2009-2010 New Orleans Hornets Preview

2008 Record: 49-33, 4th in Western Conf. Southwest Division, lost in First Round
Head Coach: Byron Scott, 6th season
Key Additions: F Ike Diogu, C-F Emeka Okafor
Key Losses: C Tyson Chandler
1st Round Draft Picks: G Darren Collison
2nd Round Draft Picks: G Marcus Thornton

2008-'09 Hornets Review:

One of the great mysteries in professional basketball is this: How come Byron Scott turns in good work at his various coaching stops, only to seemingly lose the respect and trust of his players? After making two straight NBA Finals with the previously woeful New Jersey Nets in the early part of this decade, Scott wasn't allowed to complete the 2004 campaign in East Rutherford. In New Orleans, a similar story seems to be playing out.

In the 2007-'08 season, the Hornets came within one game of reaching the Western Conference Finals, giving the San Antonio Spurs a battle royale before falling in seven spirited contests. The franchise seemed to be headed in the right direction, with the trajectory of the New Orleans project carrying Scott and his prized pupil, superstar point guard Chris Paul, to bigger and better things.

How is it, then, that despite a number of injuries, the Hornets could possibly allow themselves to lose Game 4 of their first-round playoff series to Denver by 58 points in their home arena? Teams don't quit like that if they're buying what their coach is selling. No matter how you spin it or slice it, this past season was not a happy one in the French Quarter.

2009-'10 Hornets Preview:

Other than the need for Emeka Okafor to validate the one-for-one trade with Tyson Chandler, the Hornets' biggest priority comes down to one thing: Is this roster, at this point in time, willing to rededicate itself to Scott and play with the verve and drive that were so noticeably absent in the 2009 playoffs? If the Hornets don't start to care more about themselves and each other, they won't make inroads in the West, a conference that will thump any team that doesn't spill its tank on a regular basis.

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By Matthew Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

> View the entire 2009-2010 NBA preview here at ProBasketball-fans.com