Bee-Lieve
I'm not one to shy away from jumping on a band wagon. The New Orleans Hornets and their MVP caliber point guard are no exception. I have to admit, I am one of many sports fans in NOLA that had not embraced the Hornets since their return from Oklahoma City. They were not a very good team before the Big K hit, and well, when you have the NFL and so many other entertainment options it was tough to gain support.
The final blow to my Hornet Fair weather fan status was the fact that we don’t get any of the games on Direct TV. But Chris Paul, Byron Scott, David West, Tyson Chandler and a great supporting cast can no longer be ignored. The Hornets won the toughest division in basketball and are the 2 seed in the powerhouse that is the Western Conference. They have a real chance at a title and are a young team with a bright future. After a slow shooting start in game 1 against Dallas, the Hornets throttled the Mavericks and won both game 1 and 2 by huge margins. Dallas looked out gunned, old, and lacked the hunger the hornets had.
Life before K is hard to remember sometimes.. the only memory I have of CP3 (Chris’s Paul’s nickname) is of him punching an opponent in the family jewels while playing for Georgia Tech. One of the great cock punches of all times. It was a little hard for me to take him seriously for a while, until I had a chance to see a few games, and a new star has been born. He has speed and moves like Iverson did in his youth. He can score big points in the lane; he can defend well, ranking up steals in every game. Standing only 6’ 2”, I had worries about his height against the growing number of 6’ 6” guards in the NBA. But he has something that Iverson never had: great passing abilities. He also rarely makes a mistake. He can carry this team to a title if he continues to give 30 points, 15 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals a game.
The Hornets are more than just one player, though. They have built a great support cast that plays like a team. On the inside, Tyson Chandler and David West can hold their own against the dominant backcourts that have ruled the west: San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and now, the Phoenix Suns.
The Peja Factor
Peja has been lights out from behind the arc this season. He is a perfect complement to Paul’s driving ability. With his size and ability to run the floor, he can camp out and get all sorts of good looks through the game. If he is draining his three pointers the Hornets are extremely hard to beat. Even Los Angeles and Boston can go down while playing well if Peja has his grove on.
Does the future look bright?
Well it certainly does for the team. The big question is how long will they be in New Orleans? Fan attendance is among the lowest in the league. The stadium is OK at best. The first two games of the playoffs officially sold out, but here were many empty seats and tickets were gong for less than face price on Craigslist and outside the stadium on game night. Hopefully Hornet’s Fever will catch on. Hopefully NOLA’s team can give our town a few rounds of playoff basketball. If Los Angeles comes to town, NOLA will get some much needed exposure on the national stage.
