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Published March 25, 2008 11:02 pm - INDEPENDENCE — The ever-evolving Cavaliers get a chance to see how they match up with one of the NBA’s elite tonight. Cavaliers Notebook: Paul standing tall Outstanding point guard and his high-flying teammates will challenge Cavaliers tonight CHRIS BEAVEN Canton Repository INDEPENDENCE — The ever-evolving Cavaliers get a chance to see how they match up with one of the NBA’s elite tonight.
The New Orleans Hornets, who entered Tuesday with the Western Conference’s top winning percentage, come to Cleveland for a 7 p.m. game. The Hornets have won eight of their last 10 and feature the league’s premier point guard, Chris Paul. “They have a great floor general in Chris Paul, and he gets their team going,” Cavaliers point guard Delonte West said. “Everybody kind of feeds off the energy. And there’s been so much talk in the West with all the teams fighting for the top spot and all the trades, you tend to forget teams like New Orleans. They always end up coming up with big wins.” In the last two weeks alone, the Hornets have beaten the Celtics, Rockets, Lakers and Spurs. “They’re not like a team that went on a quick little run and then faded out,” West said. “They’ve been strong all year.” The Cavaliers have had their moments this season, but injuries and their blockbuster trade last month have kept things challenging. They have won nine straight at home to offset five straight losses on the road. With 11 games left, they are pretty much locked in as the fourth seed for the playoffs. “We’ve got to figure out a rotation with the guys that are in uniform, and we’ve got to just keep trying to work on the little things that will make us better come playoff time,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. The Cavaliers will be without forward-center Ben Wallace tonight, but they could get a boost from Daniel Gibson. The team’s top shooter could return from a sprained left ankle that cost him the last 17 games. “I’m ready to play,” Gibson said after practicing for the first time since suffering the injury Feb. 20. If he gets cleared by the medical staff, he will play tonight. The Cavaliers guards know they will have their hands full with Paul, who averages 21.5 points, 11.2 assists and 2.71 steals. He is trying to become the first NBA player ever to average at least 20 points, 10 assists and three steals. “He’s extremely good in a lot of different areas,” Brown said. “He does so much for that team in terms of getting guys easy shots, controlling the tempo of the game and defensively setting the tone, whether it is getting steals or making a big play here or there.” It’s not all Paul, though. Forward David West, a former All-American at Xavier, averages 20.0 points and 9.1 rebounds. Peja Stojakovic averages 16 points and shoots 45.3 percent from 3-point range. Tyson Chandler averages 11.6 points and 12.3 rebounds. And the trio of Bonzi Wells, Jannero Pargo and Morris Peterson average 26.1 points between them. “They’ve found some of the right pieces to fit around (Paul),” Brown said. “They’ve got a lot of underrated players,” West said. The Hornets are closing in on their franchise record of 54 wins set in 1996-97. They headed into a Tuesday night game at Indiana with a 47-21 record. 
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