You'd think that with all the furore about what Billy Hunter said on Monday, I'd be tearing him a new one right about now. But I refrain from all that stuff for three reasons: One, it all sounds a bit too much like politics to me, and my brain doesn't do politics. Two, I don't live in New Orleans, so what do I know? And three, John DeShazier already tore Billy a new one in today's Times-Picayune.

So, I'll focus on the trivial stuff instead. Like Timmy Legler of ESPN.com predicting the Hornets to finish seventh in the Western Conference Playoff race. His words…

When you put them in a category with the other teams contending for these last two spots — they play harder than any of those teams. This was a team that was decimated by injuries, so it's a miracle that they're sniffing .500 — give Byron Scott a lot of credit. Tyson Chandler is doing all the things he got paid for by Chicago — putting in misses, being a deterrent at the rim and rebounding strongly.

Nice that he has the Hornets in the sweet sixteen, but there's one thing in there that puzzles me. And Legler isn't the first gut to say it. To paraphrase:

Byron Scott deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Hornets afloat while some key guys were injured.

Does he? Really?

Don't get me wrong. I like Scott. I like him almost as much as I like pizza. But didn't the Hornets lose 19 of 23 in those dark days of swollen elbows and sprained ankles? How exactly does that equate to Byron having magical coaching powers?

Just wondering.