<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Forget the fact that the last time the Hornets pledged this kind of money, a maximum-salary deal, in July 2002, it didn't take long to learn that the franchise had invested in the wrong player. The result was a messy, addition-by-subtraction split 31 months later. This guy isn't that guy. About the only thing Chris Paul has in common with Baron Davis is the position they play. So there seems to be no doubt that the four- or five-year contract extension Paul and the Hornets have agreed to, worth between $60 million and $80 million, is being awarded to the right guy. Because for all intents and purposes Paul already has been worth that by NBA standards, beginning with being selected Rookie of the Year in 2006 and ending with a mother lode of accolades first-team All-NBA, Western Conference All-Star, runner-up league MVP, first player since 1992 to average 20 points and 10 assists, and Team USA member for the Summer Olympics in 2008. Give the Hornets props for taking care of their two most important signings this offseason, and for doing so with a timeliness that suggests the franchise is interested in building on what it has started and being a major contender for several years. Majority owner George Shinn and General Manager Jeff Bower knew the team needed to re-sign Coach Byron Scott and to extend the contract of Paul, who has become such a league darling and franchise cornerstone that the NBA Draft was dominated with talk of guard Derrick Rose, the No. 1 overall pick, hopefully becoming a player in the "Chris Paul" mold.</div> NOLA.com
