Depends, of course, on whom you ask.

"Ronnie Price thinks Pistol Pete (Maravich) is better than Larry Bird," Williams said. "No way in hell is he better than Larry Bird, Larry the Legend. He was good, don't get me wrong, a former Jazzman, but (not better)."

There ya go. Glad that's finally settled. Sorry, Magic.

Oh, yeah ... and that other little rivalry? No, not the John Stockton vs. Isiah Thomas and/or Magic Johnson best pure point guard one. Rather, the one that used to be a hot topic, even this fall, before it was set on the backburner while Paul tore up the league and Williams quietly dealt with his severely sprained left ankle -- yeah, that one.

Williams jokingly answered "Both teams played hard" a couple of times when that subject and tonight's Jazz-Hornets game was broached by reporters at practice Tuesday.

Williams continued his comedy routine when asked if he was offended by ESPN columnist Bill Simmons' much-ballyhooed statement early last fall about how purporting the Team USA teammates to be co-equals was as silly as comparing Pearl Jam and the Stone Temple Pilots.

His response was a smile and a claim that he didn't know the meaning of the comparison because he isn't familiar with those rock groups.

"I don't listen to either of them," Williams said with a slight grin. "Are they like neck and neck or are they here and there? So, basically what's that mean?"

When told it means Simmons (aka "The Sports Guy") considers Paul to be Pearl Jam and far superior -- on the court, and probably in concert -- Williams/Stone Temple Pilots didn't act too offended.

"Everybody's entitled to an opinion," he said. "That's OK. It doesn't bother me."

Kyle Korver also found no offense at Simmons' comparison.

"I'm a big fan of Stone Temple Pilots," he said. "There's nothing wrong with that."

Williams is clearly more bothered by questions about whether or not he gets more pumped to play his friend and rival.

"You ask me that every time," he said, "and every time I tell you 'No, it's just another game."'

Usually just another win for the Jazz, too.

While their stats don't bode as well for the Williams camp, one that does is the fact that the Jazz point guard is 8-2 in NBA matchups with his eternally linked rival.

Keeping that trend up will be a tough task, though. The Hornets took a 20-10 record into their game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, thanks in large part to Paul, who was averaging 20.1 points on 50-percent shooting with 11.5 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals.

Williams, who was taken by the Jazz a spot before Paul was snatched by New Orleans in the 2005 NBA Draft, is averaging 15.4 points on 43-percent shooting with 10.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals for Utah (20-15).

Williams even acknowledged that he likes playing Paul.

"You just got to be ready. He's one of the best point guards in this league," Williams said of the matchup. "He's a competitor. It's something where we both want to win bad, so it's fun playing somebody like that."

Korver certainly doesn't mind having the guy who might not get the national exposure and love leading his team -- even if Williams is not consistently playing at his peak performance, while Paul has been on fire this season.

"They're going to be comparing somebody; it's just what people do," Korver said. "I'm glad he's on our team. I'm glad we've got Deron. Chris Paul is a great player, too, but I'll take Deron any day."

Compare the two all you want (or don't want), just don't ask Brevin Knight -- a 12-year veteran who knows a thing or two about the point-guard position and who calls both players "elite" -- to switch teammates.

"They do different things. Chris Paul is great at what he does, and Deron Williams is great at what he does," said Knight, who's assumed the role as Williams' primary backup this season. "We understand what we have in D-Will ... I wouldn't trade D-Will for Chris Paul and I would think his teammates would think the same way."

Sloan doesn't get into it, but he acknowledges that fans and sports writers, even players, like to make comparisons. He even recalls debates between Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. Still, he offered no opinion on that argument or the current one.

"As far as Deron Williams is concerned, we think he's done a great job for us," Sloan said. "Chris Paul has done a great job for them."

And like his guy, the coach denied having any extra excitement for experiencing the point-guard duel.

"I look forward to watching the whole team," Sloan said. "That's the thing I look forward to." E-mail: jody@desnews.com