1. Will the Hornets be the NBA's worst ever?

David Wesley is one of the few veteran Hornets to have played in every game of a cover-your-eyes awful season. Gregory Shamus/NBAE via Getty Images

Weren't we asking this same question about the expansion Bobcats at the start of the season? Hard to believe, but the Hornets (2-19) have actually fallen behind the Bobcats, as evidenced by their loss Tuesday night in Charlotte. But relax, New Orleans fans. Even though your club is on pace to break the league's all-time record for futility you won't have to worry about wearing paper bags over your heads next spring. The NBA has enough bad teams to ensure the Hornets won't surpass the '72-73 Sixers (9-73) as the league's all-time patsy.

New Orleans has serious problems, no question. The roster is old, slow and full of guys who can't shoot straight. But the Hornets also have been ravaged by injuries. Jamal Mashburn was lost before the season began. Then All-Stars Baron Davis (back injury) and Jamaal Magloire (broken finger) went down along with reserve forward Rodney Rogers (knee). Recently, David West (knee) and Lee Nailon (groin) also have missed time with ailments. And last week point guard Alex Garcia suffered a season-ending knee injury.

But good news isn't far off. Davis could be back as soon as next week, and eventually West, Rogers and Magloire should return as well to shore up the frontcourt. By then, the Hornets should be more well-versed in the Princeton offense that new coach Byron Scott is trying to implement.

As long as the Hornets don't run up the white flag and trade away Davis and Magloire in a fire sale, they should have no trouble getting 10 wins. They still have two games left against the Bulls, and one each against the Bobcats and Hawks. On Wednesday night, they took advantage of the lowly Warriors by hustling their way to a 98-89 victory. They also should be able to pick off a few victories against clubs playing out the string in March and April. Of course, if the Hornets trade Davis and Magloire for Vince Carter -- and he goes down with another season-ending injury -- then all bets are off.

2. Has Chris Webber regained his old form?

Not yet. But he looks better than he did a year ago. The 6-foot-10 Kings forward, who struggled last year after missing most of the season to rehabilitate his surgically-repaired knee, has averaged 20.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists a game while helping the Kings to a 15-6 record. He even hit a game-winning 26-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer Tuesday night to lift Sacramento to a win at Milwaukee. For the season Webber has 12 double-doubles, seventh-most in the league. He ranks 11th in rebounding. He's shooting a respectable 45.0 percent from the floor, not bad considering he doesn't get as many easy baskets inside. And though he no longer consistently dazzles with his athleticism, he still unveils a spin move for a dunk now and then.

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Webber's main problem continues to be on defense. He clearly doesn't have the same lateral movement he once did, and many nights he lacks explosion. His shot-blocking numbers are way down (0.75 this season, compared to 1.3 the season before he hurt his knee) and at times it's almost painful to watch foes maneuver around him in pick-and-rolls and in various plays. Kings coach Rick Adelman can live with C-Webb's defensive weaknesses, however, if he remains an offensive force and a factor on the boards. It also helps that Webber has toned down his impulse to dominate the ball as much, which so clearly disrupted the Kings offense a year ago. The bottom line is Webber will probably never be the player he was a few years ago, but it looks right now like he can still be a major contributor for a championship-level team.

3. Why are the Jazz, Rockets and Grizzlies sweating?

It's still early, but three clubs expected to make the playoffs in the West appear to be in serious trouble. The Jazz (10-13), Rockets (10-12) and Grizzlies (9-15) are all struggling big-time, and losing valuable ground in the standings. While there is still plenty of time for each to right the ship, this year's uniquely competitive situation out West leaves them in danger of being left out in a numbers game. The problem this season is that there are too many good teams in the West, which means that everybody except New Orleans and Golden State is in the playoff mix. Meanwhile, the rise of the Sonics and Suns this season has essentially already taken two of the bubble spots out of play. As my SI.com colleague John Hollinger points out teams that start out as hot as Phoenix and Seattle have this year nearly always end up at least making the playoffs.

If history holds up, the postseason situation in the West looks pretty set for spots 1-6. We can safely assume the Spurs, T'wolves, Kings and Mavs are going to be there. Most likely the Suns and Sonics will be, too, even if they cool off or get an injury. That leaves just two slots open for a bevy of teams that include the Nuggets, Lakers, Jazz, Rockets, Grizzlies, Blazers and Clippers.

Right now the Nuggets (13-9) and Lakers (12-9) hold those last two spots, and they both have reason to be optimistic. Denver has proven talent and appears to be a team on the rise. The Lakers have a determined Kobe Bryant and should only improve when big men Vlade Divac, Brian Grant and Slava Medvedenko get healthy. Barring injury, neither of those clubs is likely to fall off dramatically. That's why Houston, Utah and Memphis should be very worried right now. Expected to make the playoffs this season, they are now facing an uphill climb. Even if they get their acts together, it might be too late in this year's ultra-competitive West.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.