The Hornets Season: Five Important Stories

I've complained before about the Hornets and the lack of attention they get from the national media. Most season previews this summer about the Hornets have focused briefly on their injury woes last year and then bumped their record a few games and called it a day. It's a similar lack of attention that allowed the Utah Jazz to be such a "surprise" last year - and it's possible the Hornets may have a similar result as the 51 wins the Jazz took last season.

So here are my picks for the five most important stories this season that aren't being covered nationally:

Return to New Orleans
This is, and should be, the biggest story for the Hornets. I'm a little bemused at the difference between the celebrated Saints return to the Crescent City, and the crickets heard when the Hornets return is mentioned. The best(or worst, really) you can hope for is a brief paragraph about how the Hornets will never succeed in NOLA market. However, it seems to me that the Hornets are giving it every effort to make it work. In the past, the Hornets have never seemed to be the most savvy marketing organization out here, but even a jaded cynic like me has been fairly impressed with some of the things they've been doing to try to reintegrate with New Orleans. From obtaining a local owner to the Fleur de Bee logo to local appearances and their wonderful new website(really, check this out), this team has been making a real push in the New Orleans area. Their Director of Marketing Michael Thompson has become active on the fan boards, pushing new information and giving fans sneak peaks into the Hornets organization.

Sadly, the national networks don't see much potential in this story. The Saints return opened on Monday Night Football against a premier opponent. The Hornets home opener is against ailing Sacramento on the second night of the season. And ESPN is carrying Cavaliers v. Dallas starting at the exact same time. The Hornets hit national television November 7th at 10:30 EST against Portland in what was clearly supposed to be a "Here's Greg Oden" game. Hopefully, when the Hornets begin to surprise the national "experts", we'll see some real focus on the Hornets - and more stories about a New Orleans revival.

A Youth Movement Done Right
Starting in CPA 1(Chris Paul's Arrival, the 2005-2006 season), the Hornets have rebuilt their team with young, talented players that will contribute for a long time. There have been lots of teams that have attempted the same thing, pulling out the dynamite on an old dysfunctional team, and bringing in all young players. But most of those efforts have been met with poor success. The Post-Jordan Bulls, Hawks and Warriors of the last decade, and until recently the Danny Ainge Celtics all tried to build youthful cores and develop them into winners. But none of those organizations succeeded until they recognized they needed to bring in a solid cast of veterans to support their young players.

The Hornets have done this - from the start. West, Paul, Chandler, Armstrong, and Wright are the core of this team, with the oldest being West at 27. But to support and teach that core, the Hornets have always had savvy veterans around - PJ Brown, Marc Jackson, Bobby Jackson, Peja Stojakovic, Morris Peterson. That is a youth movement done right, and it has paid off for them already. Few teams can bounce back from an 18-64 season that wasn't caused by injuries and be knocking on the playoff door the following two seasons. The result? This team could be a contender for a long time.

The Byron Scott Effect
Byron Scott is as divisive a coach in New Orleans as he was in New Jersey. The man speaks his mind and has an opinion on everything. This, of course, tends to alienate people, particularly if it's not accompanied by lots of winning. But no matter your impression of his tact, rotation, substitution patterns or ability to develop some young draft picks, he has put a stamp on this team.

Scott is absolutely uncompromising in what he expects from his players, and though it may kill his ability to work with some players(See Smith, JR, Snyder, Kirk, and Johnson, Linton) it has gotten him the sort of players he wants on the team. And judging by the reports out of training camp, this is a good thing. Byron is working them like a dog with 4-hour practices where players run until their legs cramp. But these players don't complain. Most of them had reported weeks in advance for voluntary practices, and many of them, including the rookies, stay late after the exhausting practice to get more shooting in. Hilton Armstrong has worked so hard on his game in the offseason that his teammates are glowing about him. Even newcomer Morris Peterson has been infected, calling Byron late at night to ask questions about the playbook and coming in early the next day to go over it.

There are no knuckleheads on this team, no slackers, and the players are hungry to prove themselves. And that is the Byron Scott Effect, and I can't help but approve.

Chris Paul's Shooting
If Chris had a weakness his rookie year, it was his long-range shooting. He posted a terrible 28% from three point territory, and after the season, declared it was something he needed to work on. Well, he did. Somewhere in the jam-packed offseason between his first and second years in the league, he must have worked on his shot, because when he came back in 2006-7, it was finding the bottom of the net. Paul improved his 3 point percentage to 35%, going from the bottom third of the league to the top 100, and the 23rd best-shooting point guard from deep. There aren't many guards in the history of the game, much less currently in the league, that were able to couple his level of penetrating skills with a good outside shot. If his shooting continues to improve, even at only a few percent over this year and the next, he's going to be near impossible to stop.

Tyson Chandler Breaking Out
The reality is that in terms of production, Tyson Chandler did not actually have a breakout season last year. He had already proven in Chicago a few years ago that he was capable of the sort of rebounding and shot blocking he provided the Hornets. This year, however, does have the potential to be a real breakout season for Chandler. If his stats are considered over the whole of last year, they are right on par with his best per-minute numbers in Chicago. But anyone who watched the Hornets last year saw how much he improved month to month, from a poor November to a stellar 2007. Evaluating what he did over the last three months of the season presents a player who produced at an astonishing rate. His rebound rate(% of available rebounds he captured) went through the roof, easily topping everyone in the league, and he even displayed an awkward looking post game that none-the-less produced points at a fairly efficient rate. If he can keep that sort of confidence and effort going for an entire season, there will be no question he's in line for a remarkable season . . . and postseason.