New Orleans Hornets Tickets

The New Orleans Hornets have gotten off to a slower start this season thanks to the ankle injury to star guard Chris Paul.

The team is currently sitting under .500 and in last place in the Southwest Division, which is causing some panic in the bayou.

Paul is one of the most indispensible players in the NBA and the entire team pretty much runs through him. Without Paul, the Hornets are completely lost.

When on the court, Paul is leading the Hornets with more than 20 points and 11 assists per game.

Maybe the absence of Paul for a decent stretch is the reason, but forward David West is not playing as well as he was a year ago. He is averaging just over 16 points per game and is not the team's leading rebounder.

In fact, it seems like all of the key players returning from last year's team have seen their numbers drop. It could just be that they were playing over their heads, but it seems to me that is has to do with Paul's injury.

Peja Stojakovic's three-point shooting percentage is down slightly and is averaging under 13 points per contest. James Posey, who was supposed to be one of the top bench players in the league, is barely scoring five points per game.

The Hornets have gotten help down low by acquiring Emeka Okafor, who leads the team in rebounds with almost 10 per game. He also gives them a strong defensive presence in the paint and helps out West.

One of the pleasant surprises has been rookie point guard Darren Collison, who did a pretty good job filling in for Paul while he was hurt. With Paul back in the lineup, he has gone back to doing a good job backing him up and giving him a breather.

The Hornets have a decent amount of talent, and a healthy Paul always gives opposing defenses fits. However, they are going to have to get on a roll soon or they will be left behind in the Western Conference playoff picture.