On Wednesday night Chris Paul put on a show against a a two-time MVP and one of the West's superpowers. In fairness to Mr. Paul and his teammates, the resurgent Hornets have played like a superpower for much of this year despite recent struggles. The Hornets currently sit third in a supremely deep Western Conference and one game out of first in the league's toughest division. The reason for their success can be summed up in two words...Chris Paul. This leads to an interesting debate, who is the best point guard in the NBA right now? This is the only position where one can engage in a true debate, as there are approximately three good centers in the NBA and 2's, 3's, and 4's are difficult to distinguish between in today's game. In my opinion, there are six candidates in this debate. They are:
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#6--Chauncey Billups [17.5 ppg/2.8 rpg/7.2 apg/44.2% FG/40.2% 3-pt/91.2% FT/1.3 spg]
For some reason I always think shooting guard when I think of Billups, but he is as clutch as they come in the waning moments of a game. One of the best all-around shooting guards in the NBA. None of his numbers rank among the best in the league (except for FTs), but overall, he is solid.
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#5--Baron Davis [22 ppg/4.7 rpg/8 apg/42.4 FG/34.1 3-pt/74.1 FT/2.5 spg]
Like Billups, Davis is one of those guys you want to have the ball at the end of a game. He is a good shooter, but does not shoot a high percentage from behind the arc. But, he is a greater scorer and an exceptional defender.
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#4--Jason Kidd [11.1 ppg/8 rpg/10.5 apg/37.4 FG/35.7 3-pt/81.8 FT/1.6 spg]
Kidd is part of a dying breed in the NBA, a guy more concerned with pasing than scoring. He is one of the 10 best pure point guards to ever play the game. His shooting has been nothing short of terrible this season, but the move to Dallas is a perfect fit for a guy in the twilight of his career. He does not need to score in this offense, he needs to be the trigger that gets the offense moving. An underrated aspect of Kidd's game is rebounding. No one else on this list averages more than Billups' 4.7, thus Kidd's 8 rpg is certainly worth noting. Other than Steve Nash, no one is better in transition than Kidd.
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#3--Deron Williams [19.2 ppg/2.9 rpg/9.7 apg/51.6 FG/39.6 3-pt/79.9FT/1.1 spg]
One can't fault the Jazz for taking Williams in the 2005 draft ahead of Paul, he has easily been the second best player from that draft class. His stellar performace in the playoffs last year made people take note of his game. He is a great shooter and is able to draw two and three defenders through constantly attacking the basket.
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#2--Steve Nash [17.6 ppg/3.5 rpg/11.5 apg/51.3 FG/46.6 3-pt/89.8 FT/.7 spg]
It would be easy to put Nash at the top of this list. He is the passer I have seen since Magic (the gold standard at this position) tortured me throughout the latter part of the 1980s. He is the best passer and shooter at this position, although not the best defender.
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#1--Chris Paul [20.7 ppg/4.0 rpg/10.7 apg/48.2 FG/34.3 3-pt/87.8 FT/2.7 spg]
Chris Paul is the league MVP (as a Celtics fan, it pains me greatly to write this). While Tyson Chandler's apparent rebirth in New Orleans and the continued development of David West into a great PF have played a key role in the franchise's turn-around, Paul is the heart and soul of that team. While his 3-pt percentage is not the best, he shoots well from all other parts of the court. Like Williams, his ability to get into the paint and draw defenders opens up opportunites for his teammates. Also, Paul is a phenomenol defender (leading the league in steals). Could Paul expose the defense of Jason Kidd and Steve Nash in the playoffs? In the above mentioned game against Nash, Paul had 25 points, 6 rebounds, 15 assists, and 3 steals, while holding Nash to 8 points (1-8 from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line). The future is bright in New Orleans...
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