The New Orleans Hornets are coming off their most impressive season in franchise history. And it’s not even close. Winning 56 of 82 games last season, finishing second place in the loaded NBA West, and falling short in the semifinals to San Antonio, the Hornets are definitely looking for another fun season in New Orleans.

After three seasons of sub .500 records, including 18-64, 38-44, and 39-43 marks, the Hornets were finally able to break through. The Hornets scoring average of 100.9 was the teams highest, and allowing just 95.6 points per game were a good mix for the 56 wins. 48-year-old Byron Scott will be entering his fifth season as the head coach in New Orleans. 

After a 34-48 season that saw the Nets not make the playoffs, by three games New Jersey lost their leading scorer Richard Jefferson. How to fill the void of Jefferson will be the teams number one question in 2008-2009.

Head coach Lawrence Frank will be entering his sixth season as a NBA head coach, fifth full season. In 2004 as an interim Frank finished the season 25-15, and then went 7-4 in the postseason. In his first full season as a head coach the Nets went 42-40, but lost in a postseason sweep. In 2005-2006 the Nets went 49-33, and 2006-2007 41-41, making it to the second round of the playoffs each year, only to get beat. 

Randy Wittman will be beginning his fifth year as a head coach in the National Basketball Association.

The 49-year-old graduate of Indiana University will start his second full season as the headman in Minnesota. Year one without star power forward Kevin Garnett was a little rough, but Timberwolves backers look for year two to be a little better. Make no mistake, playing in the Western Conference, Minnesota has a very low chance of making the postseason, but sometimes you just never know. Wittman is 96-192 in his four years in the NBA. His teams have never made the postseason. 

During the offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks hired former Chicago Bulls head coach Scott Skiles, as the new man in Milwaukee. Skiles is beginning his 9th season as a head coach in the NBA, with 559 games under his belt.

Skiles has won 290 games, while losing 269. He has also won 15 postseason games, in 35 tries. The Bucks have not been above .500 since the 2002-2003 season, in which they went 42-40. In 2003-2004 the Bucks finished 41-41, and then the next four years 30-52, 40-42, 28-54, 26-56. Last season the Bucks allowed 103.9 points per game, which could be seen as the teams biggest down fall. 

Erik Spolestra will begin his first season as a head coach in the NBA. This is his 14th season in the NBA, as a coach/director of scouting, and other various positions. Spoelstra was named the head coach April 28, 2008 when president Pat Riley stepped down as head coach. Coach Spolestra is the youngest coach in the NBA, turning 38 in November. He is 70 days younger than current Nets head coach Lawrence Frank. Spolestra is a graduate of the University of Portland. 

The Memphis Grizzles are coming off two straight back to back 22 win seasons. Giving up 107 points per game has been the ingredient of such misfortune for the Grizzles. Averaging around 100 points per game those two seasons has aided the cause. Last season was the first for head coach Marc Iavaroni. 

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off an incredible 2007-2008 season in which they finished 57-25, and won the Western Conference; only to fall short against Boston in the NBA finals. 17-year NBA veteran coach Phil Jackson leads the Lakers. Jackson’s numbers are one of the, if not THE best in the history of the NBA.

After 9 seasons with the Chicago Bulls that included six NBA titles, and 545 total wins, Jackson moved to Los Angeles in 2000, winning three straight titles there, along with a 67 win season. 

Mike Dunleavy will be entering his 16th season as a head coach in the National Basketball Association. In his 15 seasons, Dunleavy has won 573, while dropping 625. His teams have made the playoffs seven times, and he sits with a 38-33 record.

The last time Dunleavy was in the playoffs was in 2005-2006 with the Clippers. Coach is 175-233 lifetime with the Clippers, and 7-5 in the postseason with Los Angeles. In the last seven years, the Clippers have only finished above .500 one time, being the 2005-2006 season in which they finished 47-35. 

Jim O’Brien will begin his second year as the headman of the Indiana Pacers. After finishing his debut in Indiana 36-46 O’Brien and the Pacers look to improve upon those numbers for 2008-2009. O’Brien will also begin his 7th season in the league, and his 6th full season. O’Brien has won 218 games, and lost 204 in his career.