Attention Season Previewers: Get some Balls

I've been pretty clear in the past what I expect from the Hornets this season: 48 wins, and a 7th seed or higher. I may be a homer - okay, I am a homer - but it doesn't seem that surprising to me to expect a team that lost 159 games from its top 6 players last year to improve on their 39 wins.

Every Season Preview I've happily gulped down this off-season says the same things, and I'm starting to choke on the conclusions:

• The Hornet's top six players missed a combined 159 games last year - that's abnormally awful!
• Peja is back, and if healthy should provide sharpshooting!
• Chris Paul is great and should keep improving!
• Tyson Chandler was excellent last year and could be better this year!
• Morris Petterson was a great signing and will help in the backcourt!
• Julian Wright will help!
• Hilton Armstrong has looked good!
• None of their losses matter much.
• The bottom of the West seems really weak this year.

And then all of them(Freaking all!) predict records of 39-43, 40-42, and 41-41.

Whaaat? Look - when the only negative thing you can say about a team is that it needs to stay healthy(how can they do worse?) and otherwise the team seems to have improved in every other aspect, how does that add up to, at best, a couple more wins? I know it seems daunting to pick a big number - hell, I dropped my stats-inspired 50-win prediction to 48 wins for my official Season Preview, but come on, think this through.

Anyways. The Hornets played again last night. West still isn't trying(shot 1-8), Peterson isn't hitting(1-7), and the Hawks voted Hilton Armstrong the sexiest man alive, casting their ballots by fondling his sculpted muscles so much the refs gave him 20 free throws for the game. No word yet on whether or not the Hornets had piped Barry White into the Visitor locker room before the game.