Chris Paul is officially to be on crutches for the next three to four weeks with an injury. This was a severe ankle injury that required him to be carried off the court by his teammates. An MRI confirmed this as a severely sprained ankle. The silver lining is that there appears to be no structural damage, which means the recovery time should be accurate. Upon Paul’s return, does New Orleans have much to be hopeful for?

Paul is inevitably one of the NBA’s brightest stars. When any person names the top five players in the league, his name falls right after the LeBron/Kobe/Wade triumvirate, sitting comfortably in the tier with Carmelo, Dwight Howard, and Kevin Durant. He’s currently averaging 23.9 points per game, along with 9.2 assists, good for tenth and third respectively, in the entire league. Yet the future seems more than bleak in New Orleans. The Hornets have fired head coach Byron Scott. General Manager has taken over coaching duties for the Hornets, who at the time of writing are sitting at an uncomfortable 4-8. Bower has only been an assistant in the league, never a head coach. In a more surprising move, former Hornets coach Tim Floyd willejoin the Hornets as an assistant, yet more in a consulting role. The fact that Paul was not consulted on this matter seems to be another reason the frustrated superstar may not be in New Orleans much longer. Paul told the New Orleans Times-Picayune, “I felt like, maybe somebody would have at least consulted with me and asked how I felt before it happened. It’s not to get my approval, but we feel we should know about the decision before it takes place.”

Paul is, with much justification, upset with the lack of direction the management and team seem to be heading in. After trading away Tyson Chandler, a center that undoubtedly played to Paul’s strengths, for Emeka Okafor, a center that undoubtedly doesn’t, the offense has moved in an entirely different direction. Paul and Chandler lead the league in alley oops converted with 137. Second place? 33. Chandler is a much more wiry, mobile presence, whereas Okafor is more of a widebody banger on the block. Chandler is not the only teammate that Paul has lost during the offseason. The LA Clippers signed shooting guard Rasual Butler to a free agent contract this year. Though Butler averaged only 11 points per game last season, his 39% accuracy from downtown was a nice offset to Paul’s abilities, a perfect kickout option once Paul had penetrated.
The problem here is not that New Orleans is a team of incompetence. The problem is their owner, the notoriously cheap George Shinn, does not have the assets to keep a strong team in place. Constantly trying to dodge the luxury tax fines, Shinn lets his best talents depart as he would rather win in the pocketbook than win on the hardwood. Is the net result of this that Chris Paul will request a trade out of New Orleans? Most believe Paul is too humble to ever make a request that would cloud his public image as so, but could fans blame him at this point? Paul signed a max contract extension, and is now banished to play out his fate in New Orleans. His current deal does not run out until after the 2013 season, though he could exercise his early termination option and leave after the 2012 season. The unrealistic notion that Paul would leave $17.7 million on the table is hardly worth discussing, as we have all seen time and time again that players may be unhappy with teams and their situations, but nothing matters more than the almighty dollar.

Frustration will continue in New Orleans until Shinn options to sell the franchise. Fans have been burned too many times by a man who will sign James Posey to a full mid-level exception deal, then turn right around and let the other pieces leave. It is soon to be judgment day for Paul, as a player of his caliber cannot stew in the mediocrity that his present situation is granting him. If I were Paul, I would let my injuries heal, then become the bad guy that forces his way out of town. And hey, maybe the Hornets could save some money in the deal.

http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2009/11/chris_paul_taken_aback_by_new.html

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