PROTECT THE PAINT

Chris Paul is having knee surgery. The projected timetable for his return is varying based on which report you read, and the New Orleans Hornets must be concerned about their 2009-10 season being a wash.

Hornets fans already know this, but for those who do not follow them closely, you should take a closer look at rookie PG Darren Collison.

Paul will lead his team from the sidelines until his knee recovers. (Credit: picapp.com)

When Paul went down earlier in November, Collison stepped in, leading the Hornets to a 4-3 record. He put up solid numbers, and his averages when starting are very good: 15.1 points, 7.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds.

It also can’t hurt Collison to have been Chris Paul’s understudy all year. That alone is a huge benefit boding well for his future as the interim starter for the Hornets.

The long term effects of this injury are unknown, as a long term prognosis has yet to be diagnosed. One thing is an absolute certainty: Chris Paul is the face of the franchise, and rushing him back under any circumstances is not worth the risk.

You want to avoid seeing Paul end up with a Michael-Redd-like scenario at any possible cost.

The Hornets backcourt will undergo some serious litmus tests in the coming days, as both starters will be rookies Collison and Marcus Thornton. Thorton has emerged as a valid scorer, and Collison is coming off 17 points and 18 assists in has last game.

Will these guys hit the rookie wall? We are getting to the point of the season where the rookies start to fall off statistically, so the timing of Paul’s injury could ultimately implode the Hornets if both Collison and Thornton run out of gas.

I think Collison is safe from the wall. He is a quality player, and he would likely be a starter on many other teams. However, since Paul was netting 38:42 minutes a game, Collison is essentially fresh enough to really come on strong during the second half.

I am high on Collison, and believe he will step up and produce in a  big time fashion for the Hornets. I just think that the second unit will be depleted to the point that the Hornets’ first unit will find themselves playing catch up every time they check back into the fray.

Get well Chris Paul, but please don’t rush back. No matter how good Collison plays, nobody will forget about you.

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