The New Orleans Hornets did make it into the postseason and had two hard-fought victories over the Los Angeles Lakers in round one of the NBA Playoffs. Later on, the Dallas Mavericks eliminated the Lakers and are now battling the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. A common opponent and division rivals aren't the only connections between the Hornets and Mavs though.
Former Hornets Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic are both helping these bitter enemies at a level of the postseason in which the Bees have never been. Not that they can be blamed or looked down upon though by Hornets' fans because it wasn't their choice to leave the team.
Chandler was traded away from the Hornets in early 2009 where he landed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. That trade didn't work out though because of an injury and he was sent back to New Orleans. Some may have thought that was a sign they should have kept him. Nope, the Bees shipped him off months later to the Charlotte Bobcats for Emeka Okafor.
After one season in Charlotte, Chandler was traded to the Mavericks in a five-player deal. Many still thought this was the best thing for the Hornets since the big center had suffered a host of injuries and missed a good bit of time. It was really just a shame to see the "Crescent City Connection" split up because Chris Paul and Chandler really had a great chemistry on the court. Still, it was the best decision right?
Right?
Well, now he's the starting center for the Western Conference representatives in the 2011 NBA Finals. He averaged 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds during the regular season and has averaged 30 minutes a game in the playoffs. Guess things healed up.
Stojakovic had even more injury problems when he was with the Hornets and most of them dealt with his back. When he was good, he was great. Not always the best defender, but he was the three-point shooting specialist and a free throw making genius.
In November of 2010, the injuries and big contract were too much and he was traded away to the Toronto Raptors. He appeared in only two games for the team before his release and being picked up by the Mavericks back in January.
He now comes off the bench for the Mavs and has averaged a little over 21 minutes per game in the playoffs. In a first-round game against the Portland Trailblazers, he hit five of ten three-pointers. A second round game against the Lakers saw him hit four of eight and then another saw six of six.
It also appears as if his injuries have been given adequate enough time to heal.
While Stojakovic's performance in game one of the Finals was anything but impressive, everyone is entitled a bad game now and then. It just appears that the way things have ended up is how the luck of the Hornets always goes. You just never know how matters are going to end up, but those that escape always come back to bite them.
So as fans of the Hornets, let's wish the best of luck to both Peja and Tyson as they became so well known here in the Big Easy. It'd be great to see them each win a ring. Too bad it couldn't have been done in the teal pinstripes of the New Orleans Hornets.
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