With 10 days left in the NBA regular season, it’s time we recognized the Hornets for what they’ve been all season – the most consistently effective team in the Western Conference.
Their 12-point win over the Warriors Sunday afternoon told us everything we need to know. MVP candidate Chris Paul had the fourth triple-double of his career -- 16 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, plus 5 steals -- and hit a 3-pointer with just less than eight minutes left that broke a tie and allowed the Hornets to end the game with an 18-6 run.
To better reflect what Paul was about Sunday (and the entire season for that matter), consider that he fired an airball that turned into an assist and a lob pass that actually went through the hoop. Consequently, the 54-22 Hornets have equaled the most wins in franchise history, have a two-game lead in the loss column over the Spurs and the Lakers for the top seed in the conference, and their 17-10 mark against the other eight playoff contenders in the West is also the high-water mark in the West. The 54 wins also mark the most ever for coach Byron Scott, now in his eighth season overall as a head coach and fourth with the Hornets. He never won that many coaching the Nets to the NBA Finals twice.
Most impressively is they’ve been hanging with the big boys all season. Aside from a 2-4 stretch in late February, they haven’t wavered. Even that was predictable, considering the toll Paul and forward David West tookfrom their first NBA All-Star appearances (not to mention their added responsibilities with New Orleans as the host city). Besides, they’ve bounced back even stronger since then, with a 15-3 burst, including the last four in a row and 11 consecutive wins at home. And speaking of at home, they’ve sold out 10 of their last 15 games (11 for the season), so the energy from the team has managed to ignite the hurricane ravaged Big Easy.
So why is there so much reticence to buy into the Hornets as legit contenders to win the West?
It begins with inexperience. Paul is a virtual lock to be first team All-NBA, a byproduct of leading the league in assists and steals, and has led the Hornets all season. But he’s in just his third season and has no playoff experience. Neither does West, the 6-9, 240-pound power forward in his fifth season. Nonetheless, he too put on a typical show Sunday with 25 points and nine rebounds, making his last nine shots from the field. He’s equally effective inside and outside. They are outstanding players individually and together, with a limitless potential together. Center Tyson Chandler, averaging 11.8 points and 11.9 rebounds while leading the NBA in offensive rebounds per game, has come a long way the past two years but has no starts among his 12 playoff appearances.
The other two starters – Peja Stojakovic and Morris Peterson – have experience. Stojakovic had 59 postseason games from 1999-2006, 57 of which were in Sacramento when he was an All-Star. Peterson played in 19 playoff games in three different years for Toronto. Peterson, though, remains an average starter at best, capable of running the floor and decent streaks of outside shooting. More intriguing is Stojakovic, who seems to have revived his game at the age of 30 despite four consecutive years of a declining scoring average.
His role with the Hornets is a perfect fit. He averages 16.2 points, leads the league by making 93 percent of his free throws and is second in 3-point accuracy at .455. Sunday he had what appeared to be an easy 25 points – spotting up around the perimeter with Paul or West finding him wide open.
The biggest question is their depth, or at least it was until Sunday, when they outscored the Warriors reserves 26-5. Guard Jannero Pargo scored 15 points during a six-minute span in the second quarter for the Hornets and has experienced 18 playoff games in his career. Bonzi Wells provides them a strong post-up scorer from the wing and is also very effective anywhere on the baseline. The mercurial Wells has also had some big postseason numbers in 36 career games. But they really haven’t gotten any serious contributions in the power positions to help Chandler and overall, they are tied for last with the Charlotte Bobcats in offensive bench productivity.
They sorely need recently resigned Chris Andersen to support Chandler where Hilton Armstrong and Melvin Ely have not. But Andersen has been back for only five games following a two-year hiatus for failing to adhere to the NBA substance abuse policy, and is a far cry from being prepared for the physical and mental intensity for this point of the season and the playoffs.
So where does that leave the Hornets? They still sit atop the West, and despite four of the final six games on the road, they’ve got the best shot of anybody to retain the top seed when the playoffs begin.
