During last nights NBA Draft, the New Orleans Hornets capitalized on their opportunities, and in turn have put them in a great sport for the future. While it didn’t take much brain power to figure out that Anthony Davis and his iconic uni-brow were going #1, a little more thinking and strategy had to go into making their #10 pick, and they did well in selecting Austin Rivers.

While it might be obvious that the Duke player has the potential in being a solid player, the Hornets have also set them up with providing themselves with a strong future in the guard and center spot. Their first two picks, have set themselves up with both great offensive potential in Rivers, and defensive potential with Davis. Davis will obviously be a player that won’t need much time to adapt to playing in the NBA while Rivers has a great opportunity to play behind both Eric Gordon and Jarrett Jack while he adapts and matures to the level of the NBA.

These two picks definitely give the potential for an exciting future, and give their fans the opportunity to provide at least a partial band-aid to Chris Paul booking it out of there for LA. At the very least, Davis’ Kentucky championship can provide the Hornets with the only championship ring many of them have ever seen.

We are now three weeks into the NBA season. Already there have been some players and teams that are stepping up their game and outperforming expectations. So let’s take a look.

Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets
I picked Nawlins to squeak into the playoffs in the preseason. Who would’ve thought they would come out firing like this? Chris Paul is once again at the top of his game after missing extended time last year. Everyone pegged Deron Williams as the best point guard in the game, but they seemed to have forgotten just how good Paul is. The Hornets started out winning their first eight games with quality wins over the Bucks twice, Spurs, Nuggets, Heat, and Blazers. At 8-1, the Hornets are rolling along. The question is, can they keep it up? They’ve answered the dinner bell so far.

Richard Jefferson and the San Antonio Spurs
The silver and black stumbled out of the gate last year with a 4-6 start. At 8-1, this year is a completely different story. The Spurs offense is explosive, currently ranked second in the league behind the Lakers at 108.9 points per game. Richard Jefferson has looked markedly better and more comfortable than last year. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have been one of the best backcourt tandems in the league once again, all while Tim Duncan rests and has scored in single digits in each of the last three games. All that’s left to do is show what they’ve got against the elites. The only quality wins so far were against the Suns and Thunder.

Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat
So I guess that 72-10 mark isn’t going to be contested this year? First it was the Heat who had the chance to do this, then it was the Lakers once they started 8-0. Kids these days… We are so eager to demolish records before teams even play the games. But I digress. I included Chris Bosh because he has been unbelievably mediocre. He is averaging just 14.5 points per game at this point with only 6 rebounds. That’s no good with the label of the Big Three and the remarkably high expectations. This team is still figuring out the kinks. They might not figure it all out until the playoffs arrive. Could it be possible this team isn’t as good as advertised?

Cleveland Cavaliers
A lot of people said the Cavs would be dead in the water this season. One analyst said they would only win 12 games this year. Through 10 games they sit at 5-5 and are playing tremendous team basketball. The highest scoring guy is J.J. Hickson with 15.2. Granted, the only team they’ve beaten with a winning record are the Celtics, but let’s not take anything away from them. They’ve endured so much already. Cleveland should be ecstatic and optimistic for the future. Maybe this team wasn’t just LeBron James and a bunch of bums…

Monta Ellis and the Golden State Warriors
A 7-4 record to start the season with a new coach and a hobbling Stephen Curry ain’t too shabby. Their only marquee win was against the Jazz, but with their style of play, they can beat anybody on any given night. The trio of Curry, Ellis, and David Lee looks stellar. Ellis has been lights out since game one when he dropped 46 on the Rockets, averaging 26.5 points per game. Their play style and lack of defense probably won’t take them far in the long run, but one thing’s for sure, when these guys take the court, you better get your popcorn ready (in the famous words of Terrell Owens).

Michael Beasley
B-Easy, as some call him, has reemerged as the player everyone thought he would be as the number two pick. He is averaging 21.2 points per game, including 42 and 35 point performances against the Kings and Knicks respectively. Problem is, the Timberwolves still suck. They sit at 3-9 and have played a rough schedule to start out. Losses include games against the Hawks twice, Magic, Heat, and Lakers. The good news is there is renewed optimism with this franchise starting with Kevin Love and Michael Beasley.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

There are a pair of games on ESPN tonight that are sure to impress. The humiliated Bulls, who lost to the Knicks at home last night, travel to Boston to play the Celtics. In the night cap, Blake Griffin and the Clippers travel to the mile high city to play Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets. Both should be good games, but the one I wanted to see was the Heat going up against the surprisingly 4-0 Hornets. It will be interesting to see how the Heat match up with quite possibly the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul.

