Throughout most of the season, particularly the first 50-60 games I thought the Hornets lack of ball movement and over-reliance on Chris Paul's playmaking would kill their chances of contending for a title.
Over the past few months and playoff series the Hornets ball movement has come on leaps and bounds. The continued growth of Peja's importance in the team and the bench becoming a quality group (Pargo's further emergence, Wright's development, acquisition of Bonzi) were the instigators for the change. Suddenly I was unsure of my previous assertations that New Orleans couldn't win a title, they had cured my biggest complaint.
But all that ball movement and shared playmaking has disappeared and it's not altogether about New Orleans. You have to hand San Antonio the credit because they've stopped that ball movement. Bowen has taken Peja out, Duncan has stopped Chandler, Udoka has stopped Bonzi, Pargo hasn't been a factor, they've defended the three point line very well. They've stopped the Hornets. Very impressive.
Hornets probably need a full season of ball movement to figure out how to keep Peja and a few others involved against this type of pressure.
A year too soon but they're very close to being a championship caliber outfit. Maybe they can surprise me twice and make the adjustments required now but I'm not wild about those odds.