The New Orleans Times Picayune OKLAHOMA CITY -- Hornets shooting guard J.R. Smith came away with a slightly pulled groin injury during Tuesday's opening day of training camp at Southern Nazarene University. As a precaution, Hornets coach Byron Scott said Smith likely will sit out the next three or four days to receive treatment. Smith is a projected starter, but he is expected to be pushed in training camp by former European star Arvydas Macijauskas, who already has shown he's one of the team's top perimeter shooters. AT HOME: Veteran forward George Lynch, who on Monday requested the team to trade him, was not at practice Tuesday. Lynch is expected to miss training camp and the preseason because of a heel injury. Hornets spokesman Scott Hall said Lynch went to Dallas, his offseason home, to do rehabilitation work. IN SHAPE: Forward Kirk Snyder showed Tuesday that he might be the Hornets' best conditioned player. During a sprinting drill near the end of practice, he lapped some teammates. The Hornets obtained Snyder from the Utah Jazz in August as part of a five-team, 13-player deal. "My job is to stay in shape,'' Snyder said. "The biggest thing for me is showing what I can do on the defensive end. That's where I want to make my focus.'' DISTRACTION FREE: Veteran forward P.J. Brown said it was great to begin the first day of training camp without a major distraction, although former general manager Allan Bristow abruptly resigned last Saturday, citing health concerns. Before last season's training camp in New Orleans, former star point guard Baron Davis said the franchise didn't do enough in free agency to improve, and he made a trade request through his agent. The Hornets eventually traded Davis in February to the Golden State Warriors for Speedy Claxton. "'Right now, it's all about basketball and taking care of business,'' Brown said. "We're trying to be as good of a team that we can be with no distractions. That's the way it should be.'' Source
