Chris Paul, the New Orleans Hornets' point guard, will have knee surgery today and will miss the All-Star game.
Coach Jeff Bower of the Hornets said that Paul will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The All-Star weekend is Feb. 12-14 in Dallas.
Although Paul is likely to be sidelined for up to a month, Bower wouldn't give a timetable for his return.
"We are anticipating a very successful process," Bower said yesterday. "We look forward to his return to action at some point later on. The time frame will be determined after the surgery. I won't speculate on that."
Paul hurt the knee Jan. 27 against Golden State, then aggravated the injury when he collided with a camera while chasing an errant pass in the final seconds of regulation against the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
Paul averages a team-high 20.4 points and an NBA-best 11.2 assists. He was the runner-up to the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant for league MVP in 2007-08 and finished fifth last season.
Rookie Darren Collison has replaced Paul in the Hornets' lineup. The Hornets had won 12 of their past 16 before Paul got hurt.
Bower didn't rule out bringing in a new player, but said that a move wasn't imminent. The Hornets have three guards on the active roster -- Collison, fellow rookie Marcus Thornton and veteran Morris Peterson.
"We're encouraged with the play of our current group and will continue to monitor that," Bower said."
The NBA said that Paul was replaced on the Western All-Star roster by Denver's Chauncey Billups.
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