The New Orleans Hornets have been hurtling toward the news from Wednesday that sent its all-star point guard to the not-quite-as-bright lights of the Los Angeles Clippers. The Hornets devolved into a sense of madness as the supposedly independent team management desperately sought the league’s approval on a Chris Paul deal. They appeared to have it.
The winding down of the Hornets from Western Conference semifinalist in 2008 behind the emergence of Chris Paul and David West as a dangerous pick and roll tandem is complete. A deconstruction that surprised just about everyone as this young team quickly disintegrated on Chris Paul’s uncooperative knee and management hamstrung by a dwindling budget and an owner looking for a way out.
A top talent like Chris Paul and a city that has struggled as much as New Orleans probably did not deserve a break up like this. It shows that staying on top knows not what talent and what cities might have been committed enough to deliver the ultimate dream. It shows that sometimes things come down to bad luck.
Former Hornet David West saw the end coming after the Hornets lost to the Spurs in Game Seven of the Western Conference Semifinals in 2008. This came after a surprising season that saw New Orleans go 56-26 and win the Southwest Division. Even with home court advantage, nobody expected the Hornets to get past the seasoned Mavericks in the first round.
The future seemed bright. The seeds of failure are often laid after a surprising success. Success is difficult to copy — whether it is because of expectation, the problem of more or the desire to keep up with the Joneses, if you will. It is difficult to stay on top, even with elite talent.
West, who signed a two-year deal with the Pacers this summer after breaking out with Paul and the Hornets, told the Associated Press on Monday that the Hornets began losing Paul with the moves they made following that season and the uncertainty at the top for New Orleans. It alienated West too and was a sign of a franchise lost.
“There just really is no direction with no legitimate owner, so that just makes it tough,” West said. “It really made it tough for me to see myself going back there.
“Ultimately, I think (GM Dell Demps and coach Monty Williams) got the bad luck of the draw because things were already sort of soured. And it was just that idea of trying to build a relationship of trust in such a short period of time.”
West said the relationship began to sour when the Hornets let one of Paul’s good friends, backup guard Jannero Pargo, leave the Hornets. It got worse when the team tried shopping Tyson Chandler and failed to consult Paul on the direction of the team. West said he believed Jeff Bowers, the former general manager for the Hornets, failed to communicate that direction to the star players.
From what West said it seems Demps and the Hornets came too late. Chris Paul was gone and the relationship soured too much. And without wins, that relationship was enough to kill the Hornets.
Paul is in Los Angeles now. And the Hornets have to move forward. They are looking for a new owner, a new star and a new identity.
