By Wesley O.

In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. That is what the Hornets have to keep in their minds throughout this entire series, because this is going to be another uphill battle. New Orleans did everything right against the Mavericks in the opening round, they must carry that level of play into the second round.

Let’s break down the matchups. You got Tim Duncan going against either David West or Tyson Chandler depending on who Byron Scott wants to go with. Duncan has tremendous strength and shooting ability, so Chandler might have an advantage on West because of his larger frame, but don’t expect Duncan to be slowed down one bit. You got Peja Stojakovic taking on Bruce Bowen who is already known for his lock-down defense, but the Spurs most likely will have Bowen guarding Chris Paul throughout each game. Morris Peterson will try and out hustle Michael Finley and this could be the wild card matchup. Peterson was relatively quiet against the Mavericks, but with the Hornets most likely struggling to score points down the stretch, Morris will need to start hitting his shots to keep the momentum going.

And last but not least, Chris Paul will duke it out with Tony Parker, a match made in heaven. Parker not only averaged close to 30 points per game against the Suns, he also held Steve Nash in check for most of that series. For Paul, it was his coming out party as he chipped in 24 points per game and 12 assists per game. Paul will be the main target for the Spurs’ defense, and if they can force the ball out of his hands and not let him get open looks, the Hornets could really struggle to keep up.

The general consensus among most fans and experts right now is that the Spurs should have no trouble ending the Hornets’ magical season within five or six games, but don’t be surprised if the Hornets play just as well as they did against Dallas. New Orleans has a deeper bench, younger legs and a chip on their shoulders. All they have to do is keep Duncan in check and not allow Parker and Ginobili to drive and create shot opportunity for themselves. The Spurs must shutdown Paul, West, Stojakovic, Jannero Pargo and possibly Peterson in this series to advance all while keeping Chandler off the glass and away from the basket. Oh yeah, they also have to keep Bonzi Wells and Julian Wright from making impacts off the bench. I think you can see what I’m getting at here, the Hornets have too many weapons for the Spurs to defend. My prediction, the Hornets pull off the major upset in seven games.

Game 1- 5/3 @ NO 10:00 ET (TNT)
Game 2- TBA
Game 3- TBA
Game 4- TBA
*Game 5- TBA
*Game 6- TBA
*Game 7- TBA

* - If necessary

New Orleans Hornets

G- Chris Paul G- Morris Peterson F- Peja Stojakovic F- David West C- Tyson Chandler

Series Leaders
(Playoffs)
G Chris Paul: 24.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 12.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 50% FG
F David West: 22.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.6 BPG, 48% FG
F Peja Stojakovic: 15.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 41% FG, 60% 3PT

San Antonio Spurs

G- Tony Parker G- Michael Finley F- Bruce Bowen F- Tim Duncan C- Kurt Thomas

Series Leaders
(Playoffs)
G Tony Parker- 29.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 7.0 APG, 52% FG, 50% 3PT
F Tim Duncan- 24.8 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 2.4 BPG, 49% FG
G Manu Ginobili- 18.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 45% FG

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