This is probably not a good sign with regards to the likelihood of Chris Paul still wearing a Hornets jersey a few years from now.

Nabb1: This is probably not a good sign with regards to the likelihood of Chris Paul still wearing a Hornets jersey a few years from now.

I think that was probably inevitable with or without Scott as the coach.

With Rambis in Minny and Cap on the mend, we have a couple available spots open. Mitch will be calling shortly. Time to come home, Byron.

Nabb1: This is probably not a good sign with regards to the likelihood of Chris Paul still wearing a Hornets jersey a few years from now.

Sadly, you are correct. Once Chris Paul leaves, this franchise is a dissaster. I predict a move in 4-5 years. New Orleans is not a basketball town, its a football town. End of story.

Unless the Hornets are in the second round of playoffs, no one pays attention to them. The Saints could be 3-5 right now, and they'd still be huge.

Um, they're 3-6? You're firing your coach this early in the season for a record that isn't that bad? If only they this kind of quick reaction during Hurricane Katrina.

downstairs: Sadly, you are correct. Once Chris Paul leaves, this franchise is a dissaster. I predict a move in 4-5 years. New Orleans is not a basketball town, its a football town. End of story.

I've been saying the same thing for some time. Not sure where they would move, though.

Bonus points: They just (re)hired Tim Floyd as an assistant coach. I jokingly told a partner earlier, "Hey, Tim Floyd is available!" He just barged in and wanted to know if that was a joke or if I really did know about that before it was announced.

Deadhouseplants: Um, they're 3-6? You're firing your coach this early in the season for a record that isn't that bad? If only they this kind of quick reaction during Hurricane Katrina.

They quit on Scott long before this season's 3-6 start. They needed to fire him.

How many other cities have the same record between the NFL and NBA? Saints and Hornets are 8-0, while the Redskins and Wizards are 2-6. :(

/Go Capitals

The Hornets have been hapless this year, and those 3 wins were more because they couldn't help themselves but do it. CP3, the dessicated husk of David West, an out-of-place Emeka Okafor, and a bunch of stiffs do not a team make.

After the shellacking they got last night, this move doesn't surprised me. What will surprise me is if NO gets any better from here on out, because frankly they don't seem to have the ability or the resources available to do so.

The sooner Paul gets out the better for him, the worse for NO basketball, and probably the better for Seattle to pick up the team.

/i submitted this story with a worse headline

Okay, so I completely misread the headline. Fark.

(Still, the Redskins and Wizards suck. Unless Agent Zero starts showing up again)

Once again proving 99.99999% NBA coaches are meaningless. The average tenure is about a season and a half.

Deadhouseplants: Um, they're 3-6? You're firing your coach this early in the season for a record that isn't that bad? If only they this kind of quick reaction during Hurricane Katrina.

One of those losses was to to the Knicks.

UNC_Samurai: Once again proving 99.99999% NBA coaches are meaningless. The average tenure is about a season and a half.

Wasn't it Larry Bird who said that realistically, a coach nowadays has a 3-year window (assuming 100% ownership support) since by that point the players completely stop listening to you?

noobcake: How many other cities have the same record between the NFL and NBA? Saints and Hornets are 8-0, while the Redskins and Wizards are 2-6. :(

/Go Capitals

The Cowboys and Mavericks are close. Cowboys 6-2, Mavericks 5-3.

AboveTheStarsOfGod: The Hornets have been hapless this year, and those 3 wins were more because they couldn't help themselves but do it. CP3, the dessicated husk of David West, an out-of-place Emeka Okafor, and a bunch of stiffs do not a team make.

After the shellacking they got last night, this move doesn't surprised me. What will surprise me is if NO gets any better from here on out, because frankly they don't seem to have the ability or the resources available to do so.

The sooner Paul gets out the better for him, the worse for NO basketball, and probably the better for Seattle to pick up the team.

/i submitted this story with a worse headline

The sad thing is this needs to happen. I live in New Orleans and there's just not the money here to support an NFL and an NBA franchise. People here love the Saints, but probably couldn't tell you anyone who starts for the Hornets other than Paul.

noobcake: How many other cities have the same record between the NFL and NBA? Saints and Hornets are 8-0, while the Redskins and Wizards are 2-6. :(

For the next few hours, the Bulls and Bears both sport 4-4 records.

/one'll soon be 5-4, amirite?

The Hornets are probably gonna be terrible with or without Byron Scott.