So without further ado, here are my picks for each of the 12 games on the Friday night slate.

Bucks over Pacers
Scott Skiles is having a hard time getting their opponents to fear the deer in this early season. They’ve stumbled out of the gate at 1-4 and are facing Granger and the steady 2-2 Pacers. I like the Bucks to get the road win against another East team who is still trying to find their way. Indiana looks pretty good though with the improvement of Roy Hibbert and the arrival of Darren Collison.

Magic over Nets
Stan Van Gundy’s crew is fresh off a butt-wooping they put on the lowly Timberwolves in which they scored 78 points by halftime. They get this win at home tonight over a Nets team that is still figuring out who they are with all of the new pieces.

76ers over Cavaliers
This was a tough one, but I’m going with the home team. I’m still waiting to see what Evan Turner has to offer this team. I had high expectations for him, but with Andre Iguodala still in Philly, it will be tough to figure out where he fits in on this team. Still, I like them over the reeling Cavaliers, losers of three straight after their opening win over Boston. Antawn Jamison is likely out but Mo Williams will play and start for the first time this year.

Bobcats over Pistons
Will this be the game where the Pistons get their first win? I don’t think so. After stumbling out of the gate a bit, the 1-3 Bobcats eked out a win against the Nets on Wednesday. I look for them to keep it going against the hapless Pistons.

Wizards over Knicks
I like the wiz kid, John Wall, to lead them to victory over the three-point happy Knicks who coming off a big win in the Windy City last night. This is the type of up and down game Wall should thrive in tonight. Don’t be surprised if he does a lot of the things he did against the Sixers on Tuesday where he almost got a triple-double.

Celtics over Bulls
Boston’s not good on back-to-backs. That was made evident in their loss to Cleveland after beating the Heat. Going on two days rest and a grind-out win over the Bucks, I think the Celtics get the win at home in a tightly contested battle of two top teams in the East.

Hornets over Heat
The undefeated “Nawlins” Hornets are at home for the slightly hobbled LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Chris Paul will impose his will whoever is guarding him. Which begs the question: who will that be? It should be interesting. On the flip side, who accounts for James and Dwyane Wade?

Hawks over Timberwolves
The Wolves are just bad. They’ve given up at least 100 points in each of their four losses, including 129 and 128 to the Heat and Magic respectively. The Hawks are undefeated at 5-0. They’ll easily win this one despite not having Marvin Williams.

Suns over Grizzlies
Steve Nash and the boys are coming off a close home loss to the Spurs. I think their bench gets it done against the Grizz with Zach Randolph questionable to return to the lineup.

Clippers over Nuggets
In the ESPN night cap game, I like the Clippers upsetting the Nuggets on the road. They played well against the Thunder a few nights ago and I think they will play well enough together to get this win. The Nuggets continue to be without post presence with the absences of Kenyon Martin and Chris Anderson. Griffin should be able to have a field day on the glass.

Warriors over Jazz
Golden State is a surprising 3-1 to start the season. They are at home for the Jazz, a team that just can’t win on the road. They do have an impressive road win against the Thunder, but they also got blown out by the Suns. Monta Ellis will continue his hot shooting streak in this one. I believe the Dubs get the upset win.

Lakers over Raptors
I don’t really have to explain this. Toronto is at the bottom of the East and L.A. is at the top of the West. It should be a blowout in a game where Kobe Bryant is done by the fourth quarter, maybe even sooner.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

The East is more lopsided than ever this year as the fringe contenders in the Hawks have been brushed aside for the Bulls. The primary contenders are said to be the Celtics, Magic, and Heat. In the West, seeds one through eight are much closer. Every Western Conference playoff team last year won at least 50 games. The Thunder, who were the eighth seed, provided a scare to the first-seeded Lakers, but the Lakers ultimately emerged victorious in the end, as we all know.

This year looks to be more of the same. However, some of the teams have dropped off a bit. It’s impossible to predict the seeding, especially if the race is as tight as it was last year. Let’s see how the West shapes up this year.

