On November 1st, 2005, Chris Paul, a point guard from Wake Forest University, who is now a legend in the books, debuted for the New Orleans Hornets. On the inside, Paul may have had the confidence that he could one day walk away from the game as an icon, but on day one, no one had these types of expectations for a six-foot, fourth overall pick.
However, Paul's size, which has been below average, did not hold him back from success. He could finish through contact, sauce defenses with a classic, mid-range fadeaway, and dish out passes that only the greats could execute.
Twenty years later, the only notable accomplishments missing from Paul's resume are an MVP and a championship. He was close to both, as the veteran guard made the NBA Finals with the Phoenix Suns in 2021 and came second in the Most Valuable Player race in 2008.
Furthermore, Paul still has 12 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA selections, nine All-Defensive honors, six steals titles, five assists titles, and a Rookie of the Year award, proving he deserves to be on the list as one of the top five greatest point guards in league history.
NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins believes otherwise, but the former NBA champion went above and beyond, overlooking Paul to an unjustifiable extent.
Kenrick Perkins made his list for the top ten greatest point guards in NBA history, and did not consider Chris Paul
Arguing that Chris Paul is not a top-five point guard is a debate that anyone could win or lose, but at worst, he belongs on any top-ten list compiled with facts, statistics, and achievements.
Moreover, Kendrick Perkins had no reason not to include Paul in his opinionated rankings, which were featured yesterday on NBA Today. Perkins follows by mentioning that Paul is in his top 15, but because no ring or MVP has been obtained by the point guard, who recently signed with the LA Clippers, he does not deserve the praise of being over guys who have.
Conversely, Paul is second on the all-time assists and steals leaderboard, adding to his already long list of feats in the NBA, proving himself to be an exception to Perkins' criterion, similarly to John Stockton.Â
That said, Paul has rightfully earned the honor of being an iconic, generational point guard, and should be regarded in this manner while he is still playing at the age of 40.