But with so little playoff experience and really being only seven deep is a problem whether they play the Nuggets or Warriors as it appears it would be in the first round. Ultimately, if Paul fails to win the MVP award, which is far more likely to go to Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett, he’ll have to be the de facto postseason MVP for the Hornets to be just as competitive in the playoffs.
The game becomes much more physical and with the brute force of the West, it is doubtful Chandler will be capable of keeping up his stats and staying out of foul trouble. And yet, with so many run-and-gun teams, it may not be as much of a factor for the Hornets as some would lead you to believe.
Actually, it may just be another excuse not to make them one of the favorites. Then again, the only group that has to believe is the Hornets themselves. And considering the first 76 games … that may very well be enough.
I'd be lying if I said I expected this type of season from the Hornets. In all honesty, I expected them to fade after the All-Star break like the Trailblazers have.
But I still don't see them beating the Nuggets, Mavs, or Warriors over 7 games. And I agree completely, they will lose because of their lack of experience. It's an entirely different game in the playoffs.
Chris Paul has had a GREAT season, one for the ages but we don't know what he's made of yet. We're gonna' find out in about 2 weeks.
I'll be very interested to see how they finish out the final 9 days of the season, starting with the Jazz game tomorrow.
If they can continue their strong play throughout the season's end, they will be among the few teams consistently playing well entering the playoffs.
I'd say the experience factor for Paul and West is significant, but not necessarily insurmountable.
I disagree with Hoffman, Hornets will survive the 1st playoff round against any of the potential number 8 seeds should they retain the number 1. The 2nd round and succeeding rounds will be a different story.
I made the mistake of doubting them once this season, I won't be doing it again.
I thought that after a solid start the Hornets would fade away after the All Star break. I figured the injury bug would bite, and slowly but surely the Hornets would fall either to the bottom of the playoff race or out of the playoffs completely like I expected Portland to do after their quick start.
Needless to say, I was wrong.
Chris Paul is an absolute baller, and I'll bet on him over Baron Davis, Allen Iverson/Melo, and and Dirk any day of the week.
I heard all this experience stuff last year, but all that experience didn't lead the Mavs past the Warriors and it didn't stop the Jazz from taking it deep.
In Denver and Golden State you have two teams that are incapable of playing solid defense. Yesterday's loss against the Sonics proved yet again why the Nuggets are nothing but a pretender, and why if they didn't have two big names (why by the way STILL don't belong together) they wouldn't even be on our radar. The Warriors are a run and gun team who will drop as soon as their shots stop falling.
And the Mavs are just off. I have no idea why, but I wouldn’t bet a penny on them in the playoffs. I pray my Lakers get them in the first round. CP3 will absolutely work the ghost of Jason Kidd, and while Dirk is hard to stop, I think David West and Tyson Chandler will come up big.
I’m almost completely positive that the Hornets will go past the first round.
Paul is the real deal.
They have a GREAT coach, who will have them prepared.
This, of all the teams in the West, is the match-up I don't want for the Lakers. We have no one that can guard this kid. I think, in the end, we would beat them...but we all know, when a player is "in the zone" it can be a problem for opposing defenses. (see LeBron vs Detroit last year)
I am a big fan of this team, I expect big things, especially from Paul.
The upcoming game against the Jazz may be telling because that could be a 2nd round matchup. With home court on the Jazz they might get by but the Jazz won last year when the Rockets had home court on them. The Jazz have a winning record against the power teams in the league so they can't be taken lightly. The Hornets are vulnerable against teams that play in your face defense but CP3 can break anyone down off the dribble. If his shot is on you have to shoot over 60 percent to beat them. I agree with Mike when he says experience could be a big factor.
I know this has been said before, but I too thought that the Hornets would be good for half the season, but then injuries would come. I mean, when you play 7 deep, one of those seven is going to get hurt. The Lakers play 11 deep and they have 2 injured players still playing and two injured players who haven't played since January.
Well, the Hornets proved me wrong. They will be the X-factor in this playoffs; I doubt any team wants to end up having to face them, regardless of whether its the first series or the Western Conference championship.
My question is when will Byron Scott start to rest starters now that he's clinched a playoff birth? He can't against Utah or the Lakers, that's for sure.
