Before you start to freak out, I’m kidding with that headline. Let’s not bust out the 72-10 tracker yet. Though, I guess, if we started one for the 6-4 Miami Heat we have every right to kickstart one for the Hornets, who improved to 8-0 Saturday night with a 107-87 victory over the Blazers, or as I like to call them, “the Walking Dead.”
The Hornets are now 8-0, the best team, record-wise, in the Western Conference. If the playoffs started today, New Orleans would be the No. 1 overall seed. It goes on, like that, for a bit.
So the question has to be asked when will the Hornets lose again, if ever? (Joke!)
Dell Demps told me tonight in a text message answer to that question, simply “Soon.” So it would appear he’s not readying an 82-0 banner any time in the near future. Predictable for a general manager to expect his team to lose eventually, even as he’s probably giddy at the start in his first year on the job with the Hornets.
But, seriously.
When are the Hornets going to lose?
This week provides a convenient opportunity as the Hornets play a home and home with the Dallas Mavericks. A perennial playoff team that’s especially good in the regular season and has both the size and guard play to at least hang with the Hornets? Sounds perfect. Except the Hornets have kind of owned Dallas, matchup-wise, in recent history. Plus, the Hornets have Dallas at home for the tougher second game. If they can get the matchup advantages in the first game, the home crowd might carry them in the second. Then it’s a Friday tilt against the Cavaliers, who are fiesty and tough, but let’s face it, not in the Hornets league at the moment. Alone, Chris Paul is a big enough advantage for that one to swing their way.
Then it’s a four-game trip that opens with a back-to-back at Sacramento and at the Los Angeles Clippers. Yawn. The way these Hornets are playing, they’ll be able to rest starters in the fourth quarter of each of these games.
Then comes the big one.
At Utah on Wednesday, Nov. 24.
It would be fitting for this to be the big game, and the one they lose. A Utah club that suddenly seems as invincible as the Hornets. Deron Williams, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson to match David West and Emeka Okafor. Bench depth, versatile small forwards, plucky shooting guards. It’s a dream matchup that has to be considered the heavy favorite for when this ridiculous Hornets streak will end.
After that there’s Portland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. If it gets to that point? We’re dealing with something that goes well beyond just a normal hot start.
We’ll just have to keep watching and see if the Hornets surprise us some more.
