New Orleans Hornets: Comparing Their Starting Lineup To Those of NBA Contenders
The New Orleans Hornets are 33-25 and sitting in sixth place in the tough Western Conference.
Let's see how the starting lineup of New Orleans, led by superstar point guard Chris Paul, ranks among starting lineups of some of the best teams in the NBA.
I will compare each starting player for the Hornets to the starting player at the same position against some of the top teams in the NBA, then explain which team has the advantage at each position.
Point Guard: Chris Paul
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New Orleans has one of the best point guards in the NBA in Chris Paul. Let's compare Paul's stats to the point guards starting on the top NBA teams.
| PLAYER | PPG | APG | RPG | SPG |
| Chris Paul | 16.2 | 9.6 | 3.9 | 2.5 |
| Derrick Rose (CHI) | 24.9 | 8.2 | 4.4 | 1 |
| Rajon Rondo (BOS) | 10.6 | 12.2 | 4.4 | 2.3 |
| Derek Fisher (LAL) | 6.6 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| Mario Chalmers (MIA) | 6.3 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.2 |
| Tony Parker (SA) | 17.4 | 6.7 | 3.1 | 1.3 |
Chris Paul vs. Derrick Rose
ADVANTAGE: Chicago. Chris Paul may be one of the best passers in the league, but Derrick Rose has the edge, clearly because he is one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA.
Chris Paul vs. Rajon Rondo
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Rajon Rondo may have more assists, but Chris Paul has more steals and puts up more points on a nightly bases.
Chris Paul vs. Derek Fisher
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Derek Fisher has much more experience, but Chris Paul scores more, picks up more assists, and has more steals.
Chris Paul vs. Mario Chalmers
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Chris Paul up against Mario Chalmers isn't even close.
Chris Paul vs. Tony Parker
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Chris Paul up against Tony Parker is very close, but Paul takes this battle to because he has more assists and steals.
Shooting Guard: Willie Green
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Starting at shooting guard for the Hornets is Willie Green. Now let's compare.
| PLAYER | PPG | APG | RPG | SPG |
| Willie Green | 8.2 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.4 |
| Keith Bogans (CHI) | 3.9 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| Ray Allen (BOS) | 17.3 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 0.8 |
| Kobe Bryant (LAL) | 25.1 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 1.2 |
| Dwayne Wade (MIA) | 25.4 | 4.3 | 6.9 | 1.3 |
| Manu Ginobili (SA) | 17.9 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 1.3 |
Willie Green vs. Keith Bogans
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Green puts up more points and rebounds on a nightly basis.
Willie Green vs. Ray Allen
ADVANTAGE: Boston. Ray Allen leads Green in each statistical category. The all-time leader in three-point field goals is one of the greatest shooting guards of all time.
Willie Green vs. Kobe Bryant
ADVANTAGE: Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant may be the best shooting guard in the league. He tops Green in a landslide.
Willie Green vs. Dwayne Wade
ADVANTAGE: Miami. Dwayne Wade is the only shooting guard that gives Kobe a challenge for top SG in the league. Wade reigns supreme over Green.
Willie Green vs. Manu Ginobili
ADVANTAGE: San Antonio. Manu beats Green as well. Ginobili has more assists then the other shooting guards listed.
Small Forward: Trevor Ariza
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The starting small forward for the Hornets is Trevor Ariza. Let's see how he does going up against some of the top players at his position.
| PLAYER | PPG | APG | RPG | SPG |
| Trevor Ariza | 11.1 | 2.1 | 5.5 | 1.6 |
| Luol Deng (CHI) | 17.6 | 2.6 | 6.1 | 0.8 |
| Paul Pierce (BOS) | 18.8 | 3.2 | 5 | 1 |
| Ron Artest (LAL) | 7.9 | 2 | 3 | 1.4 |
| Lebron James (MIA) | 26.1 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 1.5 |
| Richard Jefferson (SA) | 12 | 1.4 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
Trevor Ariza vs. Luol Deng
ADVANTAGE: Chicago. The only thing Ariza tops Deng in is steals. When you're a forward, it doesn't really matter how many steals you have.
