Are New Orleans a serious chance to come out of the East, even without leader Jamal Mashburn?  What about if scorer Courtney Alexander is missing as well?  We will soon find out after the Hornets left the pair off their playoff roster due to injuries.  As a result, regardless of how deep the Hornets go into the playoffs neither will be allowed to suit up - healthy or not.

Mashburn, still bothered by a bone bruise in his right knee, and Alexander, not fully recovered from a ruptured right Achilles tendon, have missed a combined 145 games this season. Mashburn missed 63 games and Alexander 82. Mashburn averaged 21.6 points last season, Alexander 7.9

The Hornets health concerns do not stop there, the team's guards the biggest problem.  Baron Davis, Darrell Armstrong and David Wesley all have injury concerns of their own, which led to the team placing Maurice Carter onto the active playoff roster as insurance.

"We had to make a decision, and based on the health of our three guards we made the decision to go with Mo," Hornets coach Tim Floyd said Thursday. "Mash is still not ready.

"It doesn't change anything. It's who we've been here for an extended period of time. Our hope is Baron (Davis), Darrell (Armstrong) and David (Wesley) are ready to play a playoff series because we obviously need those guys to play on a high level. Hopefully we'll have a healthy unit ready to go."

Mashburn, through a Hornets spokesman, declined comment Thursday as he left the Alario Center.

Alexander, who has worked hard to rehab his surgically repaired Achilles in hopes he could return in time for the playoffs, was visibly dejected.

"I don't think the word disappointed can capture how I feel," he said. "It's tough. I tried. I worked my tail off. I'll be able to sleep at night knowing I gave it what I could. I didn't do it for any other reason except that all I can remember is all the hard work I put into the season. I wanted to experience some of it."

Hornets trainer Terry Kofler said the prudent choice was to be cautious about Alexander's future.

"It's still early in the rehabilitative process," Kofler said, "and had he tried to go out and play on it he really would have put himself at very great risk of reinjuring it. He's got to think about himself for a change and not worry about the team, which is really unique in Courtney, because he's a great teammate to these guys."

Floyd said the decision to keep both players off the roster was made in conjunction with them by executive vice president of basketball operations Bob Bass, and had nothing to do with perceived chemistry problems the team might have had when Mashburn first returned from injury after rehabbing at his Miami home.

"Mash was a party to it," Floyd said, "and it was all about, 'Are you healthy enough to play?' We'd certainly love to have him, but you can only do what you can do."

Floyd and Hornets players said Thursday they were looking forward to beginning the second season with a clean slate against the Heat on Sunday.

"It doesn't matter who we play, as long as we concentrate on the things we have to do as a ballclub," Davis said. "I like our chances. I like my team. I know we have the talent and the veteran leadership and personality to play real well, no matter if we played Milwaukee, Miami or Detroit. I liked our chances from the beginning."