Paul: West underappreciated

• Advocate staff report
• Published: May 6, 2008 - UPDATED: 6:22 a.m.

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NEW ORLEANS — Hornets point guard Chris Paul wasn’t all that impressed with teammate David West’s 30-point, nine-rebound performance in Game 1 against the Spurs. He’s used to seeing opponents unable to stop his fellow All-Star.

“D. West does that every night,” Paul said. “I think sometimes it’s overlooked. Everyone went nuts over what he did in Game 1, but I expect that from him every night, not just against the Spurs because it doesn’t matter who we’re playing against, D. West has been doing that all year.”

Paul said West was easily the most underappreciated great player in the NBA.

“People who really understand basketball and watch a lot, they’re like, man, he’s unbelievable and stuff like that,” Paul said. “But a lot of times different things happen and you don’t notice him until the game’s over and he’s hit 30 on you.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich turned sarcastic when he was asked what he would do to try and contain West in Game 2.

“We’re probably going to do four or five things that you’ve never seen before in basketball,” Popovich said during shootaround Monday morning. “We’re going to spend the afternoon inventing the light bulb.”

Moments later, Popovich was asked if he might ask Bruce Bowen, 6-foot-7, 200 pounds, to guard West, 6-9, 240.

“That’s a good idea!” Popovich said. “Bruce weighs like 90 pounds. He’ll knock the (expletive) out of him.”

Popovich then laughed and walked away from the question-and-answer session to return to practice.

Hornets swingman Bonzi Wells admitted that he deserved the flagrant foul that was called on him for hitting Bowen across the face and knocking him to the floor on a drive to the basket in Game 1.

“I hit him across the face pretty good,” Wells said. “I didn’t do it on purpose, there definitely wasn’t any malice involved. I was going for the ball and my hand was in the wrong place. It wasn’t anything intentional, but I probably deserved it.”