I first wondered this when Ziller pondered out loud in his blog if the Hornets would see a turnaround in their poor attendance. Obviously this wasn’t enough to really ring any alarms, it was in fact a perfectly normal question for anyone watching the NBA this year to ask. But there was more still…
Ziller would later post about the Portland Trailblazers and their displeasure with their current selection of point men. He goes on to re-iterate what some others have speculated that Spain’s Rudy Fernandez will be the answer, as his arrival will free up Brandon iRoy to move to the 1Guard. What’s that, this isn’t relevant to the Harry Connick Jr. argument? I know. Yadda yadda, draft DJ Augustine, blah blah draft Ty Lawson, and then he says this in his Blazer blog:
“allow me this response to every past and future instance when a beat writer mentions when Chris Paul and Deron Williams will be free agents: Chris Paul and Deron Williams will not make it to free agency. Their teams will offer the max without question or hesitation this summer. You will not get Chris Paul or Deron Williams this decade. Accept that.”
Okay, okay, twice is a coincidence, if he lovefests with New Orleans like 13 or 14 more times, then I’m out of here…
Then just 1 day after renouncing the possibility that Paul might take one more year at his rookie scale contract, and then sign with a team that he WANTED to be with, and not just the one that can currently offer him the most money, Ziller was on the New Orleans’ attendance scoop of a story again. If you don’t remember it, that’s because no one really read it.
As I go backwards a bit, forgive me as I get all middle school on his ass: “DUH!,” of course their teams will offer the max. Nola will spare no expense in their bid to lock up Paul; kid is the new Isaiah Thomas (the player… hopefully not the exec/coach). And Utah in kind will toss Deron a couple trunks full of booty (like pirate treasure, not like female derriere… wait… I’m currently envisioning Jerry Sloan soliciting some female booty to give to Deron as a signing bonus).
But do you really see CP3 re-upping for the max instead of letting his current contract expire after the club option 4th year? Why would he condemn himself to the NBA’s 27th ranked attendance during the prime of his career, only to see the franchise’s home town constantly dip in and out of the jeopardy of relocation? Does an old Peja Stojakovic, oft-injured Tyson Chandler, and David West as your only capable sidekick sound promising?
My point is this: Chris Paul seems like a smart guy that will make a decision that has his career’s best interest in mind. He loves New Orleans, and he’s done amazing work so far at helping to continue the revitalization that the Saints organization began in ’06. But New Orleans isn’t a professional basketball community, and a player of Paul’s magnitude needs to be seen, and he needs to pick a team that will help him win a title now, not a team that will lean completely on him to be just a contender, and definitely don’t wait until you are at your Jason Kidd stage when you are desperately trying to get traded to a team with the right mix. Thomas Ziller wants you to stay and make the good times roll again (oh, that’s what the deal was with the Harry Connick Jr. reference), because he thinks the 27th most enthusiastic home crowd earned the right to ignore the leagues best PG. You should probably look for that roster that will help elevate your already elite play. Or I guess wait until you’re 35 to do that…
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All of your points are valid… To someone outside the New Orleans Community, which CP3 is not. The attendance is up, having sold out I believe the last 7 or 8 games in a row. Now that includes games against the Bulls, not exactly a big draw like the Lakers. This alone is not the only factor sparking a turn around for the Hornets as far as the viability of the New Orleans market. The community is behind the club like I have not seen since the NOLA got behind the Saints post Katrina.
I am the first to admit that I believed the Hornets were gone not just three months ago. I attended an open practice for season ticket holders the day or two after the Hornets faced the Sonics and CP3 made a comment overheard by a news reporter, “1st one to Oklahoma City is it!” This is when they were in 3rd in the West and you could have dropped a grenade in the Arena and not hurt anyone. However since they went on that winning streak pre-Allstar break the attention and buzz (pun intended) around the Hornets has been growing in the area as a whole. A major problem with attendance was even the major suburb of Slidell (just across the lake from New Orleans) couldn’t watch the Hornets play on TV due to Charter not carrying the Cox Sports Channel that the Hornets exclusively broadcast. Unfortunately this is where the major population base (not to mention most of the wealth) of New Orleans has moved post Katrina. This severely inhibited the PR machine of the Hornets success from growing. Now the cat is out of the bag so the point is almost mute. I would just hate to be the Charter people who’s phone must be going crazy as to why their population can’t watch the hottest thing in the area, when across the lake it is available.
With that said, I believe that CP is happy with the community’s support, NOW. He is pretty close friends with Reggie Bush, they share a chef, who is in NOLA to stay. All he would need is the stability of the ownership and the money that goes with being a player of his talent. Those are going to come. Shinn is talking with the state in the beginning stages of trashing the amended lease agreement that was just finalized in January giving the Hornets the attendance opt-out, in favor of a long term extension because the swell of support shows no sign of waning. The up-tick in ticket sales has steadily increased even in the face of two three game losing streaks, showing that the fans of New Orleans are not JUST there because they are on a roll. Shinn even stated to the local paper The Times-Picayune his surprise at the fans quick response to rally behind the team:
“I’ve got to be pleased, but I really honestly didn’t feel it would come this quick,” Shinn said. “I thought it would really struggle through this year, and then next year would be the key time. But the way it’s picked up, I couldn’t be happier. It just shows the passion of the fans here.”
I really feel that Chris Paul, one of the most humble and team oriented NBA stars I have seen in the new era, truly sees the benefits of being with a team that should be together for a while. He has unbelievable chemistry with Tyson. You really only see how in sync they are after watching a few games in a row. They talk in interviews about how over this season they have begun to know without communicating what the other will instinctively do, and that allows for them to work as a unit. Lets not forget the often under-appreciated by the outside world David West. The tragedy of the situation is people outside our little boot of the US don’t get to see any of this because the major broadcasters didn’t expect anything of the Hornets this season and thus did not schedule any of their games for broadcast. But, you guys are right, CP3 needs the exposure his talent and amazing entertainment value deserves…
That WILL come, without moving to another market. Even without a deep push into the playoffs this year, the broadcasters like ESPN and TNT will have more Hornets games on the docket next year. Just imagine if the Hornets surprise most and make it to the finals… The sky is the limit for that organization. If they keep the fans behind them for a couple of years, there is no end to the City’s loyalty. Remember, we are the city who’s citizens kept their Saints season tickets and just wore bags on their heads at games when they were losers for decades. We will support OUR team as long as they wear the words New Orleans on their jerseys.
So in the end, I may be proven wrong, CP3 may leave for greener pastures, but I just don’t think that is the kind of guy he is. He is not a bright lights, big distractions, kind of guy. For goodness sake he honestly loves bowling as much as basketball. That is not a guy who needs greener pastures. You can see the displeasure on his face in post game interviews with the media when they try to make it about what HE did. He always puts his team and his brothers at arms accomplishments before his, and THIS is why he would stay in NOLA. His comrades are here… The guys and coach who were by his side through the battle of being a team without a home for two years… The guys who ALL have done so much, side by side, to bring their HOME back from the worst natural disaster in American history. This team, these players, this area, and these citizens are why he would stay. Because he is the rarest of superstar… a humble one!