#8 New Orleans Hornets
I like this bunch. A lot of people don’t think this team as currently constructed and with the recent moves ownership has made can make the postseason, but I think they can sneak in. They are on of my three surprise teams to watch for this year. They’ve got a new coach in Monty Williams, who has served under Nate McMillan in Portland. They’ve added a couple of new pieces in attempts to entice Chris Paul to stay. Trevor Ariza, Marco Belinelli, Willie Green, and Jason Smith are all newcomers that figure to contribute. Washington rookie Quincy Pondexter might get some significant minutes as well. Marcus Thornton will continue to flourish with an outstanding floor general in Chris Paul leading the way. I just hope trading away Darren Collison was the right move. If Paul misses some significant time again, these guys are in trouble. The frontcourt tandem of David West and Emeka Okafor are solid. Look for Ariza to have a quality year now that he is in a familiar spot that he was in with the Lakers. The Rockets were asking him to create and score more than what was his comfort level. Paul is determined to succeed this year. This bunch sneaks in the playoffs with 46-48 wins.

#7 Denver Nuggets
This will be a tough year for this years’ Nuggets. They’ve had to deal with the constant barrage of Carmelo Anthony trade talks, not to mention the displeasure of J.R. Smith. Who knows if Melo will still be a Nugget past this year’s trade deadline, but as of now, it doesn’t seem like he wants to stick around for long. They could have made a move to improve their roster, but the only addition they added was Al Harrington. He’s fine and all, but he’s basically a Kenyon Martin clone, who has been battling injuries recently. Martin hasn’t been the same player of late. Chris Anderson will miss early time this season as well. The Nuggets look a little thin in the frontcourt, as Martin is scheduled to be out until December and Anderson will miss a couple of games to start the season. Nene and Harrington will have to step up this season and perform. This Nuggets team, as currently put together, doesn’t look like they can compete with the best of the West. Add to that Melo’s status in limbo and it results in a shaky season for this Nuggets team. Hey, at least they still have Chauncey Billups. They’ll stumble into the postseason with 48-50 wins.

#6 Utah Jazz
The Bulls practically gutted the Jazz roster. Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, and Carlos Boozer have all been transferred to the Windy City. Not to worry, though. They picked up Timberwolves big man Al Jefferson to fill the void. The Jazz have a pretty favorable frontcourt lineup in Jefferson, Paul Millsap, and Mehmet Okur. Millsap will have his time to shine at power forward now that Boozer is gone. Okur will be a nice bench piece to provide a spark. The Jazz stayed busy this offseason. They picked up Raja Bell, athletic swingman C.J. Watson from Golden State, and the ninth overall draft pick in Gordon Hayward. Jerry Sloan is one of the best coaches in basketball and he is the man to mesh these new pieces with the mainstays. I’m sure Deron Williams won’t miss a beat with the absence of Boozer by feeding two big bodies in Jefferson and Millsap. Hopefully Andrei Kirilenko can stay healthy as well. There’s now doubt the injuries to him and Okur hurt this team in the playoffs last year. The Jazz look strong again this year, and could finished higher in the West. I’ll give them 50-53 wins.

#5 Portland Trail Blazers
This squad is full of ifs. They have been for as long as they’ve had Greg Oden. He has been the butt of many injury jokes that also have people labeling him as a bust. While it’s too early to say that, he needs to start showing that he can play something close to a full season. He has played 82 games in the three seasons. Not good. On top of Oden’s injury woes, Brandon Roy had problems staying healthy when it mattered most during the playoffs last year. Joel Przybilla was also hurt, leaving them thin at center until they picked up Marcus Camby in a trade. Now, barring injury, the Blazers are in a position to compete with the Lakers. The only lingering problem is Rudy Fernandez. He wants out, and the Blazers have been moving sluggishly in trading him. His situation, among other things, has been a little confusing in the way they have been handled. Wesley Matthews was signed to a five-year $32 million deal. Nobody knows exactly how that happened. All in all, these guys should be pretty darn good IF they can stay healthy. They’ll win 50-54 games.

#4 Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs are masters of the regular season. They seem to be in the top echelon every year, then they flop in the playoffs. They got a couple of newcomers that could make an impact, but not a big enough one. New additions to the team include Tyson Chandler. I could see Kidd and Chandler hooking up on a couple of nice lob plays, similar to Chandler’s stint with Chris Paul and the Hornets. They also signed Ian Mahinmi away from the Spurs. The Mavs have the same core returning. They have their rock in Dirk Nowitzki, an aging yet still capable Jason Kidd, the sharpshooting ace in Jason Terry, the defensively minded Shawn Marion, and tough-minded scorer in Caron Butler. I’m afraid they are headed for similar results unless Dirk shows us all something we’ve never seen out of him, or if Mark Cuban can land Carmelo Anthony (ha, long shot). Dirk just hasn’t shown that he can be a featured player on a championship team. I really don’t see that changing this year. They’ll win 52-55 games, but after that, they’ve got some proving to do.

