The Hornets will have Peja Stojakovic back for Friday's game against the Golden State Warriors as New Orleans tries to put the finishing touches on a 3-0 West Coast road trip.Stojakovic has missed the past 15 games because of back spasms and hasn't played since a March 2 game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Hornets coach Byron Scott said he would bring Stojakovic off the bench for the time being.
"I told him I'd love to bring him off the bench and just see how I can get him in there and kind of let him blow it out," Scott said at the team's morning shootaround in Oakland. "Then take him out and wait till the second half. Probably between 20 and 25 minutes a night. We want to try to gradually bring his minutes back up and probably play two or three games off the bench before we insert him into the starting lineup."
Scott said there were a couple of reasons why he wasn't going to put Stojakovic right back in with the starting unit, something he's would normally do.
One of the reasons is that Julian Wright, who has been starting for Stojakovic, is playing well, particularly in the first two games on this trip.
"It has a lot to do with that," Scott said of Wright. "And also, getting back into the groove of things also. I think him coming off the bench right now, kind of seeing things going on, and obviously having him as another bench guy right now is good.
"I think he can take advantage of a lot of the second-unit guys he'll be playing against. I think it will be a good thing for him, just to kind of build up his stamina again. But it's not the same as being on the basketball court and get into game shape and getting his timing back."
