Hornets Advance, Scott Named Coach of the Year

Double congratulations go out to the New Orleans Hornets. First Coach Byron Scott was named NBA Coach of the Year, then the team went on to finish off the Dallas Mavericks yesterday to win the series 4-1. This team is red hot and will have a great shot at advancing even further in the playoffs.

Chris Paul, one of the leading MVP candidates, showed up big time in his first ever playoff series. He was the key factor in each of the Hornets wins. New Orleans made Dallas look old and disjointed throughout the first round and may have cause owner Mark Cuban to think about rebuilding his team, who has lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Earlier in the day, Coach Scott was officially named Coach of the Year, his first time winning the award. Scott & Paul have put New Orleans basketball on the map and made the sport relevant in a football hungry state. I had my doubts about the Hornets long-term future in New Orleans after their 18 win season and Hurricane Katrina, but this year showed that New Orleans can be a viable NBA market. From hosting the All Star Game to having the best point guard in the league, New Orleans is a top flight NBA City.

Now the Hornets will face division rival San Antonio in the second round of the playoffs. The Spurs took care of the Phoenix Suns 4-1 in their first round match-up. The Hornets wrestled the Southwest Division title away from the Spurs and will be looking to climb the next hurdle by knocking the defending NBA champs out of the playoffs. It should be a great series.