RealGM

Consider this a public service announcement for the NBA's only slept-on superstar. Nobody dares to sleep on Kobe and LeBron. In fact, if I see one more superficial, meaningless, make-me-yawn Kobe or LeBron sit-down interview between now and the Conference finals, I'm slinging a Wii controller at my flat screen like the dude from the "Wanna Get Away" Southwest Airlines commercial. DWade's season has churned out infinite news stories and television debates centered on the "On the real, DWade is right there with Kobe and Bron" maxim that everyone has nobly -- and rightfully -- trumpeted. And Dwight Howard gets too many accolades. If I didn't know better, I'd think Dwight was wrapping up a 2001 Shaq season.

Lost in that shuffle? Oh, just the best point guard of the past two decades. Last season, I wrote that I had a Basketball Crush on Chris Paul, which happened a couple days before I went on television and said he'd probably go down as the greatest point guard not named Magic Johnson. I'm not alone. Last month, ESPN.com's John Hollinger penned what had to be the two most appropriate, sports-related sentences I've read all season: "Those in the know," he wrote, "are seeing the best point guard since Magic Johnson and arguably the best little man of all time. The lack of attention to his exploits continues to bewilder me." Word to PER, John. No disrespect to Mo Williams and Dan Gilbert, but the continued under-appreciation of Chris Paul is the true "shamockery" in this league.

I know he was the runner-up MVP last season and an All-Star starter this one (narrowly edging-out an injured T-Mac, albeit). I know he's repped Team USA in the 2006 World Championships and Beijing Olympics. I know we see him in his fair share of commercials. I know, on a fundamental level, he's one of the more celebrated players in this league. But I'm all about degrees. It's the extent to which he's celebrated that bothers me. Make no mistake about this: Chris Paul is as good as Kobe and LeBron. And he probably has both the most concentrated and broad impact of any player in the league. Paul is arguably more valuable to the Hornets than any other player is to his team. And if I'm honest, I only used the word "arguably" because I know folks would argue with what I really feel -- that CP3 is unarguably the most valuable player in the league. So let's clarify. He might be the best. He is the most valuable and he has the most impact.

The tragedy here is that, because New Orleans is on pace to win fewer games this season, people are somehow concluding that this makes him less of an MVP candidate than last season, when, in fact, he's having a better year.