistency.

After re-signing with the Hornets this summer to a four-year, $14-million contract, Butler has scored 10 points or more just three times in the team's first 14 games. During the Hornets' current three-game losing streak, Butler has scored just nine points on 4-of-20 shooting with only seven rebounds and no assists.

"We need Rasual to really step up," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "He's the one guy that we have that's a great shooter, so we need him to step up right now.

"He's just been inconsistent that's all. He hasn't played bad, he hasn't played great. He's just inconsistent right now, and we need him to get on a roll where he's just knocking down that shot on a consistent basis."

It was Scott who this summer hand-picked Butler over former Hornets guards J.R. Smith and Kirk Snyder.

Scott clashed with Smith, who was traded to Chicago, then immediately dealt to Denver, where he's averaging a career-high 17.9 points.

Salary cap constraints then forced the Hornets to decide between retaining Snyder or Butler.

Snyder was traded to Houston largely because Scott felt more comfortable with Butler.

"I'm not down on myself," Butler said of his early struggles. "I don't think about it. Everybody knows what I do and that I can do it well. I'm just not doing it well right now. I know that I'm a good shooter. I know how to score the ball, and it's just a matter of time before the shots start going in for me."

No time like the present.

The Hornets have failed to score more than 83 points or shoot better than 40 percent during their current three-game losing streak.

With the Hornets likely to be missing 35.2 points in Stojakovic and West for the next two games, Butler not only must regain his old form but also exceed his career-high 8.7-point average of last season as well.

"He can score and shoot the ball extremely well," said guard Bobby Jackson, who Butler is replacing in the starting lineup while Stojakovic is out. "He's just got to shoot the ball with confidence. We know what he can do, but he's just got to get the touches. And (tonight) he'll start to get a lot of touches."

Fewer opportunities could explain some of Butler's ineffectiveness thus far.

Now forced to compete with an improved cast of teammates for playing time, Butler is averaging 6.3 fewer minutes than he did a season ago. His 5.2 shots per game are also nearly three fewer attempts than he received last year.

"I don't look at it like that," Butler said. "I only try to take advantage of the opportunity that I have when I'm on the floor.I can't do anything when I'm not out there. I just got to do a better job. I put a lot of pressure on myself to play better for us because I have a role on this team and I accept my role.

"If I was playing better, the way I was playing last year toward the middle and the end, there's no doubt in my mind that I would be playing more."

At least for the next two games, Butler can expect to play between 25 and 30 minutes. He said he would use those increased minutes to try and create easier scoring opportunities for himself.

Instead of settling for 3-pointers, he wants to get more fast-break layups. He wants to drive to the basket more frequently. He wants to draw more fouls and increase his inadequate nine free-throw attempts this season.

"It's definitely one of my goals to be more consistent," Butler said. "I'm real confident that it's just a matter of time before things start clicking."

No time like the present.