It's possible that Lee Nailon was in the starting lineup for the last time this season yesterday afternoon in the Charlotte Hornets' 92-78 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

With Jamal Mashburn set to return tonight when the Hornets play at Milwaukee, Nailon finds himself heading back to the bench for a sixth man's role the rest of the way.

But it's been a heck of a ride, one that should ensure him a nice contract when he becomes a free agent next summer.

Since moving into the starting lineup when Mashburn went on the injured list on Nov. 20, Nailon has averaged 15.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 41 games, with 10 outbursts of 20 points or more. He had 17 points and six rebounds yesterday.

Coach Paul Silas admitted before the game that he has been pleasantly surprised by it all.

Not many NBA teams could lose their leading scorer and acknowledged go-to guy for an extended period without having it drastically alter their offense, but the Hornets never did experience a real drop-off. In fact, Mashburn's absence was felt defensively and on the boards a lot more than it was at the offensive end.

"Lee has been better than I thought he'd be," Silas said. "I knew he could score, but I didn't know he was going to be able to do it as well as he did. I thought it was going to take more time for him to acclimate himself. But he stepped right in. When you look at it, when Mash went out our offensive production didn't really fall off that much.

"Now, that's not to say we didn't miss Mash. We did. But the point is, Lee has stepped in and done the job, and now with Mash coming back, if he can keep his same focus, we're going to be an even better club."

Long shot pays off handsomely

Nailon, a former second-round pick in his second NBA season, was a longshot to make the team coming into training camp with only $48,000 of his $615,000 salary guaranteed. He made the team after an outstanding training camp, however, and was part of the rotation before Mashburn went down.

The 41-game stint in the starting lineup has allowed him to raise his season's averages to 13 points and 4.5 rebounds in 51 games.

"I always felt that I could play in the league, so when Mash got hurt that was just my golden opportunity to show the NBA and the world what I could do," Nailon said. "Getting the opportunity was the biggest thing. Of course, I feel good, and I've been fortunate. But I can't say I've been surprised. It's just a case where things fell into place."

Silas is emphatic that Nailon will continue to get a substantial amount of playing time. It has been apparent for some time that the second unit is in dire need of more offensive punch, and the hope is that Nailon will pick up the second team with his scoring ability.

But Silas knows from experience that going back to the bench after starting for an extended time can be a difficult transition. So he's keeping his fingers crossed that this will work out as well as moving Nailon into the starting lineup worked out.

"It will be difficult for him to go back to the second team," Silas said. "I've gone through that. One year with the Hawks, we won like 57 games in the regular season and I was starting, and Lou Hudson came back from an injury and started in the playoffs. It was difficult to switch. But it was a short period of time I had to deal with, and Lee has 30-some games to get used to it. So that's the one saving grace. But it's not going to be easy for him."

Nailon promises to make the best of the situation.

"I think I'll still be able to be effective," he said. "I've been in that situation before, so it shouldn't be a problem fitting back in. I know that having someone to come in off the bench is a big key for us, so if I can fill that role, we'll be a better team."

However it goes from here, Nailon has proven that he belongs in the league, and that's got to help him no matter what role he's in.

"He's at the point now where his confidence is at an all-time high, and that is the key," Silas said. "He knows he can go in and have a positive effect on any game, and that's what you've got to have."