The Times Picayune OKLAHOMA CITY -- Hornets guards Chris Paul and J.R. Smith have the same circle of friends, which includes young NBA stars LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Their friendship goes back to several years ago, when they all participated in national AAU summer tournaments. Now James and Anthony act as the league's top ambassadors in reaching out to help young NBA players faced with some of the same obstacles they experienced in 2003, when they were two of the most-hyped rookies in the league since Michael Jordan. James was the high school megastar from Akron, Ohio, and No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft, going to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Anthony was the freshman sensation who led Syracuse to the national championship in New Orleans before declaring for the NBA Draft and being selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets. "I spoke to Carmelo yesterday," Paul said. "The thing he says is, 'just play and not worry about what's going on the outside.' I think a lot of times other people try to put pressure on you. But the game is played between you and your teammates, and you have to go out and play your heart out." At 20, Paul and Smith are not even old enough to legally drink or enter a casino, but they are the faces and future of the Hornets' franchise. They are the team's dynamic backcourt duo, capable of breaking down defenses with Paul's accurate passing and shooting and Smith's soaring dunks. They make their debut tonight in the Hornets' preseason opener against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center in Denver. "I can't wait for us to get out there finally," Smith said. Paul was the No. 4 overall pick in the June draft after guiding Wake Forest to 48 wins in two seasons. Although he wasn't the first point guard selected, many draft experts rated him as the top prospect at the position because of his scoring and ballhandling. After going 18-64 last season and trading point guard Baron Davis to Golden State in February, the Hornets were desperate to land a player like Paul. "He's a very mature young man, and he knows what he wants to do out there on the court," Coach Byron Scott said. "You can tell by the way he plays that he's a little ahead of his years." The day before the Hornets started training camp at Southern Nazarene University, Scott said he wouldn't be surprised to see Paul win the league's rookie of the year award this season. "I think he kind of liked that I said it, because it's a challenge for him," Scott said. "He probably was thinking about it anyway, and he loves challenges. "The maturity of J.R. has skyrocketed, as well, just being around Chris." During the first two months of last season, Smith struggled to meet Scott's expectations as a defender. It wasn't until after the Hornets traded veteran guard David Wesley to the Houston Rockets last December that Smith began to play extended minutes, even when he made mistakes defensively. But his confidence surged, and so did his overall play. Source