#3 San Antonio Spurs
The old guys from the Alamo City never seem to go away. This year, like many years, they are flying under the radar. Only this year I think they have the potential to dethrone the mighty Lakers. They just don’t want anybody to know about it. That’s right, I said it. Tim Duncan is still the core of the team. Tony Parker is playing with a chip on his shoulder in a contract year after a year in which he missed significant playing time due to injury. Manu Ginobili is still Manu. It’s the young core that I believe will propel these guys. An improving DeJaun Blair, who has been working on his all-around game, looks to contribute greatly this year. George Hill is coming off a year in which he finished second in the most improved player voting. He will only get better as time goes on and he gets more playing time. The arrival of the Brazilian big man in Tiago Splitter is the guy who will make the most difference. He is also the guy that Ron Artest knows nothing about. He will provide some much needed help on the defensive end in defending pick-and-rolls. Oklahoma State standout James Anderson looks to be a key contributor as well. I like the Spurs winning 52-56 games this year.

#2 Oklahoma City Thunder
I almost put the Spurs in this spot, but in the West, anything can happen. The Thunder have been raved throughout this offseason as the team to challenge the Lakers out West. I’m not sure they are at that level yet. Yes, they did scare the champs last year in the opening round. One thing is certain, Kevin Durant is ridiculously talented. Not one person can deny him that. His range is unbelievable for a player of his size. Th Thunder return was largely the same roster, and for good reason. Both Durant and Russell Westbrook are better for their time in the FIBA games this summer. Look for Westbrook to have a breakout type of year. I like this young group. I’m looking to see the improvement from James Harden and Jeff Green as well. They are going to need those two, among others, to step up and support Durant and Westbrook. I like the Thunder this year, but I’m not sold that they can beat the Lakers. They will win 52-56 games this year.

#1 Los Angeles Lakers
You can pretty much pencil the Lakers as the first seed in the West. That is, unless Kobe Bryant’s body finally collapses and he has to sit out some games. The same core is returning with the addition of Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, and Theo Ratliff. Andrew Bynum still can’t get healthy. He’ll sit out until at least November, according to him. What else is there to say? The Lakers are the champs until someone knocks them off. The West is not as one-sided as people have been pegging it to be though. There are other teams that can defeat them in a seven game series, now let’s see if they can. The Lakers roll into the playoffs with 56-60 wins.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

Now that the individual awards have been doled out, it’s time to look forward to overall team performances. There are a handful of teams in the league that are considered to be contenders for the title. But each year there are squads that fly under the radar or exceed expectations. Last year’s teams included the 50-win Thunder, the overachieving, Scott Skiles’ led Bucks and even the Grizzlies. This year could yield NBA fans more unexpected playoff berths from annual cellar dwellers. Let’s check out some of those squads.

The Sixers have been pretty busy this year. They have hired a new coach in the defense-oriented Doug Collins. They acquired the number two draft choice in Ohio State standout Evan Turner, who I believe could have went number one in the draft as well (I know… shocking!). They have also shipped Sam Dalembert to the Kings for Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes. I like their chances to make a spirited run for the 7th or 8th seed in the East. They’ve got a promising core in Turner, Iguodala, Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young, and Jrue Holiday. If only they knew what they were getting in Elton Brand they’d be set. It should be an interesting year for this bunch.

IF Chris Paul can stay happy and healthy and IF the newly acquired head coach in Monty Williams can successfully coach all of the new guys and IF all of the newcomers like Trevor Ariza can make a big enough impact, then the Hornets are in good shape. That is a lot of ifs, but I like their chances at sneaking into the playoffs. Paul is driven to succeed on whatever team he stars for, and it won’t be any different with the Hornets. Marcus Thornton is sure to improve on his surprising play from last year. The frontcourt tandem of David West and Emeka Okafor should continue to gobble up rebounds and produce effectively. A lot of people are claiming this team is dead in the water, but I like their chances to sneak in with the 8th seed in a suffocating Western conference. I don’t know about that Darren Collison trade though.

