Hornets preview: Support linked to success in Big Easy return

The Hornets start the season under pressure to turn their house into a home. To do so, they've got to win. If they fail, any home-court advantage they might enjoy in New Orleans goes out the window.

Welcome back.

The situation is harsh, but when you're competing for the entertainment dollar in a city where there are plenty of entertainment options and few dollars, that's reality. The tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina relocated the Hornets to Oklahoma City, where as the only major sports franchise in the state, they were spoiled with uninhibited devotion. Sure, they were a rental, but the city made the most of their time with them, selling out the Ford Center with regularity and creating an excellent home environment.

With guys like David West on the rise, the Hornets deserve support. (Getty Images)

New Orleans may not be ready to support a basketball team this soon after an unprecedented tragedy, especially since the Hornets ranked last in attendance prior to the relocation. Still, moving back was the right thing to do. Citizens deserve to get back some sense of normalcy. Those who can afford to go to games should have the opportunity to. Owner George Shinn would've looked like an awful human being if he did anything other than return, but he now faces some heavy financial losses if the Hornets struggle.

New Orleans actively backed the team's return for a few games here and there since moving away, drawing large crowds due to the novelty of seeing them back, but that won't exist this season. Instead, the Hornets will be forced to guarantee heavy support over a full 41-game schedule the old-fashioned way: by winning.

Unlike the Saints, who have drawn the support of sellout crowds since coming back in 2006, fans aren't going to be coming to Hornets games if they have to wear paper bags over the heads. Even when they take on their Aints alter ego, New Orleans' football team has history on its side. The Hornets, who had spent just three seasons in the city before Katrina hit, don't.

If the team is bad, or even mediocre, people will likely stay home.

Unfortunately, the Hornets happen to play in the toughest division in the entire league, so it's unrealistic to think they're going to leapfrog the Spurs, Mavericks and Rockets. Still, they have been able to stick around in the playoff chase in each the last two seasons, narrowly falling short of a postseason berth each time. If they can stay healthy, it's conceivable that they'll be able to capture New Orleans' attention at some point, aided by the excitement the NBA All-Star Weekend figures to generate in February. That event will undoubtedly sell out, and unless the Hornets are floundering, will be something the team should be able to build on.

If this was a team in any other city, success wouldn't be a question. The Hornets' cornerstones, point guard Chris Paul, forward David West and center Tyson Chandler, are all young and on the rise. They have a head coach in Byron Scott who ensures they'll never cheat its fans in terms of effort and intensity. The roster is filled with likeable guys who stay out of trouble and play the game the right way.

They deserve support.

The Hornets drew a crowd of just 7,736 for the exhibition opener on Oct. 15, which wasn't exactly encouraging. The team is still well short of their goal of 10,000 season ticket sales, which means they'll be relying on walk-ups just to keep New Orleans Arena from becoming an eyesore in terms of empty seats.

One hopes that in a city becoming known for its resiliency, the Hornets will be able to survive, too. Only time will tell.