Hornets can't rest on laurels
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And that's why upon their return to the Big Easy last season, along with the ascension of Chris Paul to All-NBA point guard, David West to All-Star forward, Tyson Chandler into the top offensive rebounder in the game and Byron Scott the coach of the year, the Hornets became the lovable team that stunningly won the rugged Midwest Division.
Oh, they finally lost their nerve in the conference semifinals against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and lost in Game 7, but the perception of this young team has changed. This is very early in the story of the New Orleans Hornets, whether the city proves to be capable of financially supporting the team long-term or not.
Even in their first game back — the opener last year against the Sacramento Kings -- there were thousands of empty seats. Indeed, a clause was negotiated into their lease by owner George Shinn that allows them to leave after this season if they average less than 14,735 through the first two seasons back, but if the support that unfolded in the final couple of weeks and during the playoffs is any indication, they may be in New Orleans for a lot longer than most people believe.
And if that is the case, the fans they have are in for a treat. Without question, Paul evolved into one of the most effective and entertaining players in the NBA last season. His infectious personality had already won over the fans, but his extraordinary ballhandling skills, passing and scoring ability put him in a class by himself at the point last season. Comparisons to Hall-of-Fame point guard Isiah Thomas came to fruition as he nearly won the league's Most Valuable Player by producing 21.1 points, 11.6 assists and 2.7 steals. He was even better in the playoffs.
His natural skills also brought out the best in the 6-9, 240-pound West, the ultra-smooth power forward who spent much of the year as a 20/10 guy before finishing with 20.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. West is the perfect blend with Paul, blessed with great hands and clever basketball instincts as long as he doesn't think too much. They are yin and yang of the Stockton/Malone ilk.
The difference-maker, though, could have been and might still be Chandler. The sinewy 7-1, 235-pound package of energy is still trying to find an offensive game. A bust and a bundle of nerves playing for Scott Skiles in Chicago, the Hornets stole him from the Bulls in the summer of 2006 for P.J. Brown, who played seldom and retired from the Bulls, and J.R. Smith, whom they unloaded shortly thereafter.
Slowly, Scott's primary project was to rebuild the confidence of Chandler. His first season he played a career-high 34.6 minutes, and he responded by averaging 9.5 points, 12.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks -- leading the league in rebounding. He became a double-double machine last season, increasing his scoring to 11.8 points, while still averaging 11.7 rebounds -- although his shot-blocking dipped to 1.1.
The key is him becoming an integral figure on both ends of the floor and more than just a recipient of Paul's spectacular lob passes on their screen-and-rolls. Still only 26 and still maturing physically and mentally, he is aggressive by nature, but needs to temper his play with more weak-side shot-blocking while staying out of foul trouble. He could have a lot of help this season with the addition of free agent James Posey, a defensive force whenever he's on the floor.
But like their attendance, their roster doesn't have a lot of depth. It's hard to know what will come from Peja Stojakovic, he of the gorgeous jump shot that seemingly comes and goes with the weight of big games too much for him to withstand. Although just 31, the former All-Star has seemingly been old for five years.
The Hornets lost a key contributor when streak-shooting guard Jannero Pargo bolted to play in Russia for a year, although Rasual Butler is a comparable shooter without the ballhandling skills. They can only hope Mike James or Devin Brown can provide Paul with some relief from over-the-top minutes. Up front, the likes of Hilton Armstrong and Melvin Ely are marginal at best when more than 10 minutes are needed on a particular night, while Julian Wright, only 21 and a 6-8 swingman, has shown explosive athleticism that needs to be harnessed very soon.
Ultimately, the future of the team on and off the court is inextricably tied together. As long as the Paul, West and Chandler trio stays healthy and is competing to win the West this season, the fans will show and the team will survive and maybe even thrive. As sad as it may seem, if injuries or other issues prevent that from happening -- it could quickly deteriorate to the point that sticking around will be anything but easy.
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