Paul is the real deal

Cavs blog by Bob Finnan

Cavaliers forward LeBron James called him the "best point guard in the Western Conference" after Saturday's 86-76 loss to the Hornets.

He was referring to New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, who had an off shooting night on Saturday but still dominated the game. He finished with 20 points, nine assists, seven steals and six rebounds. He shot just 6 of 18 from the field.

Paul played at then Gund Arena in 2003 when he was leaving high school. He played in the McDonald's High School All-Star Game in Cleveland. He was overlooked in the game because the media paid so much attention to James.

But you could tell then he was going to be a star. It didn't take long to establish himself in the NBA after his college career at Wake Forest.

He's so fast dribbling the ball, often times outrunning players who are just running next to him. He leads the league in steals and is in the top five in assists.

Steve Nash and Deron Williams might get more ink in the West, but he's in their class.