The Hornets knew what to expect from Chris Paul and David West heading into the season.
The questions surrounding the team (outside of how the team would respond to a new coach) dealt with the production the team would get from the other starters and the bench.
Well, the new year has brought a lot of joy and production from those question marks, as the Hornets have won eight of their last 10 and have the second-longest active winning streak in the NBA (six games).
For the Hornets to have any push past the first round of the playoffs, the team will have to continue to find success from more than just West and Paul.
New Orleans now stands at 27-16 and sixth in the Western Conference after coming close to pushing a .500 record toward the end of 2010.
That resurgence is mostly thanks to the play of center Emeka Okafor, who has been brilliant throughout the season.
Okafor is only averaging 11.2 points per game this year, but he has been eating up the boards, averaging 10.3 rebounds per game, good enough for No. 7 in the NBA.
He tied a franchise record Monday against Toronto with 12 offensive rebounds and finished the game with 16 total rebounds.
The big man has shown his versatility during fast breaks, too.
In fact, his bounce pass assist to former LSU standout Marcus Thornton on Wednesday night helped get the Hornets an overtime win against Memphis.
That victory was the sixth time this season the Hornets clawed back from double digits down to get a win.
And, though it sounds cliché, it was a total team effort. In fact, this entire season has been made possible by the bench and the role players.
New Orleans doesn’t have anyone with a +/- in the top 25 of the NBA. This is a telling statistic in the league that shows how many more points a team scores than gives up when a certain player or group of players is on the court at one time.
One would think not having a player (or group of players) in the top 20 would be a negative, but that isn’t necessarily true. In the Hornets’ case, it means the entire team is playing well and winning together, not just one, two or three players carrying the load.
This is good news for the starters, who are getting time to rest in the long NBA season. But for the Hornets to continue their success, they will have to find ways to win on the road.
Let’s face it, New Orleans will be a five seed at best, meaning they will be on the road for most of the playoffs. Hornets fans know the team can win at home. In fact, the Bees, despite their attendance woes, have the third best Western Conference home record (17-5).
The Hornets have a 10-11 road record, by far the worst of any of the top six seeds in either conference. It’s been a Jekyll-and-Hyde season for the Hornets when it comes to home and away games.
The good news lately is Dr. Jekyll has been showing up on the road, as the Hornets have won five of their last six, including victories over Boston, Houston and Denver, all potential playoff teams. Their only road loss in the six-game stretch was a 101-97 nail-biter against the defending NBA Champion, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Should the Bees be able to continue to push that road record over the .500 mark, it could greatly help come playoff time.
In order for that to happen, the Hornets will have to continue to get production from their bench and stay healthy.
If the stars all align, this Hornets team could be the surprise of the playoffs.
Andy Schwehm is a 21-year-old English and psychology senior from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_ASchwehm.
 
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Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]