The Rise of the Hornets
The New Orleans Hornets had the best record in the Western Conference after 44 games at 32-12 and led the Southwest Division ahead of the 2007 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs and 2006 Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks. Currently, the Hornets sit just half a game back under the Conference-leading Phoenix Suns. This is a team that is announcing their arrival.
The story of the Hornets’ rise begins with their floor general, one of the most exciting young players in the NBA, Chris Paul. Paul has been brilliant this season, controlling the pace of every game and getting everyone involved (10.7 apg) while still leading the team in scoring at over 20 points per game, and the league in steals per game at 2.5. After a miserable 2004-2005 season that saw the Hornets win a franchise-low 18 games all season, the team selected Paul with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft and saw immediate returns. In 2005-2006, the Hornets won 38 games, a 20-game improvement, as Paul won Rookie of the Year honours.
The Hornets’ story does not, however, end with one great player. Power forward David West joins Chris Paul as a first-time all-star this season. West was drafted with the 18th pick in the 2003 draft. In his first two seasons with the club, he averaged 13 and 18 minutes per game respectively. Jamaal Magloire and PJ Brown were solidly ahead of him in the rotation, and even the likes of Jackson Vroman saw floor time ahead of him. When Jamaal Magloire was traded to Milwaukee for Desmond Mason just before the start of the 2005-2006 season, it created an opportunity, and West seized it, leading the team in scoring (17) and rebounding (7.4) while playing 34 minutes a night. He and Paul had instant chemistry as West’s ability to shoot from outside the key created angles for Paul’s relentless attacks on the basket, and his added muscle (he is listed at 240 lbs compared to 232 as a rookie) enabled him to be an offensive presence down low moreso than in seasons past.
In the summer of 2006, Hornets management identified the team’s remaining weaknesses, and aggressively went about strengthening the team. The team was 27th in the league in three-pointers attempted (10.8), and 25th in three-point percentage (34%). On the first day of the 2006 free-agent period, they completed a sign-and-trade sending prospect Andrew Betts to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Peja Stojakovic, a career 40% three-point shooter with over 1,000 makes from long distance. Peja received a 5-year, $64 million contract to be New Orleans’ new three-point threat. They also signed Bobby Jackson to back up Chris Paul, a better shooter (36% on threes for his career) than previous backup Speedy Claxton (19%). In the frontcourt, the Hornets needed to find a long-term compliment for West to play with. PJ Brown had served as a great veteran rebounder, but the Hornets traded him and his $8 million expiring contract along with prospect J.R. Smith to the Bulls for Tyson Chandler, their center of the future.
On opening night of the 2006-07 season, the Hornets started Paul and Desmond Mason in the backcourt, with Stojakovic, West and Chandler up front. Bobby Jackson played 27 minutes off the bench in a 91-87 win over the Boston Celtics. But it was not a lineup they would be able to field often that season. After a promising 8-5 start, those top six players would combine to miss 169 games due to various injuries, headlined by Stojakovic missing 69 games due to a back injury. The Hornets’ other prized free agent, Jackson, was next on the list with 36 games missed. West missed 30 and Paul missed 18. Despite all the injuries, the team did improve its record by one game to 39-43, but it was not the step forward that they had hoped.
In the summer of 2007, the Hornets signed free agent swingman Morris Peterson to start at shooting guard as Mason returned to Milwaukee as a free agent. Mo Pete made a name for himself as a three-point shooter (37% for his career) and as an energy player adept at drawing charges and making hustle plays. GM Jeff Bower described him as “our top free-agent target this summer. He is a reliable veteran scorer who can stretch the defense with his three-point range, which is exactly the role we were looking to fill.”
This season, the Hornets have been healthy. The Hornets, as a team, are 4th in the league in three-point accuracy at 38%, and sixth in makes and attempts at 7.7 for 20.4 per game. Peja and Mo Pete account for over half of those three-point attempts. Down low, David West is on the cusp of becoming a 20 and 10 guy (19.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg), and frontcourt-mate Tyson Chandler is fourth in the league in rebounds at over 12 per game while shooting 60% from the field. Meanwhile, Chris Paul is evoking comparisons to Isiah Thomas in his prime. Veterans Bobby Jackson, Rasual Butler and Jannero Pargo give the backcourt and wings some depth off the bench. 2007 first-rounder Julian Wright is a prospect that could turn into a starter-level NBA player with some seasoning and a consistent jumpshot, hopefully in time to replace Peja when Father Time catches up to him. Frontcourt depth is an issue as Melvin Ely and 2006 first-rounder Hilton Armstrong have been unspectacular. Chris “Birdman” Andersen, suspended from the NBA since January of 2006 for drug use, has served his two-year ban and is applying for reinstatement with the league. If it is granted (approval is required from both the league and the players’ union), the Hornets have a 30-day exclusive window to sign him. They almost certainly would take advantage and he would boost their depth up front greatly if he can be close to the shot-blocking and rebounding presence he was in 2006.
Byron Scott is the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets. He will be coaching the 2008 Western Conference All-Stars. When he came to New Orleans in the summer of 2004, it was to coach a core of Baron Davis, Jamal Mashburn, and Jamaal Magloire. He vowed to build the team around Davis, who he called “the best young point guard in the league.” He felt the team should be “a little younger and more athletic.” Injuries, trades, and age have changed the landscape in New Orleans, but with all-stars Chris Paul and David West, they are younger and more athletic, and Byron Scott is still coaching perhaps the best young point guard in the league.
I can’t wait to see these guys in the playoffs.
