Byron Scott a sacrificial lamb for troubled New Orleans Hornets
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The sacrifice has finally occurred. The lamb, Coach Byron Scott, is no longer with the New Orleans Hornets. Scott's dismissal is no surprise. There had been signs out of New Orleans that the former Coach of the Year was on shaky ground. After their breakthrough 2008 season, the talented Hornets struggled with consistency. Some believed the players had tuned-out Scott and a fresh voice was needed going forward ...
 Breaking NBA news mixed with my analysis ... Their News: "The New Orleans Hornets have responded to their 3-6 start by making the first coaching change of the young NBA season, firing Byron Scott on Thursday, according to NBA coaching sources." (Marc Stein, ESPN News services) My Quick Analysis: The sacrifice has finally occurred. The lamb, Coach Byron Scott, is no longer with the New Orleans Hornets. Scott's dismissal is no surprise. There had been signs out of New Orleans that the former Coach of the Year was on shaky ground. After their breakthrough 2008 season, the talented Hornets struggled with consistency. Some believed the players had tuned-out Scott and a fresh voice was needed going forward. There is precedence here. The same thing happened with his former team, the New Jersey Nets. After advancing to the NBA Finals, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson grew tired of Scott's fiery ways and he was replaced mid-season in what some described as a palace coup. To be fair, he got little help from the suits upstairs. In fact, it can be argued New Orleans' management put Scott in a position to fail. After all, he was a lame-duck, riding out the final year of his contract. And management never improved the talent around superstar Chris Paul. Free agents Peja Stojakovic and James Posey have disappointed, while trading for Emeka Okafor won't keep the club relevant in the ultra competitive Western Conference. Finally, the players, especially on the wings, haven't performed. Starting or coming off the bench, Stojakovich has struggled to become the third scorer, while Julian Wright and Morris Peterson aren't the answer. The bench has also been a problem. There's plenty of blame to go around. And today Scott took more than his share. Such is life for an NBA coach. Did Scott deserve to get pink-slipped by New Orleans? Get at us with thoughts in the comment box below and follow Oly's work at HoopsVibe The Blog and Twitter. Photo courtesy of SHH1907. |
Well, it depends who the Hornets bring in as his replacement. Right now, the team won't spend money on a coach, so they moved the executive, Bower, down to the sideline. I'm not sure about this?
If they are serious about competing, the Hornets have to drop some cash on a coach and upgrading their talent. Thanks again.