The Nets have done the best that could possibly do this offseason without landing LeBron James. Derrick Favors should be a nice, developing young talent for them this season with Troy Murphy likely getting the start. Brook Lopez will likely duplicate his production last season, as will Devin Harris. The difference is, they have more scoring options this time. Three-point shooters in Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, and Troy Murphy all should make them more of a threat on the offensive end. I love the hiring of Avery Johnson as coach. He was great as a player and a great coach for the Mavericks. Cuban shouldn’t have let him go in the first place. And let’s face it, the Nets were the best 12-win team in NBA history last year. They will surely win more games this year, especially if guys can stay healthy, which was one of their problems last year. In the top heavy East, the Nets have a great chance for the 8th seed. And who knows what’s going on these days with the Carmelo Anthony trade talks.

While there are other surprise eligible teams, I picked these three. The Clippers, Kings, and Rockets are others that have been pegged as such. I like the prospect of Blake Griffin, but don’t know if he can stay healthy. And there’s always the Baron Davis conundrum. The Kings have the 2010 ROY in Tyreke Evans and a young promising talent in DeMarcus Cousins, but we’ll have to see how that pans out. The Rockets are never easy to predict due to the fact that Yao Ming can never stay healthy, but Rick Adelman puts out a very competitive group on the court regardless.

We’ll see how it all pans out. This year should be a good one though for teams looking to cash in on their higher than usual expectations.

Stay tuned for my forecast on the 16 playoff teams.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

The 2010-11 NBA Finals matchup will be the Miami Heat against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. What’s this you tell me? It’s only September? That doesn’t matter, these teams are locks to face each other. Just cut the regular season short and get to the inevitable. Kobe vs. Lebron will finally happen this year!

This is what the consensus seems to be from experts and fans alike for the upcoming NBA season. The super trio of James, Wade, and Bosh will face off against Kobe and the defending champs. Put it in the books. Let’s take a step back and consider the alternatives.

Despite the assumption of there being two teams in this league (Lakers and Heat), there are 28 others. There will be 14 other playoff teams that will be vying for a chance to represent their conference. Although there will be 16 teams in the playoffs, only a handful are considered of championship caliber, or in many people’s opinions, there are only two. I know it sounds like I’m beating a dead horse, but every year there are knuckleheads who pronounce a team the champs only to fall flat on their face once the time comes to prove themselves. Let’s take a look at some specific instances:

The 2004 Los Angeles Lakers had added two hall of famers in Karl Malone and Gary Payton to an already formidable squad with two surefire future hall of famers in Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Four straight titles was surely in the cards. The rest is history. The Lakers made the finals, but were absolutely overpowered and demolished by a more cohesive, focused team in the Pistons. The Lakers were embarrassed, losing in five games.

The 2007 Dallas Mavericks were coming off of an NBA Finals defeat against the Miami Heat in which they lost four straight games after winning the first two. They started out the season 0-4. People were wondering what was wrong with them. Suddenly, they finished the season with 67 wins, losing only 11 more times. The Mavs were poised to make a run for another Finals appearance, then the Warriors happened. Baron Davis led an inspired, young bunch to upset the Mavs in the first round 4-2. To this day I have a hard time believing the Warriors actually pulled it off. I liken it to seeing Superman flying in the sky as I walk down the street. I asked myself: “Did that just happen?” Sure enough, it did.

The 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers breezed through the regular season with the best record in the league at 66-16. Lebron James had won his first MVP award. The Cavs had a second All-Star in Mo Williams because the team had played so well (How else did Mo make the roster?). Everyone was certain Lebron vs. Kobe would happen. The Magic had other ideas. Dwight Howard and Co. taught Lebron and Co. a thing or two about teamwork. They simply outplayed the Cavs, winning the series 4-2, which set up a Lakers vs. Magic Finals matchup.

The 2010 Cleveland Cavaliers zipped through the regular season with the best record in the NBA once more, finishing 61-21. Lebron had won his second consecutive MVP, putting him in elite company. The Cavs looked poised to atone for their shortcomings a year prior. People were saying that Lebron would not let last year happen again. But it did. The upstart Boston Celtics, a team everyone left for dead, took them out in six games in the second round.

These are just some of the modern examples of teams expected to win it all but failed miserably. Let’s flip it now. There have been countless examples of teams that were dead in the water rise up and annihilate everyone around them. Let me point out a few examples:

The 1999 New York Knicks finished a lockout shortened year as the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference. The NBA’s first and only eighth seed to reach the Finals knocked off two rivals and favorites to win the East in the Heat and Pacers.

