The first half of the season has been inconvenient for the New Orleans Hornets. Since Hurricane Katrina they're moved to new locations for home games. Oklahoma City and Baton Rouge are the current venues. Despite the lack of hometown identity the Hornets are playing decent basketball. Last season they won only 18. So far they're 11-13 and look to break their losing mark within 2 weeks.
If the Hornets can credit one person for their recent turnaround it's got to be rookie G Chris Paul. In Sunday's contest in a win against the Spurs Paul just fell short of a triple-double, needing only one assist. He collected 12 rebounds in the game. Forget about the other numbers. That's a tall order to fill for any guard. How many other short players in the league can collect that many boards? Averaging close to 17.0 ppg and 7.8 assists he's already developed into a team leader and is top candidate for rookie of the year honors.
Whether the Hornets find a permanent home in Louisiana this season or not they're got an x-factor in Chris Paul. He's a good fit in a lineup which includes other emerging young stars like Desmond Mason, J.R. Smith, David West, and the quality veteran P.J. Brown. This team shouldn't be overlooked or took for granted. There is enough punch and talent on the squad to fret and challenge opponents. In due time hopefully this team can return to New Orleans and regenerate a fan base.
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