Besides Paul (who's amazing), they have a strangely inffective David West, Emeka Okafor (who doesn't fit their style of play at all), and a bunch of role players and nobodies.

They're tied up in cap space for the next couple of seasons too.

Your next LA Lakers coach. Phil does one more year after this then retires to Montana to help Jeannie spit shine his chaps.

How long before this team becomes the Seatle Sonics??

noobcake: How many other cities have the same record between the NFL and NBA? Saints and Hornets are 8-0, while the Redskins and Wizards are 2-6. :(

lolwut

salukiboy: How long before this team becomes the Seatle Sonics??

Hopefully soon, since that's the team that should've been relocated to OKC; they had worse fan support than the Sonics every year until the last one, and even that was close until the end, despite Seattle having one of the worst teams in the league and knowing that their team would be gone, while NO had one of the best teams in the league. Plus OKC had already supported the Hornets and had a city/team relationship with them.

salukiboy: How long before this team becomes the Seatle Sonics??

Damn you, that's what I came here to say! I still find it disgusting that OKC got a team. I mean how does the NBA justify allowing a team in Okla freakin homa when Seattle is 10X the city OKC is and that team was so popular around the nation (in that everyone knew them). How is that Ice Cube song gonna make sense? "I had the brew she had the chronic and the Lakers beat the OKC Thunder"

IAmRight: salukiboy: How long before this team becomes the Seatle Sonics??

Hopefully soon

Why? We have the Sounders.

/wait for it...

IAmRight: Hopefully soon, since that's the team that should've been relocated to OKC; they had worse fan support than the Sonics every year until the last one, and even that was close until the end, despite Seattle having one of the worst teams in the league and knowing that their team would be gone, while NO had one of the best teams in the league. Plus OKC had already supported the Hornets and had a city/team relationship with them.

So New Orelans will jump town, become the Sonics, Charlotte will then become the New Orleans Bobcats, and then Charlotte will get another expansion team? What generic name can we give them? The Fireballs? The Wildcats? The Demons?

Killer Cars:

Why? We have the Sounders.

/wait for it...

haha, as if anyone cares about volleyball.

Killer Cars: IAmRight: salukiboy: How long before this team becomes the Seatle Sonics??

Hopefully soon

Why? We have the Sounders.

/wait for it...

They seem to fill stadiums, what's that all about? Had no idea people from Seattle loved soccer so much.

As a west coaster I want the SuperSonics back. What a hose job that was. Oklahoma City??? Who's Next? Albuquerque???

Not sure which one is more applicable. This season is very very young and many teams are struggling. (look at the cavs) This was a very retarded thing to do.

dobedobeDUE: As a west coaster I want the SuperSonics Grizzlies back. What a hose job that was. Oklahoma City Memphis??? Who's Next? Albuquerque???

Mike_LowELL: So New Orelans will jump town, become the Sonics, Charlotte will then become the New Orleans Bobcats, and then Charlotte will get another expansion team? What generic name can we give them? The Fireballs? The Wildcats? The Demons?

You have to go for something Carolina sports related:

The Carruths
The Lesbian Bathroom Sex Cheerleaders
The We're Not College Basketball So No One Gives A Crap In This State

SobrietyFighter: Not sure which one is more applicable. This season is very very young and many teams are struggling. (look at the cavs) This was a very retarded thing to do.

No, it wasn't. Again, the Hornets stopped caring last year, and at least according to Bill Simmons (yeah, I know, useless in most places, but the guy does watch a ton of NBA basketball), Paul and Scott didn't have the relationship the media made it out to be.

4NSpy: dobedobeDUE: As a west coaster I want the SuperSonics Grizzlies back. What a hose job that was. Oklahoma City Memphis??? Who's Next? Albuquerque???

Well, I don't think it was a bright idea for such a multi-ethnic city like Vancouver with such little basketball tradition to try and build their franchise around a big, hickish white-dude with the nickname "Big Country".

Or maybe that was the point; draw people into the stands so they can think "ah, ok, so that's what an American red-stater is like"

IAmRight: The Carolina Lesbian Bathroom Sex Cheerleaders


I don't know that I'd be a fan of that team, but I guarantee I'd buy a T-shirt.

4NSpy: dobedobeDUE: As a west coaster I want the SuperSonics Grizzlies back. What a hose job that was. Oklahoma City Memphis??? Who's Next? Albuquerque???

Did anyone in Vancouver (well, except you) actually care about the Grizzlies? The team really sucked, and Vancouver doesn't really strike me as a basketball town. I know the Raptors are doing well in T.O., but I dunno about B.C.

