Top Offensive Player: Chris Paul. While injuries limited Chris Paul last season, there’s no question that he’s the top offensive player in New Orleans. Even when Darren Collison was playing at his best last season, his teammates were quick to remind everyone that he had big shoes to fill and that there was no comparison between the rookie and the superstar. Prior to his knee injury, many considered Paul to be the best point guard in the league and the numbers support that claim. Two seasons ago, he averaged 22.8 points and 11.0 assists while shooting .503 from the field. Even with his injuries last season, he averaged 18.7 points and 10.7 assists. He may have fallen out of the top point guard debate last season, but when healthy there’s no question that he’s one of the best and easily the most dominant offensive player on the Hornets.

Top Defensive Player: Emeka Okafor. A case could be made for Paul as best defensive player as well because of his 2.13 steals per game, but after years of finishing with the lowest number of blocked shots in the league, the Hornets acquired Emeka Okafor primarily for his defensive abilities. Last season, he didn’t see consistent minutes and struggled a bit but still managed to block 1.55 shots per game. When he’s at his best, he’s one of the top shot-blockers in the league and the Hornets expect him to improve their interior defense next season. Monty Williams will put an emphasis on defense this season and while Paul’s steals will help the team, Okafor’s presence down low will be crucial to the Hornets’ success.

Top Playmaker: Chris Paul. This is a no-brainer for two reasons. Not only is Chris Paul one of the best point guards in the league, he’s also the only starting caliber one on the Hornets’ roster. After trading away Darren Collison this summer in exchange for Trevor Ariza, the only other point guard in New Orleans is newly-signed Mustafa Shakur. As previously mentioned, when Paul is healthy he’s one of the best playmakers in the league. He led the league in assists for the past two seasons before dropping to second best – behind only Steve Nash – last season due to his injury. The Hornets are confident that Paul will return to form this season and that likely means another year atop the assists leader board.

Top Clutch Player: Chris Paul. With the ball in his hands so often, it’s not a surprise that Paul is the team’s best clutch player. Last season, he finished ninth best in the league in scoring during pressure situations with 39.2 points per 48 minutes of clutch time. He was also fifth best in assists with 9.6 per 48 minutes of clutch time. When he was out, Marcus Thornton and David West made some things happen in crunch time but now that he’s healthy, there’s no question that Paul will be the one taking the shot if the game is on the line.

The Unheralded Player: Marco Belinelli. Because he was acquired at the same time as Trevor Ariza, the trade for Marco Belinelli flew under the radar. Trading seldom used Julian Wright, the Hornets were able to grab the twenty-four year old without giving away any significant pieces. Belinelli has been written off by some critics but at the end of the day, he’s still the talented scorer that received a lot of hype when he came into the league as the eighteen overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. When given minutes, he has been able to put up numbers and the situation in New Orleans could be perfect for him as he continues to tap into his potential.

Best New Addition: Trevor Ariza. With that said, there’s no question that Trevor Ariza was the best addition for the Hornets this summer. While Darren Collison was tough to part with, New Orleans wanted to add a starter and the acquisition of Ariza would keep their franchise player happy, at least temporarily. After signing with the Houston Rockets last summer, Ariza struggled in his first season as a primary option on offense. He averaged just 14.9 points while shooting a dreadful .394 from the field, by far the worst of his career. Being able to run the floor while playing alongside a terrific playmaker should benefit Ariza and improve those numbers. At only twenty-five years old, he still has room for improvement and now he must prove that he’s a solid starter who can consistently produce or a journeyman who will continue to bounce around the league.

2. Chris Paul – The New Orleans Hornets may be able to field a competitive squad when Chris Paul is in street clothes but they’re just not the same team. Over the years, Paul has become the Hornets and that’s what made this summer’s trade rumors so surprising. Now that he’s on good terms with the organization, at least for the time being, Paul can continue focusing on what matters. Last season was a disappointment but with Paul healthy, the Hornets will be able to compete in the West and play some of the league’s most exciting basketball in the process. Without Paul, the Hornets are a rebuilding team that’s searching for an identity. With Paul, anything is possible.

3. David West – This offseason, the supporting cast in New Orleans was put under the microscope quite often. With Paul questioning the team’s desire to win and the players that the front office had assembled on the roster, many forgot about the other All-Star in New Orleans. While his numbers dipped a bit, which is expected with a rookie backcourt, David West remains a consistent post scorer who can average twenty points over the course of a season. Last season, it was difficult for West to play the role of Robin with Batman limping around on crutches. With Paul back in the lineup, expect another All-Star caliber year out of West.

4. Quincy Pondexter – With the Hornets focusing on winning now, they couldn’t have drafted a better prospect than Quincy Pondexter. After spending four years at Washington, many considered Pondexter to be one of the rookies that were ready to contribute right away. Coming off of his team’s deep tournament run, the Hornets were impressed by Pondexter’s well-rounded game. During Summer League, he showed his ability to finish at the rim and was able to hold his own against some of the best rookies in the class. Pondexter, along with fellow rookie Craig Brackins, could emerge as contributors right away for this young team. Regardless of how much they play next season, both look to be solid role players down the road as well.

5. Monty Williams – After making a name for himself in Portland as one of the top assistant coaches in the NBA, Monty Williams takes over in New Orleans as the league’s youngest head coach. Because he’s only thirty-eight years old and ended his playing career just seven season ago, he’s able to relate to his players and has already begun building relationships with them with training camp still several weeks away. The Hornets expect Williams to return the team to the contender status that they held just two seasons ago. While Williams definitely seems like the long-term answer at head coach for the Hornets, he’s expected to do more than just develop the young players on the roster. There is a sense of urgency in New Orleans and the team wants to see results right away. Despite the fact that Williams enters this season as a rookie head coach, the team feels that he’s the perfect man for the job.

– Larry Coon

Right now, the Hornets are doing everything they can to keep their superstar happy. Every team with a star player witnessed what happened to the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer and nobody wants to find themselves in the same position. After meeting with Paul this summer and clearing the air, the Hornets know that they must back up what they told him by winning some games and fielding a competitive team. Dealing reserve players for big contributors was the first step. The organization knows that it has to win now and sees this as their last chance to salvage the relationship with Paul. At the end of the day, their goal is to keep Paul happy and whether or not they’ll be able to do that will determine how successful the franchise can be in the immediate future and in the long run.