2007, January 24, 2008: ESPN.com Daily Dime - Look Who's Leading Now: The Charlotte Hornets

January 24, 2008 -- The New Orleans Hornets own the best record in the West. Who would have thunk it? The Hornets, now 29-12, took care of the other biggest surprise in the West, the Blazers, 96-81, on Wednesday for their sixth straight win. Notably, they got a big contribution from what is probably their weakest area, bench production. Reserve guard Jannero Pargo gave them a spark, scoring 24 points in 24 minutes. To make a long playoff run, they have to shore up the consistency of their bench, now led by Pargo and Bobby Jackson. That's the missing piece now that if improved upon, will make them a viable playoff threat. My former teammate in Chicago, Hornets center Tyson Chandler, had another strong game, pulling down seven offensive boards, 14 in total. He leads the league in offensive rebounds (4.3 per game). He gives them an active, consistent rebounder, can catch lobs, put home tips, block shots and more. When teams help on Chris Paul's drives, they have to make a choice on who to cover. That gives Chandler the opportunity. David West, who can step out past 15 feet and hit a shot, gives them another strong option. Hornets coach Byron Scott is on track to coach the West All-Stars, if the team still holds the best record on Feb. 3. (Suns coach Mike D'Antoni is disqualified because he coached the West team last year.) Scott coaching the All-Stars in the Hornets' home of New Orleans would be special, and it looks like Paul is a shoo-in to be on the team too. This should be a great opportunity to show how far the city has come from the Katrina disaster. While the Hornets aren't drawing well (second to last in the NBA attendance), as long as they keep winning, I think they'll find a way to draw the fans. Seeing Chandler and Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge (17 points, nine rebounds) both playing well in this one can't help but bring to mind what could have been in Chicago. Hindsight is always 20-20, but you have to wonder what the Bulls would be like with those two instead of Ben Wallace and Tyrus Thomas to go along with Chicago's perimeter players. As a fan of the league, it's fun to scour the talent and see who gets on the bandwagon of some players. Aldridge is someone I picked early in the season to be Most Improved Player, so in my head, I'm thinking "I told you so" as those who appreciate his game become more numerous. It was clear that he would get his chance with Greg Oden on the shelf for the entire season. Now, when Oden comes back next year, they will be a formidable 4-5 combo. In the West, having those two strong players up front has been a good formula for teams looking to make that long playoff run Blazers guard Brandon Roy has his team in position to make the playoffs, well ahead of schedule. Roy saw several double teams in this one, which is no surprise. As Portland has more success, you can see scouting reports will increasingly be focused on making it tough for Roy to beat you. That means other guys have to knock down shots, and when James Jones, Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw are knocking down their shots, the Blazers have more success. ESPN analyst Jalen Rose is a regular contributor to the Daily Dime. For more about Jalen, visit his Web site: JalenRose.com. By Jalen Rose - ESPN.com