Miami Heat head to New Orleans for an exciting contest
The New Orleans Hornets have made their intentions clear at the start of the season, clinching four wins in a row, and are one of the only three unbeaten teams in the tournament. But next up, they face a multi-talented Miami side
that has turned the heat on after faltering in the season opener against the Boston Celtics.
The Hornets boast of an excellent record against the Miami Heat at home, not conceding a game to them in the last five years. In one to one match-up they also hold the advantage with 5 more wins at 37-32. Their exploits though
came against a Miami side that was not as gifted and formidable as the current outfit. With the acquisition of LeBron James and Chris Bosh to a side already featuring Dwyane Wade, the Miami offense has been letting it rip in the last four games, routing their
oppositions by a whooping margin of 22.8 points per game.
On the defensive front as well the Heats have been a tough cookie to crack, and have conceded only 420 points at an average of 84 points per game through the first five games of the season. They only gave up fewer points in the
2000 season, where they conceded 407 points and can set a new franchise record if they give up 83 or fewer points on Tuesday night.
The Miami fire power just doesn’t end here. The ‘Big Three’ of the Heats are complemented by a powerful bench, with a collection of blue-collar role players and feared perimeter shooters. In the presence of players like Carlos
Arroyo, James Jones, and Udonis Haslem alongside the trio of James, Wade and Bosh, many pundits of the game believe that Miami are not only the favourites to win the Eastern conference, but also have the arsenal to outshine the two-time champions Los Angeles
Lakers for the title. With such a mixture of flair, talent and skill there have been fewer teams in the League’s history with more firepower than Miami’s collection.
The game, though, presents an exciting prospect as the Hornets have got some firepower of their own. Chris Paul is perhaps one of the feared point guards in the League today. The phenomenal Hornets player presents not only a scoring
threat but can easily pick a team apart by making crucial assists. He has started the season in style for the Hornets, leading the way for them with 21.3 points per game to go along with 9 assists and 6.3 rebounds.
David West will also present an exciting clash against Chris Bosh. With a start against the Heat, the power forward will surpass Larry Johnson for the 4th place in the franchise’s history in the context of the most games
started. He has also had a good start to the season, scoring at per game average of 17.5 points and 6.5 boards.
Miami still hold an upper hand in the much-awaited contest. With such an offensive prowess amongst their ranks, the Heats will be brimming with confidence going into the match. Hornets will have to wary of the depth, athleticism,
length, shooting skills and the post-up ability of the Heats. With an opponent in sight, that can turn the game on its head in a matter of seconds, Monty Williams, the Hornets coach, is somewhat cautious in his approach towards the game. "It's good to
start 4-0, but with 78 more games to go we're not going to be a team that allows our record to dictate how we play," he said. He and his team will have to play out of their skins to stop Miami’s juggernaut that has been rolling over its oppositions and
will be looking for a 5th straight win in the season.
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