Chris Paul continues to redefine greatness, but his career is missing one thing
Long live the Point God.
Chris Paul hit another major milestone in the Phoenix Suns' 112-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, leapfrogging Steve Nash and Mark Jackson to take the No. 3 slot on the all-time NBA assist list.
The 36-year-old Paul's 18-assist performance gave him 10,346 across his 17-year career, behind only John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091).
Staring at a 59-48 deficit against the shorthanded Pelicans — who were without two of their stars in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram — the Suns needed a vintage performance from their point guard.
After racking up eight assists in the first half, Paul dished 10 more in the second as the Suns rallied for the win. He also found his scoring touch, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.
The combination of scoring and playmaking against the Pelicans was a microcosm of Paul's career, as he is the only player in NBA history to compile 20,000 points and 10,000 assists in his career.
Paul's statistical dominance has also led to consistent wins for his teams. He has reached the playoffs in 11 consecutive seasons for four different franchises, and his impact on winning at each stop along the way has been undeniable.
After being drafted by the New Orleans Hornets in 2005 after an 18-win campaign, he led them to a 20-win increase in his rookie season.
When he was traded to the LA Clippers in 2011, the team immediately went from 32-50 to 40-26 in a 66-game, lockout-shortened season. Over the next five seasons from 2012-2017, the Clippers would win at least 50 games every season.
Upon his arrival to the Houston Rockets in the 2017-2018 season, the Rockets won a franchise-record 65 games.
And the story continued with the Suns last season, with their win total jumping from 34 in the 2019-2020 season to 51 last season — and their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1993.
J.J. Reddick, a former teammate of Paul's on the Clippers, spoke about what makes Paul great during an appearance on ESPN's "NBA Today."
"What makes Chris great is his competitive stamina," said Reddick. "His sustained competitive spirit. Game to game, night to night, season to season. And over the course of his career, he has squeezed all of the juice out of his career."
With such a decorated career, Paul is undeniably one of the greatest point guards the NBA has seen.
But an NBA championship still escapes him, as his Suns came close before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games in the 2021 NBA Finals.
That is the deciding factor for why Shannon Sharpe believes he is one of the elite floor generals in NBA history, but not quite in rarified air, as he explained on "Undisputed."
"I don't get how Chris Paul gets into the top three unless he wins a championship and a Finals MVP," said Sharpe.
Each of the four point guards Sharpe has placed above Paul on his all-time rankings have each won at least one championship, with Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Stephen Curry all having won at least two.
Whether he wins a championship or not, Paul's impact on NBA history is undeniable. And with more to be accomplished, there is a chance for him to squeeze even more juice out of an already fruitful career.
