Think Tank?

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Published: January 9, 2007

All the losing is getting real old by now.

The Hornets finished up their four-game homestand last night by losing their fifth straight game. The Clippers were the ones taking advantage this time, using a fourth-quarter surge to win 100-90. Linkage: box | recap | video | photos

Mase had 28 again last nightThat makes it 19 losses for the Hornets in their past 23 games. Just consider that for a moment. If not for the fast start, the Hornets would be 4-19 right now, which isn't a whole lot better than two years ago. I mean, if you can't beat one of the worst road teams in the NBA on your home floor, who the hell can you beat?

And it's not looking much better for the immediate future, either. Not only has Bobby Jackson had another setback, but Chris Paul and David West may not see action for another three weeks, while I wouldn't be surprised if Peja Stojakovic never walked again. The Hornets could easily be something like 14-32 by the end of the month.

Those crazy dudes over at Hornets Central are saying "tank it". Numerous debates on the same topic have been raging for a while now over on the HR boards.

I've always been against the idea of tanking. Look at 2004-2005, when the Hornets were tied with the Bobcats for the second-worst record in the L (18-64), but ended up with only the fourth pick. On the flip side, you have the lockout-shortened 1998-1999 season, when the Hornets were just a game shy of a Playoff spot, finishing with a 26-24 record. They got lucky in the Lottery that year and ended up with the third pick and a life-size Baron Davis action figure.

Point is, losing a lot doesn't guarantee the best pick. The whole Lottery dealio was put in place to discourage teams from losing games purposely. Doing so gives you a better chance at number one, sure, but it still comes down to plain dumb luck, and this year's Hornets have been about as lucky as a bag of kittens in the river.

So I'm not jumping on that bandwagon. The Playoff dream is pretty much dead and gone, but I'd still like to see the team get healthy and bust some heads this season. I'm old-fashioned like that.

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