Paul to be named NBA’s top rookie

The Times-Picayune of New Orleans cited league sources as saying the announcement will be made Wednesday.

Paul would become the second Hornets player to win the award and first since Larry Johnson in 1991-92, when the franchise was based in Charlotte.

Selected with the fourth pick in last year’s draft, the former Wake Forest star dazzled from the start. He ranked first among rookies with averages of 16.1 points, 7.8 assists and 2.2 steals, while also leading all first-year players with 21 double-doubles and a pair of triple-doubles.

The Hornets benefited tremendously from Paul’s play with a 20-game turnaround from the previous season. The club was just 18-64 in 2004-05, but finished this past season with a record of 38-44, staying in playoff contention until the final week of the season.

Paul was selected as the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for all six months of the season and was the only unanimous selection to the league’s All- Rookie first team.