(Best E Casino) - It's nice when you can look in the rear view mirror, see 56 wins and still be considered a team on the rise.
That's where the New Orleans Hornets and reigning NBA Coach of the Year Byron Scott find themselves heading into the 2008-09 season.
The Hornets were one of the NBA's biggest surprises last season, setting a franchise record for wins and coming just one game short from advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Star guard Chris Paul and fellow All-Star David West had great seasons for the Hornets. Paul led New Orleans in scoring (21.1 ppg) and assists (11.6 apg) and was a legitimate MVP candidate, while West posted an impressive 20.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
When you add in sharp-shooting forward Peja Stojakovic, who contributed 16.4 points per game and shot an impressive 44.1 percent from beyond the arc, and center Tyson Chandler, who posted 11.8 points per game and a team- best 11.7 rebounds, you can see why many see the Hornets making a serious run at an NBA championship this season.
The addition of battle-tested veteran swingman James Posey may have been the final piece to the puzzle. Posey, who is coming off his second NBA title, providing a plethora of big shots and big stops for the Boston Celtics last season.
2007-08 Results: 56-26, lost to San Antonio in Western Conference semifinals.
ADDITIONS: Devin Brown (G) - Free Agent; Sean Marks (C) - Free Agent; James Posey (F) - Free Agent.
SUBTRACTIONS: Jannero Pargo (G) - Signed to play in Russia; Bonzi Wells (G/F) - Free Agent; Chris Andersen (F/C) - Free Agent.
RE-SIGNINGS: Ryan Bowen (F).
2008 DRAFT PICKS: 1. (27) Darrell Arthur (F, Kansas) - Traded to Portland.
PROJECTED STARTING FIVE:
PG- Chris Paul SG- Morris Peterson SF- Peja Stojakovic PF- David West C- Tyson Chandler
KEY RESERVES: Hilton Armstrong (C/F); Melvin Ely (C/F); Mike James (G); James Posey (F); Julian Wright (F)
FRONTCOURT: West may be the most anonymous star in the league. He is a force on the box down low and can also kill you with the mid-range jumper. Now, the All-Star is looking to improve his game on the defensive end.
Chandler has accepted his role and really developed. The big man does the dirty work by cleaning the glass and patrolling the paint. He also runs the floor well and led the league in dunks last season.
Stojakovic isn't the same player he was in Sacramento but is still the type of shooter that keeps a defense honest.
BACKCOURT: Paul is already entrenched as one of the NBA's elite after going from Rookie of the Year to runner-up in the MVP race. His incredible quickness and deft ball-handing skills make him almost impossible for a defender to stop.
"We feel like we have a championship-caliber team and we want to come out here and show the fans what we're trying to do," Paul said.
Swingman Morris Peterson, who signed with the club last offseason, is no world-beater but excels as a standstill jump shooter and is made better by the Paul's presence on the floor.
BENCH: The Hornets clearly overpaid for the 35-year-old Posey but his arrival was a clear signal that GM Jeff Bower believes his team is a legitimate title contender.
"We thought of James Posey as the best free agent available, and we were able to land him, so obviously we're excited about that," Scott said. "If you look at what he did in Miami (helping the Heat win their first-ever NBA title in 2006), and what he did last year in Boston, he's a winner. That's the bottom line. He fits in extremely well with what we're doing here. You don't look at the numbers -- this guy is a winner."
The rest of the bench is a bit thin. Julian Wright showed some promise last season and provides energy but is just a wing player.
That leaves Melvin Ely and Hilton Armstrong to backup West and Chandler which can't make Scott or Bower comfortable.
With Jannero Pargo now in Russia, Paul will be spelled by Mike James or Devin Brown. Obviously, anyone would be a huge drop off but with Paul spending his summer winning a gold medal in Beijing, the Hornets would like a bit more depth, especially early in the season.
OUTLOOK: Clearly health is going to be the big issue in "The Big Easy."
The starting five is one of the NBA's best but outside of Posey, there isn't much depth to count on.
The key players on the team also have a history of injuries. West injured his back in the playoffs last year while Chandler arrived in camp with a tender toe. In 2006-07, West missed 30 games with bad elbow, Stojakovic missed most of the season after back surgery and Paul even missed 18 contests with a balky ankle.
If the starters stay clear of the MASH unit, the Hornets will be in the mix for the franchise's first championship.
"I'm a little biased," Paul said at media day, "but I think this team has what it takes to get to the next level."
