![]() ![]() Indeed, the only reason more people don’t recognize Paul’s legacy is because he spent the vast majority of his career on teams that never went anywhere in the playoffs-the only time he’s even been as far as the conference finals was on the ill-fated 2018 Houston Rockets who missed 27 straight 3-pointers in a do-or-die Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals. In terms of advanced stats, Chris Paul is not only a top-5 or top-10 all-time player, he outclasses Magic himself. And for VORP/2500MP, the four guys ahead of him are Bron, Jordan, Charles Barkley, and David Robinson. ![]() ![]() He’s got a higher career WS/48 than LeBron. He ranks ahead of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in BPM. The weird thing, though, was that while combing through the data, one name kept coming up as one of the top ten if not top-five guys of all time, and it wasn’t who you’d expect.Ĭhris Paul is fourth all-time in Win Shares per 48 minutes, fifth in Box Plus-Minus, 10th in Value Over Replacement Player, and fifth in VORP per 2500 minutes played. Michael Jordan argument, as any good GOAT discussion ought to. All rights reserved.Way back when I was writing my “Which Advanced Stats Make the Best GOAT Lists?” article in April of 2019, most of the results produced some version of the LeBron James vs. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. "I don't think I've been around anybody like Chris who has that innate feel for that time."ĮSPN's Andrew Lopez contributed to this report. "It's just his ability to understand he needs to take over a game," Suns coach Monty Williams said. Paul also played excellent defense, coming up with three steals. McCollum finished with 25 points but missed 16 shots and was 0-for-9 with Bridges on him. The Pelicans shot just 2-of-16 for the game when Bridges was the primary defender, according to ESPN Stats & Information tracking. The Suns held the Pelicans to 22% shooting in the first half as Mikal Bridges, who was named a finalist for NBA Defensive Player of the Year, smothered Pelicans guard CJ McCollum. "When he wants it that bad, you can see it in his demeanor and see it in his walk, so it shouldn't surprise anyone. "That man is a true competitor and a true winner," said Suns star Devin Booker, who tallied 25 points. His 19 points in the frame were the second most in the final quarter in his career. Paul scored or assisted on 23 of the Suns' 31 points in the fourth quarter. "The mix-ups were on our part, my part as a coach. "We went under a couple screens, and he just stood behind and shot the 3 ball," Green said of Paul. Eventually, Green had to pull Nance, who had been very effective with Paul on the bench, from the game. Green, who was an assistant with the Suns last season and played with Paul on the LA Clippers and the then-New Orleans Hornets, used a bench-heavy lineup that cut a 23-point Phoenix lead down to just six by early in the fourth quarter.īut Paul broke the strategy as he repeatedly called for center Deandre Ayton to set a screen and force Nance into a switch. "That's like inviting me shoot," said Paul, who looked over at Green several times after splashing shots. Green's choice to have his defenders give Paul space by going under pick-and-rolls backfired when Paul made three 3-pointers in a row as he attacked a switching defense that repeatedly left him up against the slower Larry Nance Jr. Much of it came in a furious fourth-quarter rally, as Paul scored 17 points in a five-minute stretch to crush a Pelicans comeback attempt. LeBron James has the most with 22 such performances, followed by Michael Jordan with 15. Paul is now one of just five players in history to have 10 playoff games with 30 points and 10 assists. He passed Steve Nash, who did the same as a member of the Suns at age 36 in 2010. Paul, who will turn 37 in three weeks, became the oldest player to record 30 points and 10 assists in a playoff game, as he put up exactly those numbers in leading the top-seeded Phoenix Suns to a 110-99 victory in Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday. Then, after Paul eviscerated the strategy, he let his old friend know it. PHOENIX - First, Chris Paul heard his former teammate and coach Willie Green instruct the New Orleans Pelicans to dare him to shoot. 'He's built for these moments': Chris Paul takes over in 4th quarter to lead Phoenix Suns to Game 1 win over New Orleans Pelicans You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
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