The honeymoon is over for the teal-colored insects from New Orleans.
Having entered their second season in the Big Easy with a new coach and an improved sense of self confidence, the New Orleans Hornets were supposed to contend for the NBA’s Eastern Conference title.
But like most New Orleans sports teams that are supposed to do things, i.e. the Saints, the Hornets have instead plummeted into the depths of average basketball.
Entering the month of March, the Hornets sat at 32-27, still maintaining the fourth position in the Eastern Conference and just recently having the services of All-Star forward Jamal Mashburn restored.
However, the season has since then gone to shambles. The month of March saw the Hornets win only five games while losing 10, dropping their record to an un-playoff-like 37-37.
Mashburn and Baron Davis are hurt again — a sign that seems to be too familiar for Hornets fans. Without the services of their two biggest stars, the Hornets are finding trouble putting the ball in the hole.
So to help the Hornets overcome their dismal attendance marks and lack of an interesting team, I have come up with two solutions that will help the bugs get better next year in a hurry.
1. Trade for Allen Iverson in the offseason. Trade Mashburn and any combination of Stacy Augmon, George Lynch, Steve Smith, Robert “Tractor” Traylor and David Wesley for the top scorer in the league. His days in Philadelphia are done and the deal would send an All-Star caliber players to the Sixers in exchange for a player who seems to have given up on his teammates, while his teammates have given up on him. Imagine the backcourt combination of B.D. at point guard and A.I. at off-guard. That duo would put fear into a lot of eyes in the Western Conference. Not to mention the deal would put fannies in the New Orleans Arena for the first time in two years.
2. Get younger. Release P.J. Brown, Augmon, Smith and Lynch this offseason. During the 2003 offseason, the Hornets needed to retain Brown to help nurture rookie forward David West — mission accomplished. West has shown that he can be an everyday starter in the league and features speed and athleticism that Brown no longer has. By allowing these seasoned veterans to leave, the Hornets will get more athletic overnight as well as free up some cap room.
3. Fire Tim Floyd. Floyd’s offensive plan was supposed to help the Hornets get out to more transition baskets, resulting in the Hornets scoring more. But the Hornets have looked lost and confused on offense, settling for outside jump shots too often and not looking inside to Jamaal Magloire. Floyd has taken the Hornets from one of the most underachieving teams in 2003 to the most underachieving team bar none in 2004.