Analysis: As Paul goes, so go the Hornets

NEW ORLEANS -- The Suns had two former MVPs in the infirmary. The Hornets had a future one running amok.

Any guess on who won?

Yes, Chris Paul and Co. came out of Wednesday night's marquee matchup sans a couple of marquee names victorious, but their effort was as uneven as New Orleans' season thus far. The Hornets (10-6) were able to nudge ahead of Phoenix (11-8) in the tight Western Conference by regaining control in the second half of their 104-91 triumph.

The evening should have been a point-guard dream, but the flu kept Steve Nash tied to his hotel bed. It wasn't that long ago when Nash was considered the league's best playmaker and, let's be honest, he's still right near the top.

But the changing of the (point) guard is inevitable in this league, and no one has a tighter grip on the future of the position than Paul. It would have been fun to watch Paul and Nash match wits and impossible driving finishes, but this wasn't the night.

Not that Paul didn't do his part. The Hornets are a different team with CP3 on the floor, explaining why he logs nearly 38 minutes per night. The Suns, also without Shaquille O'Neal, witnessed as much in the opening quarter.

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Paul made a point before the game of being more aggressive early, while keeping his teammates involved. Playing the entire first, the reigning Western Conference player of the month zipped and zagged for 12 points (5-of-6 shooting) and five assists. Or 12 points and five assists more than Suns counterparts Leandro Barbosa and overwhelmed rookie backup Sean Singletary.

"That's how we're supposed to come out here at home," Paul said.

New Orleans took a 14-point lead after 12 minutes. The Suns whittled away most of that edge with Paul on the pine for the 3 1/2 minutes of the second period, offering another example of New Orleans' unpredictable play this season.

"We stopped moving," New Orleans' Peja Stojakovic said. "We just stop moving at both ends of the floor."

Hornets center Tyson Chandler has called the inconsistency a matter of aggressiveness. As in they haven't mustered it for 48 minutes: "We put together halves and quarters," he said. New Orleans came into the game only 4-3 at home and sitting a disappointing seventh in the West.

The Suns, dealing with their own issues, shouldn't have been in the game at the half, but there they were, down just 51-50. Make no mistake, even without Nash and the Big Cactus, Phoenix still has talent. Amar'e Stoudemire, unhappy with his role lately, welcomed the extra touches with Shaq on the shelf and had 14 points by the break.

Barbosa found his first step in the second quarter, Grant Hill celebrated his return to the starting lineup with 12 first-half points and Matt Barnes continued to hit from downtown. And the Suns have excelled on the road through the season's first month.

But the Hornets had no excuse for not icing the victory before a small army of BMX bikers took over the floor at halftime. Even with five wins in the last six games, New Orleans just can't get out on its own way.

"It's definitely mental," Chandler said. "The trust has to grow."

With the Suns' Steve Nash out with the flu, point guard Chris Paul had his way against Phoenix on Wednesday. Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images

Who has earned that trust this season, other than Paul and David West? There's a reason why Paul has the ball in his hands more than anyone this side of Nash. The Hornets need his leadership, and perhaps have become too dependant on the 23-year-old.

When he's on the hardwood, he sets up every possession. The attention Paul commands from opposing defenses opens his teammates up for open shots. A lightning quick cut, a clumsy double-team and Stojakovic has an unrushed 3-pointer or West an uncontested dunk.

"Chris Paul is a difficult guy to guard," Barbosa said with obvious understatement.

It's when Paul isn't on -- and no one is on all the time -- that the Hornets become unsure and disjointed. Luckily, with the Suns looking to steal one Wednesday, the league's assist leader quarterbacked a 3-point barrage late in the third (three came from Stojakovic) that turned a thee-point deficit into a 13-point bulge going into the final period.

"We let it slide away in the third," Barnes said.

The Suns sure missed Nash's leadership and Shaq's muscle when the game slipped away. Stoudemire tried to pick up the slack offensively with 26 points. His four rebounds underscored his ineffectiveness at the other end.

New Orleans' newly-discovered aggressive nature also led to a 28-13 edge in second-chance points and 35-13 advantage in free-throw attempts.

"That's tough to overcome," Suns coach Terry Porter said.

The Hornets can't afford to live without Paul if they hope to come out of the West. In this one, he finished with 24 points, 15 dimes and three steals. Paul has 13 double-doubles already (second in the league to Dwight Howard) and has gone 100 straight games with at least one swipe, leaving last season's MVP runner-up five shy of Alvin Robertson's NBA record.

Paul also needed to spend 44 1/2 minutes on the floor against a team missing two players that will go down as among the best to ever man their respective positions. That wasn't a stat he was concerned about.

"I didn't even look at that," Paul said. "Tonight was all about getting a win."