Nabb1: Not sure where they would move, though.

Seattle. Kansas City. Tampa Bay. The last two have the benefit of top-notch stadiums that are already built and available. More than likely, it would be Kansas City.

Zombie Hitler: Deadhouseplants: Um, they're 3-6? You're firing your coach this early in the season for a record that isn't that bad? If only they this kind of quick reaction during Hurricane Katrina.

One of those losses was to to the Knicks.

The Suns made New Orleans look awful last night. After the first quarter the announcer said "what do these Hornets need to do to get back in this game?" I quipped "stop giving up 40 points in a quarter." Which they did... only 35 points in the second quarter. To the Hornets' credit, they did win the second half by four... playing against a second string unit headed by Jared Dudley, Lou Amondson and Goran Dragic.

Wow Crabtree.

Wow I fail wrong thread.

AboveTheStarsOfGod: I don't know that I'd be a fan of that team, but I guarantee I'd buy a T-shirt.

I'd certainly like to see the logo.

thenateman: Which they did... only 35 points in the second quarter.

Only because the Suns started killing the clock on possessions and Nash was gone for several minutes. They could've had 80, maybe even 90 if they tried. That was awful defense by NO.

PopeSchmope: Seattle. Kansas City. Tampa Bay. The last two have the benefit of top-notch stadiums that are already built and available. More than likely, it would be Kansas City.

I'd be pleased to see it happen. But I'm not sure why everyone seems to think Kansas City is an NBA town just because they built the Sprint Center. It's like nobody remembers this failure:



/hotlinked for a failure of my own

schief2: PopeSchmope: Seattle. Kansas City. Tampa Bay. The last two have the benefit of top-notch stadiums that are already built and available. More than likely, it would be Kansas City.

I'd be pleased to see it happen. But I'm not sure why everyone seems to think Kansas City is an NBA town just because they built the Sprint Center. It's like nobody remembers this failure:



/hotlinked for a failure of my own

I'm fine with KC getting any team out there as long as it isn't my hockey team. And if they do take my hockey team I'll never eat BBQ again.

/That's a lie

Let's just move the Hornets to Oklahoma City, their home away from home during the Katrina season, then give the Sonics back to Seattle.

IAmRight: AboveTheStarsOfGod: I don't know that I'd be a fan of that team, but I guarantee I'd buy a T-shirt.

I'd certainly like to see the logo.

thenateman: Which they did... only 35 points in the second quarter.

Only because the Suns started killing the clock on possessions and Nash was gone for several minutes. They could've had 80, maybe even 90 if they tried. That was awful defense by NO.

Byron Scott is no Phil Jackson. The Lakers exposed and abused the Suns tonight, despite Steve Nash playing only 23 minutes. The difference: Jackson's team turned the Suns into slashers instead of jump shooters.

Unfortunately, I expect every team in the league to watch Jackson's game for a blueprint for beating the Suns.

Suns 2s and 3s versus Byron Scott
46-83...13-26
55.4%...50.0%
POINTS 124

Suns 2s and 3s versus Phil Jackson
38-104...8-23
36.50%...34.8%
POINTS 102

thenateman: IAmRight: AboveTheStarsOfGod: I don't know that I'd be a fan of that team, but I guarantee I'd buy a T-shirt.

I'd certainly like to see the logo.

thenateman: Which they did... only 35 points in the second quarter.

Only because the Suns started killing the clock on possessions and Nash was gone for several minutes. They could've had 80, maybe even 90 if they tried. That was awful defense by NO.

Byron Scott is no Phil Jackson. The Lakers exposed and abused the Suns tonight, despite Steve Nash playing only 23 minutes. The difference: Jackson's team turned the Suns into slashers instead of jump shooters.

Unfortunately, I expect every team in the league to watch Jackson's game for a blueprint for beating the Suns.

Suns 2s and 3s versus Byron Scott
46-83...13-26
55.4%...50.0%
POINTS 124

Suns 2s and 3s versus Phil Jackson
38-104...8-23
36.50%...34.8%
POINTS 102

You've got to give some credit to Amar'e, too.

Also (since basketball threads are so far between), did anyone see the Lebron post-game interview?

What a self-aggrandizing wanker. Micheal Jordan was a basketball god, no question, but retiring a number league wide isn't about that. Teams retire numbers because they want to hold on to their legends. MJ didn't win anything for anyone but the Bulls, and he certainly didn't do anything brave or groundbreaking like Jackie Robinson (since MJ's a selfish prick).