Pargo and Wells are streaky players--as crazy as it sounds, Julian Wright has been an effective bench player as a rookie. But, I am looking for the production off the bench as an idicator of this team's readiness for the finals. If Paul, Stojakovic or West go down in the last few games, it will be tough indeed.
If anyone can come off the bench, give 15-20 minutes with 10 or more points each time, the Hornets should be in the Western Conference finals.
Ok none of us thought that NO would be doing this great, but big props out to them considering they have a former Laker player on their team.
Any way I've watched them the last few games and they hardly rest their starters. Sure this last game Pargo had a outstanding game, but what Janero is not is consistent and he's not a great defender, and he's a small guard. So when they are playing the benches of Utah, San Antonio, Dallas and the Lakers or the guard positions Bonzi Wells nor Janero will be able to handle the toughest and strength of a D-Fish, Deron Williams, quickness of Tony Parker, being able to guard a great shooter like Manu. I just don't see B Scott paying his starters in a 7 game series, Someone will get hurt. They don't have enough. A regular game is completely different from the playoffs. Each team rotates about 8-10 guys this is including the teams 5 starters so that give you 3-5 more people to rotate, and I feel NO doesn't have that experience or their bench.
Depending on who that 7th or 8th seed is that will be who NO will be playing depending if they keep that #1 one seed or the Lakers take that from them. their test comes against Utah, LA, and maybe the Mavs depending on what Mavs team shows up.
All I have to say is DON'T COUNT THEM OUT SO SOON!! They play with heart...ALL OF THEM...and sometimes that is all you need. GOOOOOO HORNETS!! CP3 for MVP!!!!
I believe that the Mavs are starting to get it together...putting together an impressive win against the Suns the other afternoon. The Hornets also had an impressive win, but it was against the lowly Warriors. Yeah...they're a nice story, and that upset last year of the Mavs was impressive, but seriously. They play NO defense at all! Once their shots stopped falling, they have no defense to keep their leads. None. Baron Davis' defense is a joke and most of the rest of them are content to reach and slap for the ball rather than shuffle their feet and maintain position. The upset of the Mavs last year reminds me of when the Mavs were the upstart team and they upset the Jazz after being down 2-0 in the first round series. Nellie has an interesting scheme...but small ball just will not win a championship if you aren't committed to some kind of defense.
I see the Hornets doing well this post season. I can see them beating the Warriors and Nuggets in a 7 game series for sure. I can see them possibly beating the Mavs...but it would be a close series. I can't see them beating the Spurs, Suns, or Lakers in a series, although I think it would still be a close series. Ultimately, their inexperience will hurt them. Having said that, I DO believe that they are the real deal this year. CP3 is unbelievable, and they have a solid team who can only get better in the future.
I wish Byron Scott would go ahead and rest his starters. Let's face it, in the "Wild West" 1 thru 8 is not a big difference. Home court may be a small factor, but not a great one. It will be very interesting to see how the seedings will fall. I'm really impressed by the heart they've displayed, and have faith in them to knock it out of the park.
There are questions about every one of the top teams in the west:
Are the Hornets too inexperienced?
Can the Rockets compete against big front lines without Yao?
Aren't the Suns really weaker and slower with Shaq?
Aren't the Lakers starting to look like classic underachievers?
Could the Warriors get lucky and beat the Mavs 2 years running?
Can the Mavericks expect Nowitski to carry them all the way?
Are the Spurs showing their age?
Does Denver even know how to spell defense?
Utah is tough but are they that tough?
My take is that these are the most closely matched playoff teams in many years. Look how close they are in the standings. It's a year when any one of them could get hot and go all the way. All the way to Boston that is (where it all stops for them).
I have great respect for this team. Truly, one of the great stories this season in the NBA. Great coach as well. I just hope they aren't a one-hit wonder like their NFL counterpart. In Chris Paul's defense, he's the real deal, unlike Reggie Bush.
The Hornets by no means has the #1 spot locked up. They better keep it going with the Jazz, Lakers, and Mavs or they will end up playing the Suns or Mavs in a 7-game series... and won't make to the second round. In the NBA playoffs (especially the WEST) you need depth, just ask the Mavs and Suns the past 2 years.
