How good are the Phoenix Suns this season? It may be too early to tell, but they're at least good enough to get their latest opponent's head coach fired just nine games into the season.Byron Scott has been relieved of his coaching duties and the team will make the formal announcement at a press conference later this afternoon. This comes in the wake of a disappointing 3-6 start to the season, and, most recently, a completely lackluster and discouraging performance against the Suns in a nationally televised blowout on Wednesday night.
Ziller: Where Will Scott Land? | Jeff Bower, Tim Floyd Take Over
Moore: Did CP3 Make a Mistake Re-Signing?
Moore: Did CP3 Make a Mistake Re-Signing?
Steve Nash said after the game that the Hornets team he just faced lacked a certain "spirit," and he should know: it's something Nash and the Suns struggled with last year under their head coach Terry Porter, who was similarly fired during the season.
If the Hornets are to turn it around, it will be without Scott, who won a Coach of the Year award with the club back in 2008. But the team has taken a considerable slide since then, a year in which they pushed the San Antonio Spurs to seven games in the second round of the playoffs. To end the 2009 season, you may recall New Orleans lost to the Nuggets by an embarrassing 58 points.
As Tom Ziller pointed out via e-mail, the Hornets' assistant coaches' lineup isn't exactly stacked, so you have to wonder if they had a big name in their back pocket before deciding to make this decision. Maybe someone like Avery Johnson, who is a New Orleans native and is said to have a competitive nature similar to that of the team's All-World point guard, Chris Paul?
If the team does go in that direction, it won't happen immediately. The plan for now is to have GM Jeff Bower take over the coaching duties, and to bring Tim Floyd on staff as one of his assistants.
"I want to thank Byron for the hard work he has put in during his time with the Hornets," said Hornets Owner George Shinn. "I've hired Jeff Bower to take over the coaching reign. He knows this team better than anyone, has the respect of the players and in basketball circles, is regarded as one of the best basketball minds in the business. This is our best opportunity to reach our goals this season."
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Byron Scott should be the next Lakers coach. Look for the Lakers to hire and groom him under Phil Jackson. He is so much better than Rambis and it's a natural fit.
WHY SCOTT,.SO HE CAN SCREW UP THE LAKERS ALSO!!! LOL
ALL HE DOES IS STAND ON THE SIDELINES WITH HIS ARMS CROSSED. GIMME A BREAK!
Rambis is in Minny, which makes it easier for the Lakers to now approach Scott
Shinn deserves no less than a losing season, I personally hope he losses his a$$ just like he helped hunreds of Charlotteans go into bankruptcy what goes around comes arounnd Shinn
The Hornets looked lost in space last night. He does deserve to be fired.
Your comments are reverberating off of the walls of eternity now. Byron's gone; so much for coach of the year honors....todays hero tomorrow's goat. Rambis will not be the next head coach for the Lakers, although he would stack up like Pat Riley with the team. Maybe Kobe can play and coach; ask him he's not modest or bashful.
i think it was wrong for the new orleans hornets organization to fire byron scott like that. the man has done nothing but win everywhere he has coached.the season has just started give him a chance to turn it around dont jump the gun so quick.they are not the team they were in 2008 they dont have the players so the front office can be 95% of the blame for the 3-6 record. the new jersey nets are winless and the havent kicked their coach out. it was a bad move period on the hornets front office. i feel sorry for the team
Scott is a really good coach on a mediocre Hornets team. They would have been better off firing the team and keeping Byron, but unfortunately, you can't do that. Byron Scott will sign on as an assistant for the Lakers, and replace PJ when he retires, probably next year.
to fire the man behind one game is crazy. its more behind the reason byron scott got fired and one game didnt do it.the players didnt put in the effort. u see it all the time in pro sports on some nites u just stink up the place and the good teams do it to.hell if your players dont have enough pride in what they do changing coaches aint gone fix it. the players have to want to win and they didnt show that last nite.its funny how these big time pro organizations want u to be loyal to them but they dont do the same to u its a joke. i could see if byron had been putting up back to back losing seasons at new orleans to fire him but he has done nothing but put life back into that city.byron keep yo head up u will be a head coach in the nba again much love to u bro.
Jannero Pargo was the first player that the Hornets let get away then there was Chris Andersen and the trading of Tyson Chandler. Management have managed to take a youn up and coming team that was on the verge of competing for a championship team for the next few years into another lottery team. To blame Byron Scott in the words of Mike Tyson is ludicrous. When Pau'l's contract expire he may not resign
i agree with u tyrek young the front office is making byron scott look like he is the blame for this 3-6 record. the team they have now couldnt beat tulane university. chris paul david west peja and that kid they got from the bobcats are all they have. the rest of them are garbabge.
the two guys they replaced byron scott with are numbnutts anyway. tim floyd has never won nothing in the nba or college for that matter. the other guy i dont even remember his name so what does that tell u about his coaching in the nba. lol!! he looks like a pin boy for the local bowling alley. the hornets front office is a joke.
Byron Scott can take over the assistant spot Rambis vacated, but the next Lakers head coach should be Brian Shaw.
B-Shaw not B-Scott.
Byron Scott fired? This is a JOKE. The Hornets owner & their management should take a close look as to what kind or caliber their players are. This is ridiculous, it's just the beginning of the season. This is exactly the same thing when Byron Scott was the headcoach of the Nets, they were able to reach the finals, then a big slide. Well, hang in there Byroon, your old Lakers team will be waiting for you.
I think the one thing that we must all keep in mind is the fact that you don't really have to know anything about the sport in which you own a team. You only have to have enough money to buy the team. As New Yorkers, we can all tell you about having owners and team managers who are, at best, morons! Someday, in the right place, such as LA, where the owner and team management actually know something about basketball, Byron Scott will be hoisting that NBA Finals trophy.
a horrible coach
Please hire Avery Johnson...so we don't have to listen to him on tv any longer. Please!!
Be nice...Avery Johnson is cool!!!
They haven't been that good since they left Oklahoma City!
I never, ever think it's about the coaching staff than it is the players (when a team is losing) and which teams have the best players; which is why we will never see teams like Toronto, Portland, Golden State, etc. because of the lack of quality players. Certain teams can make it to the playoffs each season or go far in the playoffs, but if owners can't get a championship then it's the fault of the coaching staff. Wrong! Byron Scott has proven in the past that he can take a team far in the playoffs but I think that is only b/c of what had to he had to work with, like last season or the one year with the Nets. Team owners can go thru coach after coach but it's going to come down to how go the players are, you can't build a winning team out of 1 or 2 good players (e.g. Kevin Garnet w/the t-wolves).