Career: Wake Forest (USA-NCAA, 2003-05), New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets (USA-NBA, 2005-06).

An instant success in the NBA, Paul is an old school kind of point guard in a new school kind of body. Extremely quick and tough, he can drive to the hoop anytime, anyway. He was the leader of a young Hornets team which was expected to finish dead last in the Western Conference but almost made it to the playoffs. Paul can set the right pace on offense, has a great sense of spacing, and has proven reliable - as a 20-year-old NBA rookie.

The Rookie of the Year will bring some of these talents to Japan, where playmaking is going to be an issue of great importance. Ranked 3rd in the NBA in the steals category (2.24) and 7th in assists (7.8) while averaging 16.1 points per game.