I'm one of the doubters of the Hornets. I have been all season long. They've proved me wrong all season long.
I've been a Paul doubter. He's proved me wrong. Not only has he proved me wrong, but he has converted me. I'm now a pretty big Chris Paul fan. He is becoming my favorite for the MVP award.
I still think the Hornets are going to fail in the postseason, but I do have to say that it's not all a bleak outlook for them. They do have one advantage... No one has seen them in the Playoffs before. Who knows what Byron Scott will be able to get from these guys? Teams might have a hard time adjusting to the Hornets, not having had a chance to see their team in Playoff action.
I think that much might be enough to get them through the first round, but after a glimpse of their wiles, other teams are going to be more prepared in the second and third rounds.
BTW... If Byron Scott doesn't get coach of the year this season, it's just going to be a travesty.
good comments nice not to hear the bs about my team this your team aint ....big time hornets fan and like everybody in nba nation i expected them to fall but it never happened...im pullin like crazy for them to make it too the finals but again like everybody else im hoping they make it out of the first round lol. but what a ride they have put b-nation on. the most competitive race the west have ever seen and the hornets are on top....WOW GO HORNETS!!!
I do see all the detracting points for the Hornets, and yes, a shallow bench and a lack of playoff experience will definitely be tough to overcome. But I've been pleasantly surprised with the way they've handled themselves against some of the really good teams in the league. I can see them making the conference finals, but I truly believe that this is not a championship team this year. However, this should be the foundation of a contender in the future.
I would agree with the other posters (and article) that Hornets lack the depth to go deep in the playoffs, but other than that I don't see too many weaknesses. CP3 is a leader of this team no doubt. I hope to see Jazz-Hornets match up at some point in the playoffs
Interesting views so I guess I'll leave mine here as well. Why would a short bench be such a big factor in the playoffs when all teams shortin their rotation for the playoffs ? My only worry is the starters running out of gas from the short bench during the season. The Hornets are a nice compliment of players and can go far depending on who they play, so I cannot write them off no matter what place they finish. Some matchups would exploit CP3's D (steals are not D) and others seem to ignore this chink in the armor. And as far as experience goes, I feel these last games of the season already have a playoff atmosphere and they don't seem to be wilting, I would wait till after the next few games before I made to big a deal about it.
As a full season ticket holder I am very excited about what the team has achived and the opportunity they are have in front of them. They play with a lot of heart and have been winning the games when they count.
I believe they will get to the finals with some luck and they will make the city proud! All the players have heart and, over the past few weeks, have played some great ball.
CP3 has kept this team in games all season but over the past run, he has really taken them to another level.
We will all know what will happen in two weeks. But what ever the out come, we are all proud of what the Hornets have done this year.
Hornets play a good game. Should have as good a chance as any of the top 6 teams in the west. Anyone of them can get hot and win against any team.Should be fun to watch.
Hornets got what it takes to win it all. they have a Solid Big man who makes plays on the boards and controlls the paint(chandler). they have two go to guys in Paul and West. And they have the second best shooter in the game.(peja) Peterson is hit or miss but when he is hot he is hot.
The bench is a concern. Bonzi Wells could become a great option off the bench and we all know Pargo is streaky, but Julian Wright has been playing pretty good lately.(now he is getting the minutes) i think the guy who needs to step up is Anderson. But like Kahn said he just got reinstated. Playoff time the starters(or best players) usely get all the minutes anyway. Some teams run a 7 man rotation. Just hasnt worked for the suns lately.
I thought experience was overrated intil i seen the series of New Jersey against the Raptors. the Raptors was simple the better team but New Jersey was very experience and took that series. Raptors had no experience on that team.
Me too i also pick the Hornets to have a big slump. i actually predicted them not to make the playoffs out of the 9 teams making the playoff push. I guess i dont feel dumb cause alot of yall doubted them too.
