So much is being made about this battle within the battle - comparing third-year point guards Deron Williams and Chris Paul - that maybe we should slow down a little on both guys and let this play out.

It was easy to get excited about Williams coming into this season. He was spectacular as last season progressed, while Paul battled ankle problems a good portion of the season - validating the decision by the Utah Jazz select Williams third and leave Paul for the New Orleans at No. 4 in the 2005 draft.

After all, Williams averaged 29.5 points and 9.3 assists in his first four Western Conference finals games against the Spurs last season before tiring in Game 5 as the Jazz were eliminated. And he started the same way this season, but his recent numbers have been very curious. He's averaged 14.8 points and 9.0 assists in the past five game while the Jazz are tumbling in the midst of having lost seven of eight. In the previous five, Williams was averaging 31.6 points and 8.8 assists.

Meanwhile, Paul has been the model of consistency over the last 10 games averaging 27.4 points and 8.6 assists while the Hornets have split those games. Essentially, this tells us it is just way too early to make any big-picture assessment on either player or team. The Jazz appear to be a strong team for the long run because Williams has All-Star Carlos Boozer as a sidekick, while Paul's help has come from a variety of sources, none of whom are as prolific as Boozer to remove some of the heat.

But we are hungry for the fresh faces from teams other than ones we've been consumed with since the turn of the century. The Jazz and the Hornets - Williams and Paul - are worthy of our focus. But they've still got a lot to prove.

Speaking of familiar teams, the Suns and Spurs matched up Monday night in a tight one, and the Suns became the first team to beat the Spurs at home in a 100-95 win. It was only the second game back for Spurs star Tim Duncan, who had missed two weeks with an ankle sprain, but he still had a monster game with 36 points and 17 rebounds. He even made it tough on Amare Stoudemire, who had the sub-par numbers of 17 points and 6 rebounds. And even with Tony Parker out for the Spurs with an ankle problem of his own, the Spurs held Steve Nash in check for the most part with just 10 points and 10 assists against the less-than-imposing Jacque Vaughn.

More interesting is the guy who had the clutch 22 points for the Suns - one ankle-challenged Grant Hill. It's so easy to forget the Suns got him, and how badly he wants to win a title at the age of 35, but the reality is he's averaging 15.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists and has failed to reach double-figures in scoring only twice this season. With so much hand-wringing going on lately in the Valley of the Sun over the lack of toughness inside and defense, they are 18-7 and trail the Spurs by just a half-game for the best record in the West.

And as for the lack of toughness inside and defense, what else is new? They haven't had it the past three seasons as they've gotten closer and closer to winning the West. And while the 6-8 Hill is another finesse player, he has special qualities that could supersede the five ankle surgeries in four years that nearly crippled him. It's way too soon to give up on Hill or the Suns, whose new general manager Steve Kerr is itching to put the final piece of the puzzle together. (How would the Pacers' Jermaine O'Neal fit in a three-way deal with the Knicks?)

While we've brought up the Pacers, how about the game Mike Dunleavy put together at Madison Square Garden Monday night - a career-high 36 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a 27-point blowout of the Knicks. It's particularly impressive considering he had just 6 points, 4 assists and 1 rebound at Miami in a tight win on Saturday. Just as people are about to write off Dunleavy, this is easily his best season. At 27, it is about time he matured enough to consistently produce on a nightly basis because he is so gifted in myriad ways. With 22 points in the third quarter alone, he was just the latest opposing player to incite the caustic MSG crowd into taunting their once-beloved Knicks.

For the first time in this nightmarish season, Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas blasted the heart and pride of his team, and it came upon the return of mercurial point guard Stephon Marbury, who had been away from the team following the death of his father. The only real issue right now is when owner Jim Dolan finally concedes this team has quit on Thomas. Everybody else knows they have.  He's just being the stubborn cowboy he's always been, and you would think since he loves the Knicks so much he'd realize they have no chance to win as long as Thomas is running the team. Then again, who can be surprised considering Dolan is the one that got them into this mess in the first place.

We can't help but wonder about the way suspensions are being meted out these days.  Atlanta forward Al Horford's head shot on T.J. Ford putting in question the rest of Raptors point guard's career, while the errant elbow of Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin will require a two-month recovery period for the shattered left eye socket of Hornets forward Melvin Ely. Typically, the punishment is based on intent, and it is obvious neither Horford nor Martin meant to cause some damage. Horford, knowing Ford already has a serious issue with narrowing of the spinal column, spent much of the night at the hospital with Ford. And Martin immediately attended to Ely with  apologies.

But the movements that caused the injuries were purposeful. And once again, how do these guys get the same one-game slap as Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for getting up off the bench in last year's playoffs?  Causing possible career-ending injury compared to marginally breaking a rule? You make the call.

It's hard to fathom that Hawks forward Shelden Williams was the victim of carjacking outside a barber shop over the weekend, but here we go again. Has it gotten to the point that all professional athletes and entertainers must have bodyguards?

The Blazers extended their winning streak to eight games for the first time in five years, and at 13-12 are now just a 1.5 games behind the first-place Nuggets in the Northwest Division ... really.  Not only have they done this after losing top pick Greg Oden to knee surgery, but having dealt leading scorer and rebounder Zach Randolph for marginal Channing Frye, who now is making an impact. Besides, LaMarcus Aldridge hasn't even played the past five games with plantar fasciitis. With Brandon Roy flourishing, Travis Outlaw coming of age, and the defense toughening every night, it's obvious that general manager Kevin Pritchard has succeeded in building a team that perfectly suits the tough, defensive-oriented style of coach Nate McMillan.

The Dallas Mavericks are beginning to gain steam, and struggling star Dirk Nowitzki had a breakout game with 31 points and 11 rebounds, as the Mavs edged the Magic by three. It's the first time in three weeks Dirk has had at least 20 points in two games in a row, as the Mavs now have won five of six. Watch out, Spurs ... here they come again.