Is Byron Scott the Next 'Franchise' Coach?

Hornets brass announced they have reached an extension agreement with Byron Scott today, locking up the Coach of the Year through 2009-10. No dollars reported yet, but John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune estimates roughly $6 million a year, based on previous demands. $6 million well spent, I'd say.

While some CotY winners reek of fluke (Doc Rivers, Sam Mitchell), Scott has evoked the sense of cornerstone. No one would've flinched had the extension been for four, five years; in fact, the brevity of the deal is a bit off-putting, considering my forthcoming theory. But it took only six days for the sides to reach an agreement, which indicates these guys really like each other.

So, could Scott turn into the next Gregg Popovich (who quietly got extended this week) or Jerry Sloan? Set aside the disciplinarian/angry-face comparisons and focus on the tenure -- the pair have been in their respective arenas so long they've become fabric of their franchises. Nowhere else in the modern NBA do you see that on the bench. Scott's young, and his team is young. Could you see him coaching a 32-year-old Chris Paul in 2018? The prospect's more likely than most others, with only Nate McMillan sitting in a similar sort of comfort as a young coach.

(Of course, this requires steady management from the team, something Hornets owner George Shinn's not exactly known for.)