The Hornets are being forced to work forward George Lynch back into the rotation a little more slowly than they had hoped, but Coach Paul Silas said he's willing to be as patient as necessary.

Lynch has played only 11 minutes in three games since coming off the injured list last week. He played five minutes in a win at Chicago in his return last Tuesday, sat out Thursday's loss to Philadelphia, then was limited to six minutes in the Hornets' 91-89 loss to Toronto on Saturday night.

"We still have a long way to go, and he's going to be an integral part of this whole thing, but right now, it's tough finding a lot of time for him because we're trying to win games, and he's just not ready yet," Silas said. "He's still just a little bit out of sync, and rightly so, because he hasn't played in so long.

"I'm hoping we can find more time for him as this thing goes on, but the thing is, he's still a ways away and you just can't rush it. As much as you'd like to, you can't. It all takes its course and it all comes into place, but that time is not here yet. We just have to wait it out."

Lynch, who came to the Hornets in a preseason trade with Philadelphia, had surgery on his left foot for the second time in late October. He has also experienced some tendinitis in his left knee in recent days.

"I didn't get to go through training camp," he said. "This is like my version of training camp right now. So there are going to be some aches and pains and setbacks along the way. I've just got to be patient and keep working hard. As far as I'm concerned, I'm right on pace. I'm right where I should be."

? Guard Baron Davis has hit at least one 3-pointer in 42 straight games, hitting threes in all 39 games this season and the last three games of last season. That's the longest active streak in the NBA.

It's interesting in one sense, because Davis' outside shooting is the one area of his game that some around the league still feel is suspect. It's clear, though, that Davis has improved his range this season and is making a point to establish his outside game. He has attempted a team-high 223 3-pointers this season - an average of 5.7 a game - and is shooting 36.3 percent from outside the arc.

? Dell Curry, the original Hornet and still the franchise's all-time scoring leader, may have played his final game in the Charlotte Coliseum on Saturday night in Toronto's 91-89 win over the Hornets.

Saturday's game was the Raptors' final regular-season visit to Charlotte, and the Hornets have petitioned the NBA to move to New Orleans next season.

"I can't imagine the league not having a team in Charlotte," Curry said Saturday night. "But this is serious stuff now. I think they (co-owners Ray Wooldridge and George Shinn) showed they're not just playing around. I have no idea how it's going to turn out, but it's serious stuff at this point."