Jeff Bower has had his taste of poetic justice, and now is returning to his traditional role.
The Hornets General Manager will give up his coaching duties and return to the front office as GM, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. He will lead the search for the next Hornets coach (which we assume must be approved by Chris Paul, or at least should be if their goal is to keep him after this contract). The incoming owner for the team has stated his goal is to keep Paul and rebuild around him. Smart man. Bower now needs to execute said plan.
Bower fired Byron Scott after a 3-6 start and was pushed down to the bench to coach, having to try to make the mismatched roster he created work. They went 34-39 under him. Granted he had to deal with some serious injuries, like being without Paul for an extended stretch, but Bower didn’t wow anybody with his game management skills. He was nice, but not great.
Hopefully he understands better now that until Peja Stojakovic’s deal can be moved and the roster reshaped, no coach is going to have fantastic success with the Hornets. However, some health and a return to focusing on defense could return New Orleans to the playoffs next season.
