Coming off the best season in the 20-year history of the franchise and a first-ever division championship, the New Orleans Hornets no longer have an eye to the future. “This is a team of now,” says coach Byron Scott, a runaway winner as NBA Coach of the Year last year. “We’re not any more a team of the future. We’re not looking two or three years down the line.”
A team of now. A team led by the most exciting point guard in the league, built around a nucleus of young players who paved the way for 56 wins in a regular season that ultimately ended in a loss (in seven games) to San Antonio in the Western Conference semis.
It won’t get any easier for the Hornets in a conference loaded with elite teams. But the foundation upon which to build a winner couldn’t be much stronger than it is in New Orleans.
Scott believes it’s time for his team to take that next step. And he believes he has the players with which to do so.
Frontcourt
It didn’t make huge headlines, but James Posey’s decision to sign with the Hornets was one of the key offseason developments in the Western Conference. Posey was a key cog in the Celtics’ run to the NBA title, and he raised his game to an even higher level in the Finals against the Lakers.
Posey’s tenacity on the defensive end gives Scott the kind of player who can slow down Western Conference stars such as Kobe Bryant, Manu Ginobili and Tracy McGrady. He can also provide scoring off the bench at either the shooting guard, small or power forward spots, a glaring weakness in New Orleans a season ago.
“Offensively,” Scott says of Posey, “he just doesn’t make mistakes. He takes great shots and does all the things he can do and he doesn’t try to go overboard. Right now, we’re looking at him as our sixth man, probably our first guy off the bench. You look at his track record. He’s won everywhere he’s been. I think we’re a better basketball team.”
Posey’s presence means there won’t be a frontcourt drop-off when David West (power forward) or Peja Stojakovic (small forward) come out of the game. He will also provide veteran tutelage for second-year player Julian Wright, who is expected to play a larger role in the rotation this season.
West emerged as a true star last season, averaging a career-high 20.6 points and 8.9 rebounds and appearing in the All-Star game for the first time. While Stojakovic fell into an occasional shooting funk, he is still one of the game’s top three-point shooters. Last year, he averaged 16.4 points—his lowest output since his second year in the league—but he shot a career-high 44.1 percent from three and averaged a career-low 0.79 turnovers per game.
Having a player like Posey to provide relief at both forward spots is a luxury most teams simply don’t have.
“It’s such a unique addition for us from the standpoint of the mentality that he plays with. He fits with what we’re trying to do and how we try to build this team,” says general manger Jeff Bower of Posey. “He has three-point shooting ability and can be a defender that can end possessions, and he has an impact on the defensive boards.”
Scott was privately smiling when center Tyson Chandler was forced out of the USA Basketball camp with a toe injury that threatened his availability to be a member of the Olympic team.
The Hornets are relying on Chandler to be even better this season, as he grows into a seasoned veteran. Chandler averaged a career-high 35.2 minutes per game last year and was one of only 13 players in the league to average a double-double.
He shot 62.3 percent from the field (second in the league), thanks in large part to many alley-oops served up by Paul. He also set a franchise record with 928 total rebounds.
New Orleans is hopeful that Hilton Armstrong, now entering his third NBA season, has progressed enough to take on a larger role in the frontcourt rotation. He averaged only 11.3 minutes per game last year and provided very little scoring or rebounding.
Backcourt
There’s no question that the face of the New Orleans franchise is Paul, the runner-up to Bryant in the MVP voting last season. The No. 1 offseason priority for the Hornets was to lock Paul up with a contract extension, and they got that done with a three-year extension signed in early July that will keep him in New Orleans for at least the next five seasons.
“New Orleans is where I want to be,” Paul said, much to the relief of Hornets fans. “We have a great franchise and I am blessed to have an opportunity to be a Hornet. ...We look forward to many great moments ahead.”
There were times last year when Paul simply carried the Hornets on his back, and he’ll shoulder the load again this season if he has to, though he continues to be a pass-first, shoot-second point guard.
Last season, he averaged career highs in scoring (21.1), assists (11.6) and steals (2.7), and he emerged as one of the game’s best leaders. He also set franchise records with 59 10-plus assist games, 56 double-doubles, 217 steals and 925 assists.
The Hornets would like to get better production from veteran shooting guard Morris Peterson, who struggled in his first season with the team. He started 76 games but averaged only 23.6 minutes. His averages of 8.0 points and 2.7 rebounds were career lows, and he shot a woeful 41.7 percent from the field.
The Hornets would prefer to use Posey off the bench at either forward spot, but he could steal some minutes at the 2.
Final Analysis
Of course, no one can predict injuries, but if the Hornets stay healthy and capitalize on the momentum gathered during last year’s run to the playoffs, they should be considered one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference this season.
The addition of Posey gives New Orleans a capable swingman who can help on both ends of the court, an option Scott hasn’t had during his time in New Orleans. “I’ve got so many things I can do with him that I’ve got to try and figure all of this out,” Scott says.
If Scott gets it “figured out,” and his young stars (Paul, West and Chandler) continue to progress, the Hornets could give the nation’s No. 1 party city something to celebrate.
Carter's Prediction
Second in Southwest Division
Fourth in Western Conference
Defeats Portland Trailblazers in seven games in Western Conference Quarterfinals
Loses to Los Angeles Lakers in six games in Western Conference Semifinals
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