In the Lane - January 4, 2008

PAUL BALL IS NOW ALL STAR BALL

Chris Paul is very quickly separating himself from the rest of the field. Like a racehorse methodically creating space between itself and the competition, Paul’s play through two months of the NBA season is proof that he is the top point guard in the league.

CP3 appears in the top 10 in three major categories, and in the top 20 in another. Only one other point guard in the league can claim that (future Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson). He’s tied for 17th in scoring (21.3ppg), is 8th in free throw percentage (.891), third in assists (10.3)and 1st in steals (87, 2.90/GM). In December, his western conference player of the week award was quickly followed by a conference player of the month honor helping him join very elite franchise company. Only four other Hornets have ever been named players of the month.

CP3 was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Month in December

While his amazing December has elevated his status among point guards in the NBA (24.5 ppg/10.4 apg/3.0 spg) perhaps it’s the effect his play had on the team that powers Paul past many of his peers. The Hornets 9-5 record last month was the best mark within the incredibly competitive Southwest Division. His remarkable fourth quarter against cross state rival Dallas on December 1st helped force overtime. Ultimately, it led to the franchise’s first victory over the Mark Cuban-owned Mavericks after 21-straight losses. That victory obviously set the tone for a very successful month for both the Hornets and Paul.

Is he the best point guard in the NBA? Espn analyst Greg Anthony said this week he is. Memphis head coach Marc Ivaroni says, “He is already a top player in this league…” Denver’s Allen Iverson acknowledged recently, “coaches should fear him now…”

There are many more accolades been tossed Paul’s way, but he has remained as modest as ever regarding his own achievements.

“It’s good to earn those awards, but it’s better to win those games. Winning is more important.”

Well, then Chris Paul is on his way to the Holy Grail. He’s scoring, stealing, making his teammates better, and helping the Hornets set weekly records. Their 9-2 start was the team’s best ever and the Bees 20-10 and 21-11 records tied the best-ever for the franchise through 30 and 32 games.

The debate over who’s the best at the point intensifies when considering ESPN.com’s John Hollinger and his self-avowed efficiency rating system. His formula considers a player’s PER (Player Efficiency Rating) against other players 6-3 or shorter who have been in the NBA since the 1977-78 season (the season the league began tracking individual turnovers) and Chris Paul tops the list:

Player	Season	PER
1. Chris Paul	2007-08	28.59
2. Allen Iverson	2005-06	26.02
3. Terrell Brandon	1995-96	25.45
4. Gilbert Arenas	2006-07	24.07
5. John Stockton	1989-90	23.96

That’s a lofty list of talent, topped by a player who doesn’t turn 23 until after the regular season ends. And that’s probably the most mind-blowing aspect of this entire debate. Chris Paul, in his third season in the NBA, has already risen to the top tier among his point guard peers.

Steve Nash set the bar at a new level with his back-to-back MVP awards, Jason Kidd hangs his hat on triple doubles and a pair of Eastern Conference titles, Tony Parker has multiple NBA titles on his dossier, Baron Davis is a two-time all star who helped score the biggest playoff upset in league history, and Deron Williams led his team to the conference finals in just his second pro season. But, there are clear differences when comparing those five against CP3:

Point Guard	PPG	APG	SPG	TEAM RECORD
PAUL	21.3	10.3	2.9	21-11
NASH	16.8	12.4	0.6	22-9
KIDD	11.5	10.5	1.7	15-16
PARKER	20.3	6.7	0.7	21-9
DAVIS	22.0	8.0	2.4	19-13
WILLIAMS	19.3	9.1	1.1	18-16

First, only one guard on the list comes close to being the two-way player that Paul is. The Hornets point guard currently leads the league with 87 steals (2.9/game). Although ex-Hornet Baron Davis averages 2.4 apg and holds a slight lead in scoring he is more than two assists per game behind Paul and requires significantly more shots per game than CP.

Second, Nash leads the world in assists, but scores less and is a defensive liability.

Third, Kidd is the best rebounding guard since Magic, but doesn’t score enough and isn’t nearly as quick as CP on defense.

Fourth, Parker has the speed to match Paul and is a great finisher at the basket, but compared to Paul isn’t a pure point guard in the sense of making his teammates better. Parker is also the second-best player on his team, which obviously revolves around Tim Duncan.

Fifth, Deron Williams is similar to Kidd in that he uses his strong body to gain an advantage, and gives his good friend Paul a lot of trouble in their head-to-head matchups because of that strength. However, CP’s quickness wins out as is evidenced by the more than double steals per game advantage.

Chris Paul Ball has taken over New Orleans. The evidence is clear. Chris Paul is an All Star. Anything less this season will mandate a recount.