Hornets Becoming Impatient With Thibodeau

Last week it was reported that the New Orleans Hornets had offered their head coaching position to Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau. Well apparently Thibodeau is taking his dear, sweet time in making a decision, and New Orleans isn't happy. In fact, they have put a deadline on Thibodeau. Thibodeau has until Thursday night's Game 1 of the NBA Finals to accept the position or it is off the table.

So what exactly is taking Thibodeau so long to decide? Well, it's partly due to the fact that the Celtics are advancing further in the playoffs than most thought, but the other reason this decision is being held up is because Thibodeau wants to fully gauge the Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets interest in him as a serious candidate for their respective head coach openings.

This is a sobering moment for Hornets' fans. Two years ago Chris Paul was one of the top 5 players in the NBA and had just led the Hornets to a #2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs in their first full season back in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The next season they kept the same core together, while signing Finals veteran James Posey to be the 6th man, and were unceremoniously bounced in the first round as a #7 seed in 5 games. And lost by 58 AT HOME with a chance to even the series at 2. Then this past season they fired head coach Byron Scott, CP3 had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and missed 28 games, finished 8 games under .500, and missed the playoffs.

And now #1 head coaching candidate has stated he's waiting to take the job because he's gauging the interest of the most unloyal franchise in the NBA (Chicago Bulls) and a team that was in danger of setting the league's futility mark in the final month of the season (New Jersey Nets).

It does make sense though. Thibodeau is a New England guy. He went to college in Massachusetts, coached at Harvard, and has spent the past 3 seasons in Boston. That would explain his serious interest in New Jersey. Chicago? Well who wouldn't want to coach Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and a potential max free agent?