By: Yannis Koutroupis Last Updated: 11/12/10 4:54 PM ET | 660 times read

Adjust font size:Alone At The Top: With the Denver Nuggets knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers last night there is just one undefeated team left in the league: the New Orleans Hornets. That's something nobody would have predicted four months ago. In fact, due to rumors about how unhappy All-Star point guard Chris Paul was, there probably would have been more people willing to bet that they'd be winless as opposed to undefeated at this point. However, according to Hornets head coach Monty Williams Paul's demands had no affect on the franchise's approach. He went in there wanting to win, as did general manager Dell Demps. Their arrival just happened to coincide with reports about Paul wanting to leave.

"It hasn't changed," said Williams of the way the team's worked since he got the job on the Scott Van Pelt Show. "There was a lot of speculation. To be honest with you I have grown tired talking about it because it has been the same for us from day one. Obviously, there was some frustration with the direction of the team but I wouldn't have gotten this job if there wasn't that frustration. So for me it was a good situation. I felt like Chris handled the situation the way he was supposed to. He had some frustrations as I said and Dell Demps and I from the jump felt like we did too. We want to win and we want to do it the right way. I would have to say that we are at the same point because we never wavered in our approach to try to fill the team that is going to win big someday."

Williams, in his first year as a head coach, has done a great job of turning around the Hornets, who went 37-45 last year. While Demps made a couple of trades during the summer, it's been the returning players buying into Williams' system that has made the biggest difference.

"Chris and David (West)," answered Williams when asked about what he would attribute the team's undefeated start to. "They bought in from day one when I got the job and the conversations we had this summer. They understood that I wanted to change the way we thought about defense. Everybody thinks we redefined defense down here. We haven't done that. We brought a different scheme and those guys bought in from day one and Emeka has bought in. Trevor came here and has brought us a dynamic on defense and offense that we didn't have. Willie Green, Jason Smith and Marco Bellineli have played really well thus far too. So having Chris and David buy in, I hate to even say that because it almost leads you to believe that they wouldn't buy in. They're high character guys and they work hard. They've helped this team so far and yet we still have a long ways to go."

Williams is currently the envy of all first-year coaches thanks to his team's terrific start. He's got the Hornets looking like contenders once again and they're not just playing well for him because he's a former player. That may help his cause, but anyone who thinks that's the sole reason for his success needs to look no further than the team's 3-6 start under Byron Scott last year.

"No question about it," said Williams when asked if non-players can lead teams as coaches. "I learned from Gregg Popovich, who didn't play. I've had the fortune of being around Jeff Van Gundy and other top coaches who didn't play this game. I think it does help me in a lot of situations but guys, especially veterans in this league, they know a fake when they see one. So if you're prepared, disciplined and put guys into situations to succeed they don't care if you're from a Division III school. If you can do that for them and help their careers have prolonged success, I don't think it really matters where you came from."

The hot start that the Hornets are off to is great, but ultimately what they'll be judged on is postseason success. All they can do right now is continue to play great basketball and improve. In Williams they seem to have the right guy on the sidelines to keep them on track to get where they want to be. If Demps can pull off some magic around the deadline they could be even scarier than they look already.

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