NBA Betting: Death of a Dynasty?

We look at how the Hornets have dominated the Spurs so far

May 6, 2008

By Carlisle Richards
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

Those who watched Game 1 and 2 of the San Antonio/New Orleans series witnessed something rare: the Spurs dominated by a younger, quicker and surprisingly smarter team – the Hornets.

Of course, no series is over until the victory confetti drops but the Hornets have dismantled the Spurs in games 1 and 2 by 19 and 18 points respectively, putting them down 0-2 for the first time since 2001. That year they were swept by the "threepeating" Laker dynasty.  

So what in the name of boring, fundamental basketball are the Hornets doing to one of the best dynasties in NBA history? We take a closer look:

Tony Parker is in Check…

The Phoenix/San Antonio series was hyped like the NBA finals but ended up looking like another weak first-round matchup. Why? Because of San Antonio’s Tony Parker.

Tony Parker hasn't been nearly as dominant against the Hornets as he was against the Suns. (AP Images)

Parker only scored 30-plus points four times for the Spurs during the regular season, but did it three times in that series alone. Besides the fact that the Suns have terrible team defense, their point guard, Steve Nash, was exposed as a terrible defender. The 6-foot-2-inch Parker ran layup drills in the paint, and barely needed to score from outside for much of the series.

The Hornets, however, have been able to slow the speedy guard down. Parker is a great slasher on offense, but isn’t nearly as effective when kept behind the foul line. The Hornets were able to slow him to 23 points in Game 1 before shutting him down in Game 2, he had just 11 points.

The Hornets’ Chris Paul and Jannero Pargo have the quicks to keep him from blowing past the foul line while David West and Tyson Chandler are young and athletic enough to close the door quickly if he gets in the paint. The team defense has made scoring and passing more difficult for him, thus making it harder for him to help other Spurs get easy buckets.

…Chris Paul is Not

The Spurs are in the same predicament as the Suns: they can’t defend the point guard. Guard/forward Bruce Bowen is one of the best defenders in the league, but he just isn’t quick or athletic enough to handle a point of Paul’s caliber. Paul can drive and finish in traffic, pull up for jumpers and runners at will, and he has 3-point range. He’s a respectable 37 percent from 3.

But it isn’t just Paul’s amazing ability to score from anywhere on the floor that made the Spurs’ defense look like Golden State, it’s his passing that hurts them the most.

The Spurs haven't been able to stop Chris Paul. (AP Images)

Including the playoffs the Spurs and Hornets have played each other six times this year. In the Hornets’ four victories Paul has had double digits in assists; in the two losses, less than 10. When Paul gets past the 3-point line and is able to drive and kick in the paint, he has three reliable scorers who have accepted their roles on offense:

Peja Stojakovic is the marksman. He’s made seven of 11 3s and is shooting 60 percent overall in this series.

Chandler is Paul’s finisher on the pick and roll. If the Spurs collapse on Paul off of a Chandler screen it’s an ally-oop back to Chandler every time.

West’s role could be the most important for a half-court squad like the Spurs. He’s the one player Paul can go to when a tough shot is needed in the paint.

The Defense is Better than You Think

If NBA analysts have slept on the Hornets for one thing it’s their defense. New Orleans ranks fifth in defense this year, holding opponents to just 95.6 points per game.

Tyson Chandler is the main shot blocker on a solid Hornets defense. (AP Images)

"We’re trying to make sure our defense is where we want to start. We don’t worry about what we’re doing on the offensive end," West said to the Associated Press after Monday’s win. "We stuck to what we do."

What they do is swarm anything handling a basketball. They’ve caused Tim Duncan and Parker fits by doubling them whenever they touch the ball.

"They’ve obviously done an excellent job defensively, frustrating all of us with their double-teaming, with their shifting," Duncan said.

San Antonio’s two wins versus the Hornets are the only times they’ve been able to crack their season average of 95.4 points.

Second-Half Adjustments

One of the strategies that helped the Spurs win four championships is their ability to keep competitive games close in the first half, adjust, and then pull away in the second.

It looks like the Hornets are giving them a taste of their own medicine.

The Hornets’ four victories this year over the Spurs have been by an average of 21.5 points, but surprisingly they’ve only led once at halftime.

The Spurs have been run over by the Hornets in the second half. They’ve scored only 236 points in the second half compared to 322 for New Orleans.

Top Photo: Tim Duncan and the Spurs are down 0-2 in a best-of-seven series for the first time in seven years. (AP Images)