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February 3, 2009
So, I received a phone call this morning from a longtime friend who asked a simple question I had the most awful time trying to answer.
“How’s the Hornets season going”, he asked.
Had that question come during the first week of the NBA season (when the Hornets swept western conference road opponents Golden State and Phoenix and LeBron’s Cavs in New Orleans’ home opener in a 3-0 start) my answer would have been simple and full of dramatic adjectives: Spectacular, Fabulous, and Beautiful.
Had that question come at the end of November (when the Hornets went 7-6) my answer would have been a little more complicated. With big wins over Cleveland, Portland and at Denver (on national television) I would have professed the importance of beating key playoff teams; but, with losses in Charlotte, in Houston, and against the Lakers at the Hive I would have admitted that the team was struggling with a 9-6 record.
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Had that question come after beating first place Denver on January 28th without Tyson Chandler and without David West to clinch the franchise’s 13th consecutive winning month I would have spoken glowingly of how the Hornets were persevering despite key injuries. I would have also reminded him that the Hornets were still second in their Division and fourth in their Conference more than halfway through the season.
Unfortunately, the question was posed to me this morning. This just happens to be the first day after the Chris Paul injury. Officially, the injury is a mild groin strain. As I was once told by a player, the only time a groin strain is mild is when it’s someone else’s.
And while the rest of the western conference may be licking its chops to take their shot at the Paul-less Hornets they may want to check their facts before celebrating CHRIS MISS in February. Although the data includes only 24 games missed by CP3 during his three-plus NBA seasons it’s evident that the Bees have stepped up in his absence. Here’s the breakdown:
| SEASON | RECORD W/O PAUL |
| 05-06 | 3-1 |
| 06-07 | 8-10 |
| 07-08 | 1-1 |
| TOTAL | 12-12 (.500) |
No player, coach, fan, or broadcaster wants to see Paul miss ANY action on the court. He’s the most watchable player in the league. He’s probably one of a half dozen players in the entire league that makes every player on his team better. He’s the leader of the Hornets on the floor and in the locker room, as well as the team leader in scoring, assists, steals, and alley oop passes! But if you believe that sometimes statistics can predict the future this may be an instance where despite Chris Paul’s injury the Hornets may surprise you by the way they play in his absence. This, despite the way things went after he left the Portland game on February 2nd when the Blazers outscored the Hornets 42-17 to erase a 17-point deficit and capture the win. The Hornets were obviously stunned to see their leader limp off the court. Now they’ve had a chance to absorb what happened and think about how to adjust.
Also keep in mind that those of you around town and for that matter around the league who think CP3 will miss major time with this injury, think again. When Paul suffered his first NBA injury (ironically against Portland) in his rookie season he was expected to miss up to a month of action. But the torn right thumb ligament was simply stabilized by the Hornets medical staff and Paul returned after missing exactly one game. The most consecutive games he’s missed as a Hornet was 17-straight after suffering a severe right ankle sprain (after stepping on Johan Petro’s foot in Seattle) in his sophomore season. Last season he missed just two games with a sprained right ankle.
Don’t get me wrong, Chris Paul is indispensible; possibly the most irreplaceable player not named LeBron or Kobe. But this is a talented Hornets team. David West is an all-star. James Posey is one of the best sixth men in the league at both ends of the floor. Byron Scott says that Tyson Chandler could return from his severe ankle sprain this week or next. Peja Stojakovic has more great shooting games than not in the last two weeks. Rasual Butler has had his most consistent season as a pro (the Hornets are 16-5 when he hits double figures). Somebody (or should that be plural?) will have to step up as a catalyst in his absence.
Now that the organization has had a chance to catch its breath following the dramatic events of the last 24 hours it’s time to realize that there are still 37 more games to play before the post season. With or without Chris Paul the remainder of this week, it’s up to the rest of the team to make sure opponents don’t come to the Big Easy thinking they’ll celebrate Mardi Gras inside the New Orleans Arena.
