Insider Special: Hornets Blueprint

Can J.R. save the Hornets?

By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider

Yawn . . .

That's about the most passionate reaction you're going to hear from anyone about the New Orleans Hornets.

The Hornets ranked second to last in attendance last season despite being a playoff team playing in a new city.

Why? The Hornets may be technically sound as a basketball team, but they elicit little passion or emotion.

Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn are good to great players when they're healthy (which isn't very often). Jamaal Magloire continues to develop into one of the best young centers in the league.

But the Hornets have no buzz, which is ironic for a team that has bug on its jersey. Now that they're stuck in the Western Conference, will the Hornets winning ways disappear along with their fan base?

Here's a look at what to expect as Insider continues its summer blueprint series.


Hornets Summer Blueprint
DRAFT: The Hornets, by most accounts, did exactly what they needed to do in the draft. They needed a young, dynamic shooting guard who could not only hit shots, but make the highlight reel. They needed sizzle and got it with high school guard J.R. Smith.



SmithSmith's huge vertical, deep range on his 3 and NBA-ready body were a perfect fit in New Orleans. David Wesley is undersized and over the hill. Smith gives them a huge boost, the question is when. Most high school players take several years before they're ready. LeBron and Amare Stoudemire have raised expectations, but by all accounts, Smith isn't close to either player.
Their second-round pick, Tim Pickett, was a nice pick-up as well. He's a sharp shooter who has a pretty good shot of making the team.

FREE AGENCY: Yawn. That's been the extent of the Hornets' free-agency moves so far. They haven't really pursued any top free agent aggresively, and given owner George Shinn's conservative ways, there's a chance they won't blow any money on a free agent.

There is one player, however, Lithuania's Arvydas Macijauskas, who the team has shown some interest in. Macijauskas is an unbelievable shooter, but he's a two guard trapped in a point guard's body, which may be a little too eerily reminiscent of Wesley.

TRADES: If the Hornets make a significant upgrade this season, it's likely to come via a Jamal Mashburn trade. Mashburn burned just about every bridge with the Hornets' organization last season when he took longer than expected to rehab and then did his rehab in Miami, instead of staying with the team.

In 2002-03, he was an all-star. Last year he was just an afterthought. After the season, a blow-up with GM Bob Bass led to Mashburn demanding a trade and the Hornets privately trying to acquiesce to his request.

There are a number of teams out there with interest in Mash, but it comes with caveat. Mashburn claimed toward the end of last season that his knee injury was so severe that he would consider retiring. Most believe he made the claims to justify his long rehab in Miami and that Mash would be ready to go by the end of the season. Still, a team will take a long pause before trading anyone of value in return for him.

What's out there that might make sense? The T-Wolves have been exploring Wally Szczerbiak trade scenarios, and a Mash-for-Wally swap makes sense for both sides. Mash, if healthy, is a much better fit for the Wolves than Wally. Szczerbiak's huge contract would be tough for Shinn to swallow, but he gives the team more shooting and more energy, something they are in desperate need of.

COACHING: Another year, another coach. Tim Floyd's one-year stint with the Hornets was probably enough to swear him off the NBA forever. After a solid start, his team turned on him when trouble arose. Considering Floyd has the worst all-time won-loss record in the history of the NBA, it came as no surprise that he became the scapegoat for the organization.



ScottThe Hornets replace one scapegoat with another one. Byron Scott, who was fired in New Jersey last season after two consecutive NBA Finals appearances, was a hot name. But is he the right coach? Jason Kidd and others accused Scott of being lazy and ill prepared to coach the team. They gave most of the credit to Scott's assistant, Eddie Jordan, and then openly revolted against Scott when Jordan left to coach the Wizards.
The Nets immediately began playing better under new head coach Lawrence Frank, cementing the opinion of some that Scott is overrated. Shinn didn't think so, moving quickly this offseason to hire him. There will be pressure to perform, and given the strength of the Western Conference at the moment, the Hornets could be in big trouble.

FRONT OFFICE: The Hornets not only have the most under-the-radar team in the NBA, they also have the most under-the-radar front office. Bob Bass retired. Allan Bristow took over. Did anyone notice?

That's the problem. Recruiting to a team like the Hornets isn't easy. They have a rep as being unprofessional. They aren't a free-agent magnet. Who's the last big one they've landed? Darrell Armstrong?

The Hornets really needed someone who was going to build a winning atmosphere there. However, given Shinn's thriftiness, maybe that was never really an option.

As it stands, the Hornets' window appears to be closing rapidly. Maybe J.R. Smith will be a star. Maybe Baron Davis will be healthy. Maybe the Hornets can swap Mash for Wally. Lots of maybes. In the West, that many no longer be good enough.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.