NEW ORLEANS - The rebuilding Atlanta Hawks will open their season Wednesday night against the New Orleans Hornets, who will test their new, up-tempo offense under the direction of resurrected coach Tim Floyd. <br>
<br>
If the Hornets struggle to win early, especially against the rebuilding Hawks, Floyd could have trouble getting people to stop talking about his record coaching the Chicago Bulls, among the worst in NBA history. New Orleans point guard Baron Davis said the team is happy with Floyd's approach and won't fall apart if it doesn't win right away. <br>
<br>
New Orleans will play their first few games without their leading scorer from last season, All-Star Jamal Mashburn, who is expected to need nearly two more weeks to recover from a bruised knee that kept him out of all eight preseason games.
