As if the end of the 2008-2009 season wasn't painful enough for a Hornets fan, the summer seems to be making it worse. It was a season in which it looked like Chris Paul and the Hornets quit on their coach Byron Scott. This isn't something new to Scott though, as Jason Kidd and the rest of the Nets quit on him when he coached in New Jersey.
Perhaps it began when the Hornets traded Tyson Chandler to the Oklahoma City Thunder, only to learn soon after that this trade attempt would fail due to a failed physical. The trade made sense for New Orleans, since the loss in talent was offset with the fact that New Orleans would save financially by avoiding the luxury tax. Failure of the trade led to complications in both the financial and the team morale department.
Although they have traded, making several other moves such as trading away the injury prone and over-paid Peja Stojakovic, nothing has seemed to work. The Hornets have even gone as far to say that no player is safe from being traded, well except for the star of the team Chris Paul that is.
Now it's the off-season, the draft has come and gone and the Hornets have yet to make an off-season move. In fact, they are the only playoff team in the "Wild West" who have not made a move yet.
So the team has come to terms with the fact that they will, most likely, have to pay the luxury tax, but the Hornets have not done anything to make the team better. As time goes on one will wonder if the Hornets team that made the impressive run in 2008 was a one time occurrence, because as things remain unchanged it seems that things will continue to spiral down for the Hornets.
It's up to the front office to seize the day and put this team back on track.
Perhaps it began when the Hornets traded Tyson Chandler to the Oklahoma City Thunder, only to learn soon after that this trade attempt would fail due to a failed physical. The trade made sense for New Orleans, since the loss in talent was offset with the fact that New Orleans would save financially by avoiding the luxury tax. Failure of the trade led to complications in both the financial and the team morale department.
Although they have traded, making several other moves such as trading away the injury prone and over-paid Peja Stojakovic, nothing has seemed to work. The Hornets have even gone as far to say that no player is safe from being traded, well except for the star of the team Chris Paul that is.
Now it's the off-season, the draft has come and gone and the Hornets have yet to make an off-season move. In fact, they are the only playoff team in the "Wild West" who have not made a move yet.
So the team has come to terms with the fact that they will, most likely, have to pay the luxury tax, but the Hornets have not done anything to make the team better. As time goes on one will wonder if the Hornets team that made the impressive run in 2008 was a one time occurrence, because as things remain unchanged it seems that things will continue to spiral down for the Hornets.
It's up to the front office to seize the day and put this team back on track.
About the Author:
Zack Slattery is an amateur NBA reporter with a love for the New Orleans Hornets. He's a regular contributor to both the NBA basketball forum and the New Orleans Hornets forum at RootZoo Sports.
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