The Hornets will be fine in the playoffs. The big deal about the playoff grind is playing top teams night after night. This season, that's what the Western Conference has been all along. CP3 won't be MVP, but he will be MVP of the finals, and it will have to be good enough.
Da Hornets don't have a history of winning, so, no respect for you!
The only hornet deserving respect is the Green Hornet and that's because he had Bruce Lee!
Heeee-aaaaa!
the hornets may well finish with the top record in the Western Conference but I do agree that their inexperience will eventually tell in the postseason. in fact, both the nuggets and warriors present problems for the hornets (whoever wins the eight and final playoff berth) since both these teams have had playoff experiences before especially the nuggets who have made the playoffs every year since carmelo anthony suited up for the team in 2003 boosted by the fact that anthony and allen iverson have played for the whole year together and kenyon martin has rebounded strongly from his injury last year that kept him from playing the entire season except for the first 2 games.
Last edited by treborpaguia on April 7th at 11:10 PM.
Hey...who the he ll knows what will ultimately happen. I think this team is for real, and a piece or two from a completely insane team. Being a die-hard Lakers fan, I also think it's great that Byron is doing such a fantastic coaching job. Best of luck to him forever.
BUT.....you cannot, cannot, CANNOT count what any young untested team does in the regular season. You just can't....the whole thing changes. Teams get to plan, and plan, counter plan...counter-counter plan. Until they prove themselves, they could completely get outcoached, and fall apart in game one...what happens then? What happens when a team has the chance to put a couple different defensive schemes against Paul? We know what the Spurs are gonna do....what happens when the Hornets face that defensive tenacity....and it's completely picking them apart???
Best of luck to them....and they are trully GOOD. That's not in question. But for anyone to pretend to know what's gonna go down in 2 weeks is completely insane.
Unfortunately I have the same worries for Lakers. I know where Kobe will be...come 2nd, 3rd round. But God only know what the heck Farmar....Bynum (assuming he's there), and even Lamar are gonna do. Sasha's as likely to go for 26 as he is for 5.
And don;t get me started on Vladdy and Walton. I get depressed.
Wow....I thought this article was just a blogger. A professional really should know better than this. Talking about hanging with the big boys. Yeah, the Cavs always seem to hang with the West big boys too. Didn't they get loss, loss, loss, loss....sweep against the Spurs when it counted (a team the cavs beat both times in regular season).
Shame on you....did you have to get an article out on time? Lazy writing....you know that the Hornets get respect, but it doesn't mean anything until your tested when it counts.
Chris Paul is great BUT if you don't already know it, you will all find out soon enough that Deron Williams is the top Point Guard of the future. Watch when they match up tonight. D-Will's toughness is too much for Paul and after tonight the Jazz will be 3-1 against them for the year. I'm hoping the Jazz catch New Orleans in the 2nd round this year just to finally put to rest who the better point guard is. Honestly I dont think new Orleans will get out of the first round. Jazz by 10 tonight.....just like they did in Bosten a couple weeks ago.
Man... You lost all credibility with me. "limitless potential together"? Are you serious? Yeah... They jump right to the top of my list for all-NBA twosomes. Expect 5, 6, 7 or even 8 titles from these two. Yeah, right. I suppose they are very similar to Stockton and Malone but how many titles did those two win?
Let me know when each of them grow about 3 inches. Once Chandler gets in foul trouble -and he will in the playoffs - the Hornets defense falls apart because if Paul actually has to guard somebody rather than hanging out in the passing lanes he is at best a second tier defender (see Deron Williams, etc.).
Don’t get me wrong. I also think Paul has probably been the best PG in the league this season and West has had a nice season but my gosh, limitless? Right. Do you even expect West to make the all-star game next season with Stoudemire moving to 4 and Duncan and maybe Gasol to beat out? Boozer, Nowitzki… Man, there is a long list ahead of him. Even Aldridge might beat him out though that would be a long shot.
