Hornets at Suns
THE STORY: The New Orleans Hornets revolved around Chris Paul in recent seasons but the NBA-owned franchise begins moving in a different direction when it opens the season Monday against the host Phoenix Suns. The Hornets dealt Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers to end a controversial situation in which commissioner David Stern vetoed a three-team trade that would have sent Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, a trade was approved that saw Paul joining the Clippers in exchange for guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and a first-round pick in 2012. Phoenix is led by star point guard Steve Nash, who topped the NBA in assists (11.4) last season. Whether the 39-year-old can get the Suns back to playoff form is a mystery after Phoenix missed the postseason last season and had a losing record for the first since the 2003-04 campaign.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Cox Sports Television (New Orleans), FS Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (0-0): Paul isn’t the only star player no longer with New Orleans. Two-time All-Star forward David West left as a free agent and signed with the Indiana Pacers. West led the Hornets in scoring last season and his spot in the lineup will be taken by veteran Carl Landry. The key acquisition in the Paul trade was Gordon, a potential superstar shooting guard who averaged 22.3 points last season. Jarrett Jack opens the season as Paul’s successor as point guard. New Orleans was 46-36 last season.
ABOUT THE SUNS (0-0): Shooting guard will be a position to watch early in the season with sixth-year player Jared Dudley winning the starting the job and former Los Angeles Lakers bench player Shannon Brown serving as the back-up. Dudley averaged 16.3 points in 15 starts as Phoenix’s shooting guard last season but he has never been a starter over an entire season. Brown is highly athletic and is finally free of being Kobe Bryant’s understudy but also is known for being a streaky player. Center Marcin Gortat (thumb) is expected to play. Phoenix finished 40-42 in 2010-11.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Nash has led the NBA in assists in five of the past seven campaigns.
2. Gordon has made an average of 119 3-point field goals over his first three NBA seasons.
3. Dudley averaged 17.3 points and shot 61.1 percent from the field in four games against New Orleans last season.