The Charlotte Hornets are 6-1?!
It seems like an exaggeration, much like Kemba Walker's "official" height (also 6-1, wink wink).
The Hornets are good, sure. But right now they are tied for the best record in the NBA's Eastern Conference with Cleveland. Is it time to recalibrate our expectations? Are they really this good?
The answer to those two questions is a qualified "yes" _ with the qualification being that Walker stays healthy and stays at the dazzling level of play he has ascended to right now.
And he just might. Walker was robbed of an NBA All-Star berth last season, but that's not going to happen again. Too many people are noticing.
All right, so let's think bigger. Riding a franchise-best start _ and before the Hornets play the most recent Eastern Conference NBA playoff finalists Toronto at home on Friday and Cleveland on the road on Sunday _ this is a fine chance to toss around some big dreams.
So Kemba, this team won 48 games in the last regular season. Will it win 50-plus this time around?
"I think we can," Walker told me Thursday. "We're really confident. We enjoy playing with each other."
OK, so can this team win an NBA championship?
Walker paused.
"I don't know," he said finally. "I can't really think that far ahead. The goal for the regular season is to get to the playoffs, then get there and think about things like that. ... But I will say I'm super-confident in my team."