“Run-and-gun”? Who outside the Warriors (who are currently out of the playoffs) and the Nuggets is a run and gun team in the running for a Western Conference playoff spot? Isn’t that great for the Hornets though that they will most likely catch one of these two in the first round. Can’t wait. Folks will be all bandwagoning – “See, I was right all along.” Can hear it now. And you talk about their tough schedule the rest of the way… Once again they catch the Lakers in the third game of a 3 games in 4 nights schedule – the second of a back-to-back. That by
Great season for the Hornets but the Mavs had a near flawless season last year as well and then choked in the playoffs. Its not uncommon for teams that have a lot to prove to play well during the season but then when the superstar teams get motivated around playoff time, its a different story. We'll see how the Hornets do in the playoffs. Whatever happens, they had a great season and may only be one superstar away from a championship next year. Just don't trade Chris Paul.
No way I would compare Chris Paul to Iverson. If they meet up in the playoffs, you'll see Iverson make a fool out of him, scoring like mad while shutting Paul down with steals and blocks. Even if the Hornets win against Denver in the playoffs, it will be due to contribution from other players because one-on-one, Paul is no match for Iverson. you could give paul credit for passing and team ball though.
Deron Williams will OWN paul tonight just like he did when they met the first time this season. If they meet in the second round it wont matter if the hornets have home court advantage, the Jazz's experience, and depth are why we dont worry about charlotte. GO JAZZ
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The Bees are having a great season, everytime the "experts" say "here comes the slide" they come back with a 4,5,6 streak. Depth is our only problem. Playoff experience is over-rated. If we can stay healthy we win the west and we've played in the east up till a couple of years ago, and if we make the finals we will own any team that comes out of the east. Western con. championship will decide it all. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
All playoff bound teams in the West have a real shot to win the conference. Home court will only matter to Utah, but even they will do very well. I expect the Hornets to do well to. Yes playoff experience I regard as very important but I think CP3 transends that. He can do it all and does it well, and has led this team consistently in the toughest division in the toughest conference. They could go out in the first round but they could also win the conference finals, either way it will be terrific to watch. Chris Paul is deserving of MVP and I expect Byron will have him very well prepared for the challenges ahead.
Did this guy just say the Hornets are underrated!!! LOL, you people are crazy. Let's see tonight AT NEW ORLEANS as Deron Williams makes him look bad. Paul is good but not anwhere close to D. Will's skills. Have fun tonight New Orleans fans, Utah is out for revenge!!
My Rox would whoop that #### as they have proven time and again if they were to meet in the playoffs but I don't know about other teams beating the Hornets. Maybe the Spurs could be them and maybe the Jazz. That's about it besides Houston. They're really not that good. This game does provide a little luck now and then. Even Houston's had a few lucky years. I'll admit that. I predict the Hornets will get to the 2nd round and only the 2nd round as long as they don't play SA, Utah, or my Rockets.
Chris Paul is an outstanding player. I mean, his abilities really are breathtaking, and this is coming from someone who isn't a Hornets fan (and hasn't been since David Wesley, B-Diddy and company were lighting it up a few years ago).
But I don't know if I trust West, Chandler or the other players to come through in the playoffs. You're right, it's a completely different ballgame when the clay chips are on the table instead of the plastic chips (if you know what I mean).
I'm thinking my Warriors (since the Clippers have been out of the race for a while and because my dad lives in Oakland, among other reasons for rooting for them...) have a shot.
IF...B-Diddy and S-Jack shoot the lights out, PENETRATE, and don't pick up stupid T's like they did against the Jazz last year.
IF...Monta does what Monta does best, run, run, shoot, and run.
IF...Biedrins and Harrington can each chip in about 10 points a game.
IF...the Warriors do not lose at home and feed off their crowd's fervent energy.
IF...they find a way to steal one in New Orleans.
IF IF IF IF IF...then they will win.
Nuggets:
IF...Carmelo and Allen go nuts and Najera and Smith and the other role players step up, and Camby shuts things down in the middle along with (maybe) Nene, they can win.
Mavericks:
IF...Kidd thinks he's 25 again, and the rest of the Mavericks don't choke like they did last year (it was hard to watch, even though I'm a Warriors fan, because the Mavericks were as pathetic as the Clips were in the past, the series should have been over in fi
Last edited by PatsAndRedSoxBlow on April 8th at 5:58 PM.
