Hornets Shutting Up the Haters
Chris Paul (photo. Mannion)Feel free to call me a hater. Because going into these playoffs, I didn’t give the New Orleans Hornets any credit.
Forget their #2 seed in the West. Forget the season-long, MVP-caliber play of Chris Paul. Forget the emergence of David West as a legit All-Star. Forget the fact that Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic and Jannero Pargo have all played at a consistently high level. Forget even that I’d seen a ton of Hornets games on NBA League Pass and watched them in-person twice (destroying my Sonics in December, then pulling out a gutsy come-from-behind win in New York in March), and been duly impressed. When it came time to evaluate N.O.’s championship prospects, I didn’t give them a chance.
Why? Because history says that NBA teams typically don’t go from Lottery one year to realistic title contenders the next (unless of course a perfect storm of events allows them to bring in two future Hall of Famers in one summer to accompany a third future Hall of Famer). Everyone from Isiah Thomas to Michael Jordan to Shaq to Kobe to LeBron James had to go through their postseason growing pains before reaching contender status. We saw Isiah turn the ball over to Larry Bird before DJ laid it up and in. We saw Mike get his ass beat by the Bad Boy Pistons. We saw Shaq get swept multiple times. We saw Kobe’s air-balls in Utah. We saw LeBron, perhaps fulfilling his next-Jordan prophesy, getting roughed up by Detroit in his first postseason. That’s why I considered Dwight Howard’s playoff baptism — a sweep at the hands of the Pistons — to be the best thing to happen to his career, because he experienced playoff disappointment early.
I assumed as much would be true for CP3 and the Hornets. Especially considering that, after missing the playoffs altogether in ‘07, the Hornets roster that won 56 games this past regular season wasn’t that much different. Sure, them staying healthy was a big factor, but personnel-wise, was Bonzi Wells really supposed to be the missing piece of a championship puzzle?
So that in mind, I predicted New Orleans would lose in the first round to the more-experienced and (presumably) motivated Mavericks. After they cleared that hurdle, I assumed they’d get slaughtered by the defending champion Spurs.
And yet here we sit, the Hornets up 3-2 against Tim Duncan and Co., with a chance to close out the series tonight. More often than not they’ve outplayed San Antonio, in particular when they’ve blasted the champs in the second halves at New Orleans Arena. Even if the Hornets lose tonight, they’d still be favored to win Game 7 at home. I’m a fan of the Spurs, and even I’d have to admit that much.
Going against tradition, the Hornets are one win away from the conference finals and from shutting up myself and the rest of the critics in the process.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
GEE...mute says:
My thing is this though? Granted San An has the potion when it comes to playoffs. Still is this a case of N.O. really being that good or San An 1. not having home court and 2. not making the proper adjustments or being an old dog past it’s time?
1. First off N.O. is the truth. With that said, I still think had the shoes been on the other foot it would be San An. with a chance to close out tonight and all. Home advantage is showing it’s face hard this year.
2. I have to think that San. An. aside from Chris Paul discombobulating their D they should have enough and be doing enough to win. I am thinking if they just played N.O. straight up shouldn’t San An. get it?
Ok Chris Paul wins out and some even say him and T.P. is a wash (I disagree). At every other position on D. shouldn’t San. An. be straight?
Duncan -Tyson: Duncan should D him up.
Thomas -West: Granted West is going to get his but didn’t they bring in Thomas for Defense??? He should at least not let West get 38.
Bowen – Peja: Bowen is 1st team defense nuff said on his end.
Manu -Mo Pete: I say that if anything is a wash.
More than anything I think this speaks of the skill and leadership of CP. For him to disrupt a better defensive team so much that they are making bad decisions, just makes dude real ill.
This also speaks to N.O.’s D. Apparently the way they are doubling down at the right time and making adjustments is giving San. An. fits offense wise.
I think it’s more homecourt than anything but certainly San. An. has met it’s match at every standpoint apparently.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Sam I Am says:
Go N.O.H.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
GEE...mute says:
Side note: It’s over for Clev. Gibson won’t play next game with separated shoulder. Boston and Detroit.
That is going to be a straight up, foul, techs, trash talk and nast affair! Wooooo can’t wait!
May 15th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Word Gee, its going down in the East.
And yes, I’m a hater. Guilty. I had Dallas winning in 5.
Go Lakers!
May 15th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
rangerjohn says:
gee booby gibson has been relatively ineffective so far anyway, i dont thin they will win because he is gone, granted i think the celts win anyway but not because of him missing.
i think everyone figured out i am a hater (of chris “cheap shot” paul not the rest of the team really) but i have to say i think gee hit it on the head when he said the home court is the big factor
May 15th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Chuck...A source of knowldge for all says:
@ Gee
Good synopsis. For the first time ever I have nothing to say.
May 15th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
GEE...mute says:
Mox I had that too lol.
He has still been providing points and a outside threat to pull the defense.
I am just saying we all already knew it was strickly LeBron…now it’s strickly strickly lol.
Damon Jones anyone lol?
May 15th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
djkianoosh says:
i’m a sixer fan that has been watching and enjoying the spurs since ginobili joined them (I grew up in argentina).. and I kinda knew the Hornets (and Jazz too) were for real. Each of their wins this series has been dominant and extremely impressive. Neither team is deep at this point, but both teams’ 1-7 are as good as it gets in the league right now. It’s fantastic basketball played at the highest level and you can tell both teams are really into it and locked in with all the near fights and anxious moments. I said it a few days ago, Spurs got smacked and woke up. Now it’s time to execute.
I take it for granted that the Spurs will win tonight. Too much history behind that group to get closed out on their own home court.. . but it won’t be easy, and they know it. and that right there is proof enough that the hornets are scary good and will be in the mix in the West for as long as Paul and West are together. players 3-8 will come and go, but those guys are fantastic. N.O. has a team for a long time…
May 15th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
SWAT says:
Ok a little off topic but did yall hear that Sir Charles owes a casino 400k asap or they are going to file charges against dude…WOW!?!
May 15th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
rangerjohn says:
yeah he “bounced 4 $100,000 checks to cover markers”
wow come on chuck!
May 15th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Jim says:
I think another thing to consider is, despite Coach Scott never really getting respect for whatever reason, their second half defense has been terrific. Whatever he’s doing is working.
Seeing the Spurs completely incapable of getting to the paint for long stretches kills me, but I think you’ve got to give it up to Scott.
May 15th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
SWAT says:
LMAO!! Chuck writes hot cks…damn that’s hilarious!!
May 15th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
alex says:
oh well, it is San Antonio in 7 after all
May 15th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
rangerjohn says:
WHAT!
spurs in 7
i loved the refs FINALY called the hornets for the “cheap shots” and push offs! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!
May 16th, 2008 at 1:52 am
William See says:
Duncan did not face any growing pains together with Tony Parker