DALLAS .A city that has embraced the Hornets will lose the team to a city that never really noticed it was gone.

No one argues the move from Oklahoma City back to New Orleans makes business sense. There are serious doubts about the team's ability to make a go of it.

But it is the right thing to do.

This is George Shinn's rationale in announcing that his team will return to New Orleans next season. Some would say Shinn is only bowing to the inevitable. Commissioner David Stern wasn't about to let another city poach the franchise _ no matter how profitable the situation _ in the wake of Katrina. The Hornets' lease agreement with New Orleans Arena is ironclad.

Still, can anyone blame Shinn for his reluctance to rush back? Every sellout the Hornets had, every corporate sponsor they picked up, screamed for him to keep the franchise in Oklahoma City. What finally pointed Shinn back to New Orleans was a sermon he heard not long ago with a scripture passage that spoke of putting things in God's hands and not leaning on your own understanding.

"It's in God's hands," Shinn said of next season. "If it's part of his plan for me to fail, I fail. If it's to succeed, I'll succeed.

"But I'm not just going to sit back and pray about something. I'm going to bust my butt to try to make it work."

Some will point to the Saints and say there is reason for the Hornets to be encouraged. Don't. The Saints are part of the fabric of the city, a regional attraction that draws people from around the state and Mississippi.

The Hornets weren't in New Orleans long enough to become part of the city's vibrant, eclectic culture. It was nothing more than a diversion on the way to Bourbon Street.

"I think it's great," Shinn said of the Saints' success. "It's fabulous for the Saints. God bless them.

"But, you know, it's apples and oranges. The fact is they have a much better chance to succeed there than we do."

That success, we point out, is on the football field. Corporate backing for the Saints is weak. It will be nonexistent for the Hornets.

Many of the large businesses in New Orleans _ and there weren't that many to begin with _ have relocated to Baton Rouge. These companies now operate satellite offices in New Orleans.

The Saints can still sell season tickets because fans are willing to drive to New Orleans for the weekend eight times a season. The Hornets will play 41 home games. Do you think fans in Baton Rouge or around the state will be willing to make the drive for that Tuesday night game against Atlanta or a Thursday encounter with Portland?

There is no way the Hornets will make money next season. It's not the smartest move.

But it is the right move.

"If I was 20 or 30 years younger than I am now, I might have a different opinion," Shinn said. "But at this particular point in my life, there are more important things to me than just making money.

"It's not going to be easy. It's going to be tough. We're going to do our best to make it work. I'm confident we're going to make it work.

"If it doesn't, then we'll deal with it at that time."