The 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers, with a young and still developing Lebron James, defeated Eastern Conference Finals mainstays in the Pistons and Nets to reach the NBA Finals. The Pistons were believed to make the Finals as they had in two straight seasons (04-05). They returned with the same roster in tact, but the Cavaliers upended them.

The 2010 Boston Celtics started the regular season at a blazing 23-5. They were considered by many to be back among the East elites with a relatively healthy Kevin Garnett back in the lineup. Then they finished the last 54 games at an utterly mediocre 27-27. People were wondering what they had left. Then came the playoffs. They defeated the top 2 teams in the Cavaliers and Magic successively and came within a second half spurt in Game 7 of the Finals of nabbing their second title in three years.

Of course, the team worth mentioning, and the reason I am writing this article, is the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were considered to be too old in 2007 to make another run at their fourth title. Lo and behold, number four came to fruition to everyone’s disbelief, including mine. Don’t forget about 2008 when the Spurs upended their rival Suns, followed by a gritty seven game series against the Hornets to get to the Western Conference Finals. No one thought they had it in them.

In short, what I am trying to prove in all of this is that nothing is set in stone. I’ll throw a cliche in as well: That’s why they play the game. In a league that is considered rather top heavy, there is still parity. I’m looking forward to the parity that will occur this year. So go ahead and put the Lakers and Heat in the Finals in September, but make sure that’s written in pencil and not pen. Just saying…

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

There are a few candidates this year that could be heavily considered for the most improved player award. I’m going with Kevin Durant. Just kidding! He would have to put up 40 a game! Little man for the Houston Rockets Aaron Brooks did it last year on a gritty and smaller squad. This award is also tough to predict because there are so many variables that go into a players’ success on a team.

Darren Collison is a good candidate for this award. He thrived last year in New Orleans when Chris Paul sat out with injuries. Getting a new home in Indiana provides a fresh start where he will be the clear cut starting point guard for a young and improving Pacers team that even has the ability to squeeze in to the playoffs this year.

Someone that not many people are going to consider is JaVale McGee for the Wizards. McGee averaged a lowly 6.4 points per game last year. This year John Wall will be running the team. He can score as well as distribute. Some of those dishes will be to young athletes in McGee and Andray Blatche.

If the Knicks do well this year and make the playoffs, you might see some votes fro Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton.

Rodrique Beaubois looks to be guy who will be getting more playing time for the Mavericks as well.

There are countless others you could include in the conversation. It was a close one, but I am going to go with Russell Westbrook getting the award this year. I picked him slightly over Collison. Westbrook showed he could lead a team to a gold medal during the FIBA Championships, not I think it will translate over with the Thunder. In addition, the Thunder are one of the favorites in the West with their young core. Westbrook averaged 16 points last year. I think that number can increase to 20. Couple that with a budding and thriving Kevin Durant and a much improved Thunder squad and you have your MIP candidate.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

Tonight’s game between the New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets, two also-rans from the NBA’s once-potent Southwest Division, is all about endings.

It’s the end of the season for players on both teams, the opportunity for one last attempt at heading into the offseason on a positive note.
Yet for Jeff Bower, it could be the end of his term as the Hornets’ head coach, a job he assumed Nov. 12 when the franchise fired Byron Scott with the team off to a 3-6 start.
Saddled with injuries from the start — All-Star guard Chris Paul went down with a badly sprained left ankle in Bower’s first game as coach Nov. 13 — Bower and his staff struggled to turn things around for the Hornets. Their record is a respectable 33-39, although Paul missed 37 games with ankle, knee and finger injuries. Only one player, center Emeka Okafor, played the entire season injury free.

Click here to read the full article – By Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune

Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul is out indefinitely with a left knee injury.

Hornets coach Jeff Bower said on Monday that an MRI revealed more damage to the knee than the initial diagnosis of a bruise. The coach refused, however, to confirm reports that Paul had a meniscus tear and would miss at least a month.

Sources close to the situation confirmed to ESPN.com on Sunday that Paul tore cartilage in his left knee and will be forced to undergo arthroscopic surgery.

“We’re in fact-finding stages right now, gathering as much information as possible for decisions to be made to take the next steps,” Bower said. “It is likely there will be a surgical solution for it. We don’t have a timetable [for Paul's return] right now, nor do we know a surgical procedure right now.”

Paul first hurt his left knee in a game at Golden State on Wednesday. He struck the same spot against a camera when he went out of bounds near the end of regulation against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.

He missed the Hornets’ game at Memphis on Saturday.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com