The New Orleans Hornets’ recent struggles are disturbing.
After a hot January that featured a 12-4 record and a 10-game winning streak, New Orleans has dropped eight of its last 10.
Much of that can be contributed to center Emeka Okafor’s injury, as the Hornets are 2-7 without their big man.
So one would think it would have been a perfect time for Chris Paul, the team captain and All-Star starter, to take over games and carry the team, right?
Think again.
In his last 10 games, Paul has been exceptionally terrible when the team needed him most. He is averaging only 15.2 points with 9.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 36 percent from 3-point land.
On the season, Paul is averaging 16.2 points, 9.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting nearly 44 percent from beyond the arc.
To top it off, Paul’s efficiency ranking has dropped from more than 24 to 20 during Okafor’s absence. Oh, and there’s the little turnover problem where he has gone from an assist-to-turnover ratio of more than four — the best in the NBA among normal starters — to 3.58 in the last 10 games.
It would be one thing if the team were losing to top-tier teams. But it isn’t
New Orleans lost to the likes of Golden State, Minnesota and New Jersey in its last 10 games.
After the 103-101 overtime loss to New Jersey, Paul took the blame: “I feel like this was my loss,” he said.
Sure, the team and Paul are both struggling with Okafor’s injury. On top of that, starting small forward Trevor Ariza missed a little bit of time with an injury of his own during that stretch.
But that’s all the more reason for Paul to step up his game and prove he is what many think he is — the best point guard in the game.
He hasn’t, though.
And it’s time for him to put more than just that one loss on his shoulders. This is his team, and it’s his job to correct wrongs—something he hasn’t been doing.
Maybe he’s injured, as some are speculating. Maybe he doesn’t believe this team has what it takes to win it all, or maybe he has already checked out of the Big Easy mentally.
But none of those would characterize the Paul we have grown to know in New Orleans, the point guard who has played through numerous injuries and has fought to prove he is one of the best in the league despite his short stature.
I really like Paul as a player, and he can be the best point guard in the league when he wants to be.
Recently, he hasn’t shown that ability.
For this New Orleans team to get out of the first round of the playoffs, Paul has to get back to the intensity he showed in his rookie and sophomore seasons in the league.
The Hornets have shown they are capable of beating nearly any team (outside of the Lakers) that will be in the playoffs. In fact, they own two of San Antonio’s 10 losses.
Now, it’s time for Paul to show he is capable of being the point guard that can lead this team in a playoff series.
Otherwise, there’s no reason for him to hang around New Orleans.
 
 
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Contact Andy Schwem at [email protected]