Trevor Ariza vs. Paul Pierce
ADVANTAGE: Boston. Paul Pierce is in the conversation of best small forward in the league. Although Ariza gets more rebounds, Pierce scores many more points.
Trevor Ariza vs. Ron Artest
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Ariza leads Artest in each of the categories, especially in points and rebounds.
Trevor Ariza vs. Lebron James
ADVANTAGE: Miami. There is no argument here. Lebron is arguably the best player in the NBA. Ariza can't even carry his jock strap (if NBA players wore them).
Trevor Ariza vs. Richard Jefferson
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. It's close, but Ariza tops Jefferson. Jefferson averages 0.9 more points per game, but more assists and rebounds for Ariza gives New Orleans the advantage.
Power Forward: David West
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David West starts for the Hornets at power forward. How does he compare to some of the top power forwards in the league?
| PLAYER | PPG | APG | RPG | SPG |
| David West | 19 | 2.3 | 7.6 | 0.9 |
| Carlos Boozer (CHI) | 19.3 | 2.4 | 9.9 | 0.3 |
| Kevin Garnett (BOS) | 14.9 | 2.4 | 9 | 1.5 |
| Pau Gasol (LAL) | 18.8 | 3.6 | 10.4 | 0.6 |
| Chris Bosh (MIA) | 18.5 | 1.9 | 8.1 | 0.7 |
| Tim Duncan (SA) | 13.4 | 2.9 | 9.2 | 0.6 |
David West vs. Carlos Boozer
ADVANTAGE: Chicago. Boozer has a slight edge in points and assists, but Chicago eventually gets the advantage because he hauls in more rebounds.
David West vs. Kevin Garnett
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. West averages almost five more points per game. Garnett may have a couple more rebounds, but New Orleans has the advantage.
David West vs. Pau Gasol
ADVANTAGE: Los Angeles. David West averages a little more points a game, but Gasol and the Lakers dominate because of the increase in assists and the collection of more rebounds.
David West vs. Chris Bosh
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Bosh has a couple more rebounds, but West scores more points and dishes out more assists.
David West vs. Tim Duncan
ADVANTAGE: San Antonio. Tim Duncan and San Antonio have the slight edge. Duncan gets more rebounds and more blocks.
Center: Emeka Okafor
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Emeka Okafor is the starting center for the Hornets. Even though he has been out with an oblique injury, he will be returning to the starting lineup soon. Let's see how he adds up against other star centers.
| PLAYER | PPG | APG | RPG | BPG |
Emeka Okafor | 11.1 | 0.5 | 10.1 | 1.8 |
| Joakim Noah (CHI) | 14 | 2.7 | 11.7 | 1.6 |
| Kendrick Perkins (BOS) | 7.5 | 0.09 | 8.2 | 0.8 |
| Andrew Bynum (LAL) | 11.4 | 1.2 | 7.4 | 1.7 |
| Zydrunas Ilgauskas (MIA) | 5.3 | 0.3 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
| DeJuan Blair (SA) | 8.5 | 1.1 | 7.4 | 0.5 |
Emeka Okafor vs. Joakim Noah
ADVANTAGE: Chicago. Emeka averages more blocks, but Noah puts up higher numbers in every other category.
Emeka Okafor vs. Kendrick Perkins
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Emeka and New Orleans have the lead over Boston. Okafor scores more points, collects more rebounds and averages more blocks.
Emeka Okafor vs. Andrew Bynum
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Emeka Okafor gives New Orleans the advantage here as well. Bynum averages more points and more assists, but Okafor takes the upper hand with his rebounds and blocks.
Emeka Okafor vs. Zydrunas Ilgauskas
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Emeka Okafor leads Ilgauskas in every category. The Hornets get the advantage.
Emeka Okafor vs. DeJuan Blair
ADVANTAGE: New Orleans. Ekeka Okafor and New Orleans have the favor here too. Okafor beats Blair in every category.
