NBA Special Report: Preview of teams, unanswered questions in 2010-11 seasons (Part 2)
Continuing the questions that various teams would put across and would need to answer, we take a look at the New Orleans Hornets next.
The question that the Hornets have been asked, is that whether or not the Hornets can hold on to Chris Paul or not? Experts say that he is one of the most frustrated players in the NBA at the moment and is doing a job that he almost considers to be a deal job. He can’t go anywhere and there is nothing he or anybody can do until the end of the upcoming season. The Hornets on the hand are totally depending on this player whether it is for now or for the future, if at the top of his health then Chris Paul is without a doubt one of the best point guards of the league. The team that he led to the Conference Finals a few years ago was way above what he has now and isn’t of the same calibre by any means.
The ever ageing squad of the Hornets doesn’t help the cause of persuading this extravagant player to stay at New Orleans. However, this time the Hornets have come up with signing Ariza which the experts regard as one of the great moves. Ariza is said to be athletic and he gives Chris Paul what he needs to fire at crucial times during a game. Experts say the best passer in the league, Chris Paul, would be looking to put the ball in scoring positions and then Ariza would be able to finish it off with a perfect and elegant alley-oop.
Coupled with this is the fact that Ariza is one of the best defenders in the league, who would help and relieve the hard working, Chris Paul, from some of his multiple roles that he is playing at the moment. What experts add to this is that Chris Paul would have just one more player in Ariza and he also by no means is an All-Star. Chris Paul is currently in ‘Nawlins’ and it is heart breaking that he can’t win a title with them as he loves the city. But realizing that if he doesn’t move now then it would be very difficult for this player to move during the later part of his career as everyone is not as lucky as Kevin Garnett. If this is the case, then the Hornets have a future that is sinking.
The Denver Nuggets are posed with a very tough question, that of whether or not to keep Carmelo Anthony? The Nuggets and the Hornets are in the same position the only difference is that nothing legally bounds Carmelo to stick to the Nuggets like Chris Paul. The Nuggets squad is a mixture of players that not only offer talent but also experience. However, experts say that at Denver, Carmelo has probably some of the best support that the player can get with Nene also in the squad. Some reports suggest that going to New York for Melo would not result in much success as it can with the Denver Nuggets.
Experts on the other hand say that though they can win a Championship and have made it to the playoffs every time ever since Carmelo Anthony was drafted into the Denver Nuggets. But they just don’t seem to have the extra bit of firepower and push required to move on and come out on top of the rest of the pack. Experts say that if the Nuggets are able to keep Melo then it might result in a Championship for them in the future. If they build up a good squad otherwise, if he leaves, then the Nuggets should consider themselves out of the race for the Championship.
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