New Orleans
Hornets
Southwest
| 2009-10 Team Rating | |
| Offense | Defense |
| 105.1 | 107.3 |
| 16th Overall | 22nd Overall |
2009-10 Season Stats
W
37
L
45
PCT
.451
GB
18
CONF
26-26
DIV
7-9
HOME
24-17
ROAD
13-28
LinksVideo | Statistics | Tickets
|
Category | Grade | ||
 The addition of Trevor Ariza now gives another solid finishing option with David West on the break. But they still need much more out of Emeka Okafor.
|
C |
||
 As long as Chris Paul is happy and healthy (he missed 37 games a year ago), all is well. Marcus Thornton came on strong at the end of last season.
|
A |
||
 Paul will gamble and get steals, but somebody really ought to think about defending the rest of the floor and the rim. Hello, Emeka Okafor?
|
D |
||
 Reserves got a boost with shooter Marco Belinelli, who'll get plenty of open looks playing with CP3. If Peja Stojakovic is healthy, they could win a H-O-R-S-E championship.
|
C |
||
 Monty Williams is embarking on his first season as a coach, so the slate is clean. But he's worked under Gregg Popovich and Nate McMillan, two of the best.
|
Inc |
||
C
Summary
That sound you hear isn't a Mardi Gras parade. It's the clock ticking down on the Hornets franchise when Chris Paul becomes a free agent in 2012 and can head for the door. For all of the changes in New Orleans -- new coach, new general manager, trades for Trevor Ariza and Marco Bellinelli -- by far the biggest news was Paul acknowledging publicly that he won't stick around the French Quarter just for the beignets if the team can't get back on track as a contender.
Ariza will run the floor and be able to finish in the running game while getting fed by Paul. And there is still the quiet All-Star caliber presence of David West on another wing. But if the Hornets are going to take a step back toward those 56 wins, that Southwest Division title and the No. 2 seed they achieved in 2007-08, then center Emeka Okafor will have to upgrade his contribution significantly. He did not deliver as a low-post presence on offense or show up as a defensive stopper in his first season in the Big Easy.
First-year coach Monty Williams will have to find a way to get the most out of Okafor and to instill at least a trace of all-around defensive effort into the Hornets to lift them up and keep Paul thinking he'd like to stay.
--Fran Blinebury
Explanation of Marking System
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