The New Orleans Hornets' breakout season ended in a heartbreaking game seven home loss to the four-time champion San Antonio Spurs mere months ago.

Like most basketball aficionados, I expected this team to return with a chip on its shoulder and a roster that could survive the Western Conference grind.

As I watched the Hornets struggle in the second half Friday night against the team that eventually grabbed the 2008 title, it was difficult to ignore this thin roster's host of flaws.

Jeff Bower, a still underrated general manager, signed James Posey to a four-year deal this summer, and it seemed like a shrewd move that would bolster a bench in sore need of firepower and leadership.

While he has meshed with his new N'awlins teammates, his defensive prowess and clutch long range shooting has not lifted the Hornets pine to level of the Los Angeles Lakers, Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, or even now, it seems, the Spurs.

I'm not convinced the Hornets boast a superior bench to the Dallas Mavericks or Phoenix Suns, either.

This team won 56 games, the NBA's toughest division and finished second in a brutal Western Conference race, so what's the problem?

Here's my take:

Over-reliance on Chris Paul

Paul creates anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of his team's offense on a given night, and no team can win a championship with such a burden on one player. This is what gets lost in the Deron Williams vs. Paul debate. Both are terrific players, deserved All-Stars and fans can argue for years about who will amass the better career.

No one can argue that the Hornets shallow stock up front and behind Paul will force him to do more than Williams will ever have to with the Jazz. Look up any stat. There's no disputing it.

The Jazz managed to float around .500 without Williams and star forward Carlos Boozer, albeit against several losing teams, but could the Hornets do the same without Paul?

After watching the Hornets struggle to the finish of a 82-94 loss against the Celtics in Boston, allow me to answer that. No way.

David West remains the only other viable playmaker on the Hornets roster, and I wouldn't confuse him with Arvydis Sabonis in his prime, Vlade Divac, Wilt Chamberlain or Tim Duncan in the post.

Against the defending champions, the ball movement was there at times, and the Hornets scored at least 27 points off Boston's turnovers. Without the transition game, and when Paul sat, no one could run a consistent offense.

In one particular third quarter sequence, Posey tried threading the needle to Sean Marks for a dunk but instead tossed the ball into the first row for a turnover.

Later in the period, Marks tried a no-look bounce pass to Stojakovic for an open jumper, but Rajon Rondo intercepted it and ran the length of the court for a layup.

Paul delivered some breathtaking second half sequences, including a drive to the hoop with the clock winding down for a nifty and-1 against Rondo and Kendrick Perkins. He stroked a few of the open jumpers afforded him by the Celtics strong side and lane clogging defense. Overall, he went 5-17.

He, too, committed a careless turnover in the fourth quarter that led to a Paul Pierce lay-up. Though the Hornets only coughed up the ball 10 times, all 10 miscues were costly.

Paul nabbed 14 assists, while the rest of his squad compiled three total. Though the Celtics deserve credit for haranguing the Hornets shooters into poor heaves in the game's crucial stretch, this has been a pattern.

West and Paul each also played 42 and 41 minutes, respectively. Even the young fellas need rest, and while we're on that subject, West is going on 29.

Paul played with his usual confidence, but his valiant effort was not enough to get the Hornets out of the library.

Maybe Antonio Daniels becomes an impact player and relieves some of that undue pressure. I'm not counting on it, since the team already blew it trying to groom Jannero Pargo and no-trick pony Mike James into viable Paul back ups.

Peja Stojakovic: A Choke Artist Posing As Van Gogh

Even in his heralded Sacramento Kings days, Stojakovic was more of a defenseless streak shooter than he was clutch.

The Serbian trey bomber known for his incredible stroke in quarters one through three and his disappearance in fourth quarters was terrible again Friday night.

The 1-6, one rebound performance that you see on the box score hardly encapsulates how badly he dogged it. His lone make was an off balance 20-footer with five seconds left on the clock in a hideous second half Hornets possession. He drained his toughest attempt of the night, missed high percentage looks and murdered the ball movement with several of his prayers.

They weren't answered.

Can the Hornets win as long as this Downy soft, unintelligible shooter continues his bipolar basketball ways?

One night he gives you 25, nails five threes, and looks like a legit scoring threat. The next night you get 1-6, one rebound.

My answer: don't think so.

The Hornets smashed the Spurs in the first two games of the second round in New Orleans, and Stojakovic was a culprit killer. Gregg Popovich, a master of adjustments, sic'd Bruce Bowen on him, switching his defensive ace off Paul, and the Serbian's masterful choke jobs, among other factors, cost the team a 2-0 lead and eventually the series.

When the two teams meet next Wednesday, if Bowen again sets up a camp site in Stojakovic's hardly sweat shorts, and for that matter Mo Peterson, do the Hornets stand a chance?

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