Where's the Hornets love?

While I don't follow the NBA closely, I have noticed this much.

National media pundits like to talk about the West being stronger than the East (although the East has the team with the best record.) And when they talk about the West the talk usually is about the Spurs, Suns, Lakers and Mavericks.

No one talks much about the New Orleans Hornets.

Listening to a talk show out of Dallas-Fort Worth, you wouldn't even figure the Hornets were in the NBA Western Conference.

Yet on Wednesday, there were the Hornets running the Mavericks right out of New Orleans Arena.

Maybe that's the way it's going to be this year. Me? I'm a believer.