The Four Words I Want to Hear Most From Byron Scott

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Published: April 29, 2009

When you are the leader of any organization, you are ultimately responsible for everything that happens or doesn’t happen. Like it or not, right or wrong, it is just part of the job. To include the playoffs, the Hornets have lost 9 out of their 13 games in April. Their four wins are a squeaker to beat the Clippers, an overtime win to beat the Heat with Rasual Butler making a prayer to even send that game to overtime, a convincing win against the Mavs on Easter Sunday, and a hold-on-for-dear-life playoff win against the Nuggets.

Byron Scott has said throughout the season that he’s never had to keep telling guys to just go out there and play harder. I understand they are professional athletes, and shouldn’t need any real motivation, but if you cannot get them up for a game, then maybe it’s a coaching issue. After the Hornets would lose a bad game this season, I continue to expect to hear Byron Scott take some responsibility, and I’m always disappointed. From this point on, I’m waiting to hear four words from Coach Scott, “This one’s on me” or “I take full responsibility”. Either of these two phrases will do. I don’t recall stories of many Confederate Generals in 1863 saying, “Those boys at Gettysburg just didn’t charge hard enough. That’s why we lost.” Instead, history lays the blame on Major General George Pickett for leading the assault, and General Robert E. Lee for failing at a number of attacks to weaken the Union flank, which led to Pickett’s ultimate failure. 

I continue to lose respect for Scott as a coach, and in some ways, as a man. Coach Scott will lead you to believe, in some of the Hornets’ losses, that the players weren’t playing with enough intensity or passion. In some cases that’s true, and injuries have something to do with that. Injuries aside, the biggest problem with this team this season is that they just, at times, look un-prepared.  That’s a coaching problem, and he needs to take responsibility for that. In his defense, I don’t know what he’s telling the team behind closed doors, but something tells me he’s not exactly apologetic. Worse still, it would appear that he’s losing the respect of his players, given that he’s got to constantly plea with them to play hard. With only one year left on his deal, and with the probability of only having one game left this season, we may see Byron beat a hasty exit out of town. Remember what happened to Paul Silas and Tim Floyd.

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