"If the current struggles mean the New Orleans Hornets are going to produce a beautiful bundle of wins in the near future, then the unsightliness and discomfort that are going along with watching their transformation will have been worth it.

But as the franchise waits for former lottery buds to bloom into roses, and depends on future lottery coal to turn into diamonds, New Orleans in 2011-12 has been a team whose calling card has been injuries and losses. And with all due respect to that ray-of-hope-for-the-future thing, it would be nice to have a little sunshine to wrap the arms around this winter inside the New Orleans Arena."