MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Chris Paul. Though the team's record dropped and Paul fell out of MVP conversations after being the runner-up a year earlier, the All-Star point guard had an even better season. His numbers were up -- he scored nearly two more points per game, shot nearly two percentage points from the floor, and increased his rebounds by 1.5 per game -- and with Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic sidelined and David West hobbled, Paul still managed to keep the Hornets in the thick of the Western race when they could have easily faded out of the playoffs in late March and early April.
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Tyson Chandler. Though injuries sidelined Chandler for 25 games, he wasn't playing nearly as well as he did last season even before being sidelined. His numbers went down -- from 11.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game to 8.8 and 8.7 -- and the disastrous results from his drop in rebounding and defense emphasized how little depth the Hornets had on the inside. FREE AGENT FOCUS: All of the Hornets' key players are under contract. Those who are free agents were role players who were part of a poor bench -- guard/forward Devin Brown, forward/center Sean marks, forward Ryan Bowen, and forward/center Melvin Ely. Marks was the most improved reserve over the course of the season and was a rare dependable reserve down the stretch, which likely will earn him a new contract. Bowen could also return because the organization likes his work ethic and price tag, but he's not an impact player, having appeared in just 21 games. Brown was a disappointment and Ely was inactive for all the playoff games, and neither is likely to return.
PLAYER NEWS:
--Even though G Chris Paul improved in nearly every statistical category, the team's drop-off from a year earlier seems to have left an impression that he didn't have as good a season. A year after finishing second in the MVP balloting, he finished fifth. And a year after making All-NBA First Team, he made the second team, though he did jump from second team to first in the all-defensive balloting.
--The Hornets are confident that Peja Stojakovic will be fully recovered from back spasms for next season. Stojakovic, who missed most of the season two years ago after undergoing back surgery, missed 15 consecutive games late this season because of back spasms. The Hornets sent a member of the training staff to Greece last summer to work with Stojakovic and monitor his progress. A similar approach is possible this summer.
--The Hornets thought they were bolstering their bench last offseason when they brought back G Devin Brown, who had played the 2007-08 season with the Cavaliers after being with the Hornets the previous season. Brown is a solid defender who can play both guard positions and even small forward on occasion. His defense remained solid, but after shooting his lowest three-point percentage in five seasons and his lowest field goal percentage in six, he might not be offered a new contract.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--C Tyson Chandler (ankle) sat out the final game of the playoffs and was hampered for weeks before that. The injury is expected to heal without surgery well before training camp.
--G Chris Paul appeared to have a sore right knee after a collision with J.R. Smith in Game 3 of the playoffs, though the Hornets never gave any details. Paul continued to play and there's no indication he'll need any procedure done.
--F Peja Stojakovic bounced back from back spasms to play the last few weeks of the season, but he was inconsistent.
