That collective sigh you heard was the one coming from New Orleans Hornets fans when they learned that All-Star point guard Chris Paul would be missing for maybe as long as two months in the wake of knee surgery.
Paul needs arthroscopic surgery for a cartilage tear in his left knee, an injury suffered in freak fashion seconds from the end of the loss to the Chicago Bulls last week when he collided with a photographer on the baseline as he went to retrieve an errant shot.
Results of a scan showed that Paul had a partial tear of his meniscus, an injury that really cannot be played through and could develop into something serious if left untreated for a long spell of time.
But maybe, just maybe, Paul’s absence will not be felt as badly as some NBA Predictions first thought, based on the performance of his replacement Darren Collinson in the 109-102 overtime win over a decent Memphis outfit on Saturday night.
Collinson played all but a few minutes of regulation and ended the game with 17 points and a superb Paul-esque 18 assists, working well in tandem with fellow rookie Marcus Thornton in the backcourt.
But is playing two rookie guards, with very little depth to come off the bench, what the Hornets need in the middle of a fierce playoff race that sees eight teams covered by only three-and-a-half games (as of Monday).
Sure the Hornets have plenty of experience further up the court in David West, Emeka Okafor and Peja Stojakovic, but another injury among their current starting five would put them in deep trouble with most NBA Bets and there isn’t really much coming off the bench that could be traded for an established veteran to help out.
But Collinson is confident that he can take over from Paul and provide the streaking Hornets with the kind of play their perennial All-Star has almost since the day he came into the NBA.
“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” Collison said. “We’ve been gelling with Chris, and without him I don’t think it’s going to stop us.”
“I get the chance to watch him every day in the pick-and-roll. I was being a lot more aggressive in the pick-and-roll finding my gaps. I am so small and quick that I can use it to my advantage.”
