How Things Can Change So Quickly Over One Year for the Hornets

Things can change very quickly in the NBA. At least that’s what Hornets fans have had to learn over the past year. Fourth of July weekend in 2008 was one of the most optimistic periods in Hornets' franchise history. The bad taste of a Game Seven loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals had just worn off, and the Hornets seemed as if they were well on their way to bringing New Orleans its first professional sports title. People were putting the Hornets in the conversation, along with the Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers, as potential contenders for the Western Conference crown going into 2009. Chris Paul was one of the early favorites to win the MVP award. A couple of weeks later, the Hornets signed forward James Posey, one of the prizes among the crop of free agents available last offseason. He had just finished winning his second NBA championship and was brought in to be the veteran leader on a young Hornets team that did not know how to win the big game quite ... (link)