The 24-year-old point guard finished with 16 points, 15 assists, eight steals and six rebounds. He hit 6-of-13 field goals and even added a blocked shot. The Hornets were led in scoring by Devin Brown’s 19 points, while Emeka Okafor had 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who are now 2-17 on the season, were led by Al Jefferson’s 20 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. After winning the first game of the season, the T’Wolves have now lost 17 of 18.

Entering the season with championship hopes, the Hornets are just 8-11. The injury to Paul didn’t help matter — although they were struggling even before he went down. Now that he’s back and now that there’s a new coach in place, it’ll be interesting to see if the Hornets can return to one of the top spots in the Western Conference.

Chris Paul is healthy once again (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Chris Paul Returns and Dominates

Tonight, they’ll have a chance to see just how good they really are when they play the defending NBA Champions. The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 6-1, and they are on a mission to repeat.

“When you’re playing the world champs, it’s always a great measuring stick,” said Nash, according to ESPN.com. “Now we go to LA and see how good we are.”

The Phoenix Suns will try to keep Kobe Bryant in check when they face off against the Lakers in L.A. tonight.

Accurate shooting, a high-flying offense and good defense have helped get the Suns off to one of their best starts since the 1980-81 season. After beating the New Orleans Hornets by 20 points last night, All-Star guard Chris Paul had this to say:

“They’re like the Phoenix Suns of my rookie year and my second year in the league. I give them a lot of credit. They did a great job of putting those pieces back together.”

We’ll see how those pieces can measure up against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers tonight.

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

High-Flying Suns Ready For The Champions

The Celtics were led by Paul Pierce’s 27 points. Pierce also had four rebounds, two assists and two steals while shooting 10-for-14 from the field and 3-for-5 from downtown. Ray Allen had 17 points and Kevin Garnett had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Hornets got 22 points and eight assists from Paul. Peja Stojakovic, who is coming off the bench so far this season, led the team in scoring with 26. The only other Hornets player in double figures was David West with 10.

So far during the 2009-10 NBA season, the Celtics have been the league’s most dominant team. They beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland to begin the season and then won their next three games by 33, 28 and 10 points, respectively.

Doc Rivers has to be thrilled with the Celtics (Image: Zuma Press)

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Celtics Dominate Late to Stay Undefeated

In preseason action, the Magic smashed the Hornets by a final score of 121-86. Orlando was led by Ryan Anderson and Vince Carter — two players they acquired via a trade with the New Jersey Nets. Anderson had 22 points in 19 minutes, while Carter had 18 points in 33 minutes. Combined, the two players hit 9-of-14 three-pointers.

For the Hornets, David West and Chris Paul led the way. West had 14 points, while Paul had 13 points and six assists. Julian Wright, Devin Brown and Marcus Thornton were the other players in double figures for New Orleans.

The Magic, led by superstar Dwight Howard, have a stacked roster and look very capable of winning the Eastern Conference once again. The Hornets also improved in the offseason and should see more wins this year — but they’ll have to do much better than they did on Tuesday.

Dwight Howard has even more help this season (Image: Zuma Press)

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Magic Smash Hornets in Preseason Action

5. Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
When it comes to leadership and leading by example, Chauncey Billups might be the best point guard in the NBA. He knows how to win and uses his strength to dominate the action.

4. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
Although he’s getting older, Steve Nash is still a handful. He’s a deadly shooter who is one of the top two passers in the NBA. With the Suns reverting to the run-and-gun style, Nash should have another very good season.

3. Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
Deron Williams can do it all. When healthy and at the top of his game, he shows as much talent as any point guard in the league. The next step for him is to be consistently great.

2. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
Out of all the point guards on this list, Tony Parker has the best history in terms of winning. His elite speed causes headaches and his passing is underrated.

1. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Right now, it’s not even very close. Chris Paul is far and away the best point guard in the NBA. He mixes skill with competitiveness at a level that is difficult to match in NBA history.

Chris Paul - New Orleans Hornets (Image: Zuma Press)

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Best Point Guards in the NBA

5. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Coming off of a championship season and surrounding with a lot of talent, Kobe Bryant won’t have to put in enough work to win this regular season award.

4. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Chris Paul has established himself as one of the best players in the league. If the Hornets can get a first or second seed in the West, Paul has a chance at the MVP.

3. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Already considered by many as the best bigman in the world, Dwight Howard may be able to get considerably better. If that’s the case, watch out.

2. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Last season, Dwyane Wade bounced back from years of injuries and re-established himself as a great NBA player. If he can stay healthy again, Wade will be a top MVP candidate.

1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Everything seems to point to LeBron James winning the MVP award for the second straight season. His pending free agency will keep all eyes on him and LeBron still has to prove that he can win when it matters. Expect greatness again in the 2009-10 season.

Will LeBron James get revenge in the 2009-10 NBA season? (Image: Zuma Press)

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2010 NBA MVP Favorites – Early Look

After a disappointing postseason showing against the Denver Nuggets, Scott’s job status came into question. However, the team has now stated that his job is safe.

During the 2007-08 season, Scott won the NBA Coach of the Year award. In the playoffs, he led the Hornets to the second round before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games.

A lot of the Hornets’ problems in this past season can be attributed to injury. Starting center Tyson Chandler was rarely healthy. Starting small forward Peja Stojakovic also missed time due to injury.

Under Scott’s guidance, starting point guard Chris Paul has become a superstar. He led the NBA in assists and steals while also entering the MVP conversation.

With only one year left on his contract, Scott will likely have to produce playoff success next year to continue as the Hornets’ head coach.

Hornets fans are looking for a bounce back next season (Image: Flickr)

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Byron Scott to Return to Hornets Next Year

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers – ODDS: 2-to-1
Everything seems to be falling into place this season for LeBron James. He’s playing great basketball, his team is winning and every time you turn on ESPN they are talking about him signing with the New York Knicks. Those three aspects combined should give him enough attention to win the 2008 NBA MVP award.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers – ODDS: 3-to-1
Last year’s Most Valuable Player has the Lakers winning at a scary clip. While his stats are down, MVP voters aren’t exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. Bryant has a chance due to his name recognition and the fact that the Lakers could end up with a ridiculous amount of wins.

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets – ODDS: 10-to-1
Chris Paul is once again having a great season. He’s the heart, soul and the will of the Hornets. His stats indicate how fantastic he is and if the Hornets can have another quality season, Paul should be in the discussion. But he needs the above two players to slow down so he can catch up.

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic – ODDS: 25-to-1
One day, Dwight Howard will win the NBA MVP award. However, it doesn’t look like it’ll be this year. He has the stats to have a case but he needs a tad bit more name recognition and he has to lead the Magic to a good showing in the playoffs. Look for Howard to be a serious candidate over the next few years.

Photo credit: Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

2008 NBA MVP Odds and Favorites

Now, some unanswered questions. Firstly, why didn’t you believe me? And were these blinks choreographed? Was there some sort of blinking coach on set, yelling “Blink,” at designated intervals? If these blinks weren’t scripted, then is there some sort of natural blink response during pauses?

The rest of the ads in the series feature more creepy synchronized blinking. Also, be on the look out for the amalgamated word “Bordan” in the LeBron/KG commercial.

Post from: EveryJoe

NBA Ads *Synchronized Blink* Haunt My Dreams *Synchronized Blink*