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2008 New Orleans Hornets Predictions

Written by Jack Jones on October 28, 2008

The New Orleans Hornets are not going to sneak up on anyone this year after piling up 56 wins last season. They were just one game away from playing in the Western Conference finals after setting the franchise record for victories. The team has two superstars with guard Chris Paul and forward David West, plus a supporting cast that is good enough to help lead this team to the Finals in 2008-09. Our NBA predictions don’t see them quite getting over the hump this year, but this team is still on the rise and will only get better down the road. The Hornets are a +175 favorite to win the Southwest Division.

It seems like West has gone relatively unnoticed by people not paying close attention to the league, but this guy is coming off a monster season in which he put up 20.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He does a great job down low but can also hit the mid-range shot. He is joined down low by Tyson Chandler, who is a passionate player with high energy. He finally came up big last year with 11.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game after being kind of a dud in Chicago. At small forward is Peja Stojakovic, who isn’t the threat that he once was with the Sacramento Kings, but can still shoot the rock. He made 44% of his 3-point attempts last season. New Orleans is a 5-to-1 favorite to come out as the West champions.

Paul is going to be an MVP contender year after year and could have won it over Kobe Bryant a year ago. He is one of the quickest players in the NBA, is a great ball handler, and is only 23. His competitive nature has him driving to improve even though he averaged 11.6 assists, 21.1 points and 4 rebounds per game. Morris Peterson does a good job of hitting wide open shots and is a nice compliment to Paul in the backcourt. The odds on New Orleans to win the title at currently at 10-to-1.

The Hornets added James Posey to come off the bench. He’s a tough player who can hit the outside shot and was pivotal in the Boston Celtics run a year ago. He also helped the Miami Heat win the title in 2006, so New Orleans is hoping he can do the same for them. Julian Wright is the only other really talented player on the bench, with Melvin Ely and Hilton Armstrong also seeing some time. Mike James will serve as Paul’s backup. The win total for the New Orleans Hornets has been set at over/under 51.5.

Final Analysis

The starting five for New Orleans is about as good as you are going to see in the league, but the problem is depth. If anyone gets hurt there isn’t much there to help fill in. Another problem is that Paul’s endurance after a trip to China this summer for the Olympics. They rely on him for so many minutes that could be a problem. The other players in West, Chandler, and Stojakovic all have a history of missing significant time with injuries.

If you are going to be doing any NBA betting this season then why not give yourself the best chance of winning? Our experts break down the NBA odds each day of the season with their NBA picks, helping you get the edge.

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