New Orleans Hornets Preview ’09:
“Hey, we’re not gonna win a title but let’s try not to lose a playoff game by 58.”
-The Paul/Scott Dilemma- If Chris Paul has any one weakness, it’s loyalty. Actually, it’s being friendly with division rivals (stop having dinner with Tony Parker during a playoff series!). But he’s too loyal, much like Garnett was with Minnesota. New Orleans took him in and in return, he’s the sole reason the franchise is still around and thriving, that plus David Stern’s strong-arming guilt tactics. But is he leading a winner onto the court? Aside from David West, the rest of his squad is overpaid and injured, young and inexperienced or floundering somewhere in between (and West ain’t no spring chicken either). The team’s finances aren’t his fault but if he’s serious about winning, he has to tell management to shake things up like any demanding, aggressive superstar would. Case in point: Byron Scott. He’s a great coach but like his previous stints have shown, success gives him a big head and causes him to get contentious with his players. Thing is, Paul has a competitive streak but is too much of a good guy to ever go against Scott let alone get him fired which is why he’s still around despite losing a playoff game by 58! But if Paul’s the sole force dragging this squad to 50 wins and an early round exit again with practically no assistance and an arrogant coach to contend with, maybe things will start to move in a better direction, like firing Scott.
-The Emeka Improvement- What happens when you trade an oft-injured lottery flop who blocks well but only dunks for a slightly better oft-injured lottery flop? You offense gets better and you save several million dollars! Just more proof that greatness on the court doesn’t equal greatness in the front office, either that or Jordan lost a bet to George Shinn on the golf course. Paul’s going to miss Tyson’s alley oops but he’ll be plenty happy dishing to Emeka on the pick-and-roll once they get a good rhythm going, which shouldn’t take long considering Paul’s ability. If he stays healthy, this is the trade that keeps New Orleans going despite their weaknesses.
-The Rookies- Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton aren’t exactly Blake Griffin or Stephen Curry but they fill critical needs for the Hornets if they step up. Collison provides the backup for Paul they’ve desperately needed and if he adjusts to the NBA pace, Thornton gives them an option at the 2-spot other than Mo-Pete.
-Health Issues- Sometimes injuries are caused by unexplainable bad juju (like the Mets this season). The Hornets have their share of potential woes as well: West’s spastic back, Peja’s entire body, Hilton Armstrong’s occasional brain malfunctions (I made that up but sometimes his actions are inexplicable). If these and more don’t all hit at once they’re fine, if one or more happens while losing Paul for a handful of games, they might want to find a back alley witch doctor in the Big Easy. Failing that, Haiti’s close by.
-Sean Marks- For the second year in a row, winner of the Chris Dudley Best Goofy-Looking White Boy Award! He isn’t going to the All-Star game or winning any beauty contests but goddamn if he doesn’t work his ass off.
-Chris Paul, The Standard, The Rising Tide- A rising tide lifts all boats, even if the boat is called Hilton Armstrong or Darius Songalia. Such is the case for The Standard, a player who can put the ball in the basket but can get it to the open man like no other and unless you want to pick a fight with me, is the best point guard in the league bar none. So can Paul continue to take lemons and paint them gold. His stats indicate yes, a drop in the standings and an exit in the first round last year indicate no but despite all their problems (weak bench, erratic injuries, arrogant coach), as long as Paul can keep being a leader while finding the easy bucket, all is well. Are they a legit contender? Not at all but I’d sure as hell like them to be and it isn’t going to stop me from watching anyway.
-The Paul/Scott Dilemma- If Chris Paul has any one weakness, it’s loyalty. Actually, it’s being friendly with division rivals (stop having dinner with Tony Parker during a playoff series!). But he’s too loyal, much like Garnett was with Minnesota. New Orleans took him in and in return, he’s the sole reason the franchise is still around and thriving, that plus David Stern’s strong-arming guilt tactics. But is he leading a winner onto the court? Aside from David West, the rest of his squad is overpaid and injured, young and inexperienced or floundering somewhere in between (and West ain’t no spring chicken either). The team’s finances aren’t his fault but if he’s serious about winning, he has to tell management to shake things up like any demanding, aggressive superstar would. Case in point: Byron Scott. He’s a great coach but like his previous stints have shown, success gives him a big head and causes him to get contentious with his players. Thing is, Paul has a competitive streak but is too much of a good guy to ever go against Scott let alone get him fired which is why he’s still around despite losing a playoff game by 58! But if Paul’s the sole force dragging this squad to 50 wins and an early round exit again with practically no assistance and an arrogant coach to contend with, maybe things will start to move in a better direction, like firing Scott.
-The Emeka Improvement- What happens when you trade an oft-injured lottery flop who blocks well but only dunks for a slightly better oft-injured lottery flop? You offense gets better and you save several million dollars! Just more proof that greatness on the court doesn’t equal greatness in the front office, either that or Jordan lost a bet to George Shinn on the golf course. Paul’s going to miss Tyson’s alley oops but he’ll be plenty happy dishing to Emeka on the pick-and-roll once they get a good rhythm going, which shouldn’t take long considering Paul’s ability. If he stays healthy, this is the trade that keeps New Orleans going despite their weaknesses.
-The Rookies- Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton aren’t exactly Blake Griffin or Stephen Curry but they fill critical needs for the Hornets if they step up. Collison provides the backup for Paul they’ve desperately needed and if he adjusts to the NBA pace, Thornton gives them an option at the 2-spot other than Mo-Pete.
-Health Issues- Sometimes injuries are caused by unexplainable bad juju (like the Mets this season). The Hornets have their share of potential woes as well: West’s spastic back, Peja’s entire body, Hilton Armstrong’s occasional brain malfunctions (I made that up but sometimes his actions are inexplicable). If these and more don’t all hit at once they’re fine, if one or more happens while losing Paul for a handful of games, they might want to find a back alley witch doctor in the Big Easy. Failing that, Haiti’s close by.
-Sean Marks- For the second year in a row, winner of the Chris Dudley Best Goofy-Looking White Boy Award! He isn’t going to the All-Star game or winning any beauty contests but goddamn if he doesn’t work his ass off.
-Chris Paul, The Standard, The Rising Tide- A rising tide lifts all boats, even if the boat is called Hilton Armstrong or Darius Songalia. Such is the case for The Standard, a player who can put the ball in the basket but can get it to the open man like no other and unless you want to pick a fight with me, is the best point guard in the league bar none. So can Paul continue to take lemons and paint them gold. His stats indicate yes, a drop in the standings and an exit in the first round last year indicate no but despite all their problems (weak bench, erratic injuries, arrogant coach), as long as Paul can keep being a leader while finding the easy bucket, all is well. Are they a legit contender? Not at all but I’d sure as hell like them to be and it isn’t going to stop me from watching anyway.
posted by Gen at
9:13 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home