Hornets coach Byron Scott, who is entering the season with just one year left on his contract, has called his status "a challenge."

He signed a two-year extension last summer because he said at the time he wanted his voice and message to remain fresh with his players.

"I had the same situation two years ago, so why should I think of myself as a lame duck or any other things people say about a coach on his last year?" Scott said. "To me, it's a challenge.

"If we go back to last summer when I signed the deal, I specifically said I wanted a two-year deal just to see how this was going to play out. To make sure the players were still interested, still learning and still understanding where I'm coming from. They're not tired of me, and I'm not tired of them. So I never look at that as a lame duck. Like I said, I love the competition. This is going to be fun for me this year."