Chris Paul's New Orleans Hornets: What Are the New Expectations for 2010-11?

The New Orleans Hornets have exceeded all expectations and then some in their mind-blowing 7-0 start to the 2010-11 NBA season. 

What can we expect next from Chris Paul and company?

Indeed, the measuring stick of expectations that was used to predict this team’s lack of success going into the season has become redundant.  The team is no longer in disconnection and a new assessment—one with lofty goals—is required.

In seven games, the Hornets have beaten all their enemies within a tough schedule to boot.  One could even argue that the NBA’s other unbeaten team, the L.A. Lakers, have had a much more favorable schedule.  They are currently 8-0.

The Hornets have beaten the Bucks, Nuggets, Spurs, Rockets, Heat, Bucks again and Clippers.  All these teams with the exception of the Clippers had far loftier goals to begin the season, much more so than even the Hornets themselves.

On top of all the roster changes, the team is going into 2010-11 with a rookie coach (Monty Williams).  There was also a rookie GM in Dell Demps who inherited a seemingly intangible mess.  Demps has done nothing short of orchestrate a discombobulating puzzle into something solid and beautiful.

Who would have thought?  What were the odds?

Not only have all the numerous parts been put together in the most efficient fashion but the Hornets have achieved the type of team chemistry that is the envy of only successful journeyed teams.  A team like the 2007-08 New Orleans Hornets no less.

Consider this: It was not that long ago (2007-08) when CP3 took the reins of the Hornets and led them to the second-best record (56-26) in the very tough Western Conference.  That had become the Hornets' benchmark season, the best in franchise history.  Paul led his team while handing in an amazing minimum of 20 points and 10 assists season average.  That year the Hornets finished first in the Southwest.

Today the New Orleans Hornets are sitting on a newly unbeaten franchise record to start the season, a record still in the making.

So far the Hornets have become the talk of the NBA.  They are not doing the expected like the cold and calculating L.A. Lakers steamrolling machine.  They are not achieving negative results and falling flat on their faces like the Miami Heat.

Coach Monty Williams had this to say about the Hornets competition: “We talked about respecting every team in this league…what we're trying to establish is when you see us come into an arena, you know what you're going to get."

And now every team in the league had better know what they're going to get or they might be in trouble…yet trouble for Hornets opponents might be an unavoidable thing.

Williams' mantra has been “defense first” and so far so good because no team has compiled more than 100 points against them.  We're talking about Carmelo Anthony's Denver Nuggets and LeBron James' Miami Heat here—two of the league's top scoring machines.

In their latest win against the L.A. Clippers, Chris Paul sat out the entire fourth quarter.  The Hornets bench is responding well and providing much needed rest to the starters, a good sign of a team with depth.

So what are the expectations for the New Orleans Hornets?

While it is still early in the season, it is not inconceivable for this bee hive to repeat and even surpass their benchmark season.  This is especially true considering superstars Chris Paul and David West (the only two mainstays from that season) have better talent to work with.

They also have the ingenious guidance of both Dell Demps and Monty Williams, so bigger expectations for this club should be a cinch.

Indeed, that’s because the New Orleans Hornets have achieved chemistry in motion.