I can't say I wasn't disappointed by the Hornets performance over the weekend.  I can understand taking a little time to adjust to the defensive blitz the Lakers hit us with, and the way the Hornets fought back was great, but the Sacramento game was sheer misery.  I actually had a little trouble sleeping after that game, confirming my wife's less-than-subtle suggestions that I'm too tied up with the Hornets.  What can I say.

It is strange that after the Sacramento game I was probably at the second lowest point I've ever been as a Hornets fan. (The lowest being last year when Paul went down with an injured ankle, joining Peja and David West on the Bench of Crushed Dreams)

Expectations are dangerous, and despite my best efforts to keep mine low, my reaction has made it pretty clear I haven't.  Somehow, over the course of the season, I have convinced myself this team is a Finals Contender.  Even as I write that, I still think to myself "Hey, they could do it!"

I need to get back to thinking the second round is good – and anything past that is gravy.  Judging by the reactions in the comments after that game – it may be good for all of us to do that.  Otherwise soon we'll all be like Pheonix of Spurs fans – both sets at one point or another have acted like their teams were the worst in the league and playing like crap . . . while their team fought for the top seed out West.

So I'm now going to remind us what we have:

• A 55-25 record
• Three of our top four guys 27 years old or younger.
• A season sweep of the Suns.
• Our fourth top guy is a tall shooter – the type of player that can usually play until they are 35.  He's 30.
• A promising 20-year old young wing player in Julian Wright
• A 22 year-old MVP candidate that happens to be one of the most electrifying talents in the league.
• Ryan Bowen's shirts
• A coach and GM that work together very well in putting pieces together.
• Only 2 sizeable dead weight contracts on our cap,(Mike James and Rasual Butler)  though neither of which are really crippling.
• 10 Peja three pointers and 21 Paul assists in a single game.
• The Support of New Orleans, who have grown to love this team.
• Two twenty-five point spankings of the Spurs.
• Quadruple the number of Hornet's Blogs we had at this time last year.
• 100+ TCP Alley-oops.  And counting.

And others.