Scott went from Coach of the Year to unemployed in about a year and a half. It goes to show:

A. The NBA Coach of the Year Award is meaningless.
B. Unless your name is Jerry Sloan, Gregg Popovich, or Phil Jackson, you've got zero job security in the NBA.

Jackdragna: AboveTheStarsOfGod: The Hornets have been hapless this year, and those 3 wins were more because they couldn't help themselves but do it. CP3, the dessicated husk of David West, an out-of-place Emeka Okafor, and a bunch of stiffs do not a team make.

After the shellacking they got last night, this move doesn't surprised me. What will surprise me is if NO gets any better from here on out, because frankly they don't seem to have the ability or the resources available to do so.

The sooner Paul gets out the better for him, the worse for NO basketball, and probably the better for Seattle to pick up the team.

/i submitted this story with a worse headline

The sad thing is this needs to happen. I live in New Orleans and there's just not the money here to support an NFL and an NBA franchise. People here love the Saints, but probably couldn't tell you anyone who starts for the Hornets other than Paul.

I'm not trolling, promise. But how can Detroit, with problems as bad, if not worse, than New Orleans, support the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons, but New Orleans finds it impossible to support two franchises? Is it the Third Worldish culture there?

noobcake: How many other cities have the same record between the NFL and NBA? Saints and Hornets are 8-0, while the Redskins and Wizards are 2-6. :(

Except that the Hornets are 3-6... not 8-0.

"but New Orleans finds it impossible to support two franchises"

the support is fine. season ticket sales were outstanding

" year ago, the Hornets had 22 sellouts at the 17,000-seat New Orleans Arena -- the most in any season since relocating from Charlotte, N.C., in 2002 -- drawing 695,727 fans, an average of 16,969.

Hornets owner George Shinn has expressed his pleasure with the way tickets sales have advanced leading up to Friday night's home opener against the Sacramento Kings.

"I think there are a lot of teams that are hurting, no question about it, " Shinn said recently. "I'm in contact with the league office and the people from the league discussing it. One of the things that happened with us is it hasn't been great, but we haven't suffered like some of the other people.

"Our sponsorship sales are better than last year. A lot of teams are trying just to get flat. We're past that. Our ticket sales are at least as good as they were last year."

Weber, in fact, termed the sponsorship sales growth "incredible.

"We're well ahead of where we were this time last year, " Weber said. "Companies want to be associated with the success we've recently experienced."

A year ago, the Hornets filled nearly 99 percent of the arena's capacity for each home game. The Hornets easily reached attendance benchmarks in their renegotiated lease with the state and therefore had no need for additional financial subsidies.

According to published figures last year, the Hornets sold nearly 11,000 season tickets, including 5,310 full packages, an increase of 102 percent from the year before. They sold all the suites at New Orleans Arena and sold 6,000 new season-ticket packages.

As a Hornets season ticket holder, I'm happy with the move. Hell, I would have fired Byron after Denver drubbed us by 58-points on our home floor in the playoffs last year.

This team has looked listless and disinterested in every game so far this season, which just lends more credibility to the chatter that Scott had lost the team. CP3 is the only guy who has played with any sense of urgency, but his frustration with losing has also led to him getting into scrums with Rondo and Al Harrington.

Bower and Floyd will be stop-gaps for what is essentially a throw away season, and we'll move on with a new coach and GM next year. (if I were a betting man, I'd say Avery Johnson would be a serious contender)

/Geaux Hornets
//Who Dat!

LSUMJ: "but New Orleans finds it impossible to support two franchises"

the support is fine. season ticket sales were outstanding

" year ago, the Hornets had 22 sellouts at the 17,000-seat New Orleans Arena -- the most in any season since relocating from Charlotte, N.C., in 2002 -- drawing 695,727 fans, an average of 16,969.
....
According to published figures last year, the Hornets sold nearly 11,000 season tickets, including 5,310 full packages, an increase of 102 percent from the year before. They sold all the suites at New Orleans Arena and sold 6,000 new season-ticket packages.

Thank you for responding not with an ad hominem, but with a fact-based, logical rebuttal to my point.

In doing so, you have changed my mind. Seriously. I had no idea fan support in NOLA for the Hornets was so strong.

I wish all internet debates were so simple.

Similiar NFL to NBA records: Broncos 6-2 Nuggets 6-3