Did Byron Scott Really Deserve The Boot?

Let’s backtrack to the summer of 2008.  The New Orleans Hornets – led by Byron Scott – had just taken the Spurs to seven games before bowing out of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Their general was All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who was clearly identified as one of the top point guards in the NBA.  He had placed second (to Kobe Bryant) in the voting for NBA MVP.  Power forward David West had a blossoming game, and he was named as an All-Star reserve.  New Orleans Hornets coach Byron Scott was the coach for the West All-Star team in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game.

Chris Paul was upset about being uninformed regarding the firing of Byron Scott.

At this point in club history, the Hornets were viewed as a team on the cusp of greatness.  A roster complete with the stars (mentioned above) and contributing role players - shooting specialist Peja Stojakovic, rebounder and shot-blocker Tyson Chandler, defender Morris Peterson and snipers Jannero Pargo and Rasual Butler.  With a little continuity, it seemed as if the Hornets would make that jump from playoff participant to title contender.  Many sports analysts were making the Hornets their pick to make it to the Western Conference Finals, and even into the NBA Finals.

In 2008-2009, however, the Hornets took a step back.  They won seven fewer regular season games than they did a year ago, but still managed a #6 seed in the Western Conference.  New Orleans went up against a Denver Nuggets team that looked like the new up-and-coming team in the Western Conference.  In the first-round series, the Nuggets actually beat the Hornets in one of the games by 58 points…in New Orleans.  The Hornets went on to lose the series, 4 games to 1.

After the unexpected manner in which they were bounced out of the playoffs, many questions lingered.  Is the player personnel good enough for the Hornets to achieve greatness?    Is Byron Scott the head coach that this team needs to reach the next level?

These are two questions which New Orleans management has answered with a resounding “no.” 

The Hornets rid themselves of defensive specialist – and Chris Paul favorite – Tyson Chandler.  Emeka Okafor came to the Big Easy in exchange for him, but the team chemistry has not been the same since Chandler’s exit.  Chandler and Paul had a knack for executing the pick and roll to perfection…so much so that a Paul to Chandler alley-oop was almost a nightly fixture on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays of the night.  In addition to the chemistry with the team’s best player, Chandler also brought an unyielding amount of effort and hustle to the floor every single night. 

Byron Scott was fired by the Hornets only nine games (3-6 record) into the 2009-2010 NBA season.  In his 5 year tenure with the Hornets, the first three years saw increased success from a franchise that had been moved from Charlotte.  It had suffered through the effects of Hurricane Katrina, and come up as a winner.  The last two years have seen the franchise make the playoffs, which is most certainly something to build on.  When the full scope of Scott’s accomplishments is reviewed, there should be at least a hint of suspicion surrounding his termination.

Tyson Chandler's departure hurt New Orleans in a big way.

An even closer look at Scott himself would lead to more questions.  The man is a 3-time NBA champion (as a player) and led the New Jersey Nets to two NBA Finals appearances (as a coach).  He is the rare NBA veteran who has experienced success throughout his association with the league.  Scott preaches defense, hard work and always comes with a game plan for each and every opponent. 

The Hornets’ shortcomings resolve more around their makeup than anything else.  How many teams in the past two decades (from 1990 to the present) have won NBA championships with their best player being their point guard?  That’s right – none.  The only possible scenario for that ever happening (in the history of the NBA) is the Los Angeles Laker teams of the 80’s with the 6′9″ Magic Johnson – who is very much an atypical floor general.

New Orleans wing players leave much to be desired.  Not one of them can create their own shot consistently.  Their bigs – led by David West – do not possess a back-to-the-basket game required to generate mismatches which produce open shots for themsleves and teammates.

And can they win games defensively?  In a word, “no.”  Sure, Chris Paul routinely leads the league in steals…and Okafor is a good shot-blocker…but the Hornets are not really a good defensive team and they need their offense to click in order to win games.

Their bench is particularly weak.  With a mixture of young, unproven guys and ineffective veterans, Chris Paul and David West have to log big minutes to give New Orleans a chance to compete every night.

So, as is the common practice with underachieving teams, the head coach is the one who suffers the consequences. 

But with the state of the Hornets, one has to wonder how many future new Orleans coaches are going to suffer the same fate.