2006 New Orleans Hornets Preview

Welcome to the 2006 New Orleans Hornets NBA Preview page. At the time of publish preseason games are winding down and the regular season about to be begin. If you enjoy betting on NBA basketball be sure to use Maddux Sports for NBA Basketball Picks and visit the Live NBA Betting Lines to increase your winning percentage this season.

2006 New Orleans Hornets Basketball Season Preview

The Hornets played well last season and then had a meltdown in the latter part of the year. But this is a young, smart team, and they learned some valuable lessons from 2005-06 that can be turned into wins in 2006-07.

Chris Paul, (16.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 7.8 APG, 43.0 FG%, 84.7 FT%) last season’s Rookie of the Year, is a pure point guard, possessing full court vision, the ability to make the right pass and the capability to make quick, good decisions. Peja Stojakovic (18.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 43.7 FG%, 91.5 FT%), one of the finest long-range shooters in the league, joins Paul, improving this club even more.

At power forward, David West (17.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 51.2 FG%, 84.3 FT%) pumped in points for the Hornets. Even though he can’t defend well, his point production is a big plus. Small forward Desmond Mason (10.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.9 APG, 39.9 FG%, 68.2 FT%) is a tenacious defender exhibiting fine quickness and focus.

Tyson Chandler (5.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 56.5 FG%, 50.3 FT%), with a half-decade in the league, gets the nod at center. Rookie draft pick Hilton Armstrong (Connecticut) will be groomed to take over. Armstrong was unimpressive in college until his senior year when he won the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award.

Byron Scott’s second season with the Hornets saw the team improve from 18 to 38 wins! However, since Scott has been the coach, the team has not made the playoffs. He emphasizes strong defense followed by the fast break. He likes to spread the court on offense, creating key shooting opportunities. With Scott it’s his way or the highway, just ask J.R. Smith who is now with Denver and Kirk Snyder now with Houston.

There’s a lot of young talent on this team. That means—young legs, aggressive play and mistakes. The signing of former Indiana shooting guard Peja Stojakovic gives this team an outstanding veteran resource. They may be back in the playoff mix for the first time since 2003- 04. Watch out!

For more info on the 2006 Hornets basketball team visit the Hornets official website from NBA.com or keep reading up on their division rivals including the Mavericks, Rockets, Grizzlies, and Spurs.