Hornets off to strong start

The New Orleans Hornets came into this season with a lot of unanswered questions.

Does Chris Paul want to be in New Orleans?

Did Paul demand a trade? Did Paul not demand a trade?

Do the Hornets have the pieces to succeed in the NBA’s brutal Western Conference?

Will Lafourche Parish businessman Gary Chouest buy the team?

If not, will they stay in New Orleans?

Can the team’s head coach Monty Williams lead a team to the postseason with no head coaching experience?

Will Williams’ mind even be a factor if new General Manager Dell Demps can’t get the right players to New Orleans?

And that’s just to name a few things currently being said.

But despite the world of fog and uncertainty, the Hornets have done one thing so far this season – win, riding to a fast start to the new season.

“We’ve been preaching it, and now our guys are starting to believe,” Williams said of the team’s quick flurry of wins.

One of the biggest reasons for the team’s quick start is the play of what appears to be a revitalized Paul.

The All-Star guard opened the season averaging 20 points and close to 10 assists, including a 16-point and 16-assist output in an opening night win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Some speculated this offseason that Paul would never again see the floor as a Hornet after he reportedly demanded a trade this offseason – a move he vehemently denies making.

The guard said his stance has stayed firm from the beginning: he’s willing to be in Louisiana forever if the team will in turn put together a competitive roster.

“I have a goal and an objective and that’s to win a championship here in New Orleans, and I hope that’s the plan for everyone on our team this season,” he said.

Then when asked if he was committed to New Orleans, Paul had a quick, but simple two-word answer.

“Of course,” he said with a smile.

One of the reasons that answer may have been so definitive is because of the offseason acquisitions Demps made to boost the Hornets’ roster. The team has added two new starters, former NBA champion Trevor Ariza and sharpshooter Marco Belinelli, to their starting lineup.

Ariza , who will be with his third team in three seasons, said he is excited about being in New Orleans.

For the basketball, of course, but because of the food, too.

“I’m eating everything,” he said. “As a matter of fact, for the first time ever last night, I had Canes. Man, that was real good. I had never had that, so that was pretty good. I eat it all.”

On the floor, the new addition spends time eating, too – eating up opposing offenses, that is.

Ariza has long been one of the NBA’s leaders in steals because of his long arms and lanky 6-foot-8-inch frame, which allows the Hornets to play a smaller lineup without any penalty.

“We feel like we can disrupt teams with our smalls,” Williams said.

Paul agreed and said he’s always wanted to be a teammate of Ariza’s.

“I’m excited about the athleticism we have and the hunger of a lot the guys that we’ve added,” Paul said.

In addition to Ariza and Belinelli, the Hornets also made a move at the start of the season to bolster their depth, trading for former first round pick Jerryd Bayless, who spent his first two seasons with the Portland Trailblazers.

Bayless said he’s known Paul for most of his life, and looks forward to giving his buddy a blow when he needs rest throughout the season.

“I’ve known Chris since high school, so it’s definitely a great opportunity and I’m really excited to be a part of the Hornets organization,” he said. “I’m excited to learn from him and he’ll make me a better player.”

The sizeable roster turnover has been nullified by the team’s new coaching staff under Williams, who spent his previous five seasons as an assistant for the Portland Trail Blazers.

So ultimately all of the unanswered questions aren’t answered and will not be until June. But Williams’ philosophy has the Hornets hungry and has Paul happy – and that’s good enough for most of the team’s fans at least for the time being.

“We’re all learning at the same time. In past camps, you could say that guys like me and [David West] and [Peja Stojakovic], we knew it all. But here, we’re learning,” Paul said. “We’re implementing a new offense, a new defense and new coverages. I think if we just continue to grow day by day, we should be all right.”