Has Chris Paul's NBA career been overrated or underrated?
As the No. 2-seeded Phoenix Suns prepare to host the No. 7-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the legacy of Chris Paul has the town talking.
LeBron James referred to the 36-year-old Suns point guard as a "fierce competitor" ahead of their first NBA postseason meeting and the Suns’ first playoff appearance since 2010.
"It’s a beautiful thing, our journeys," James said. "We’ve been playing this game at such a high level for a long time, and I’ve always rooted for him. … It’s gonna be pretty cool just to be on the same floor and competing with one of the most fierce competitors that this game has had over his career, and [I] look forward to the matchup."
Paul is an 11-time NBA All-Star and former All-Star Game MVP. He is a four-time All-NBA First Team selection and seven-time All-Defensive First Team selection. Paul is also a former Rookie of the Year, six-time NBA steals leader and four-time assists leader.
He averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 8.9 assists in the 2020-21 season.
In his 16-year NBA career, Paul has raised the win percentage of every franchise he has joined, including the then-New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), LA Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-2020) and Suns.
Paul is the only player in NBA history to lead the league in both assists and steals per game in the same season, which he did three times. He is also the only player in NBA history with 6,000 assists through his first nine seasons who did not reach the conference finals in that span.
Paul is one of only three players in NBA history to record at least 25 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a playoff game, alongside 12-time All-Star Oscar Robertson and the NBA's all-time triple-double leader, Russell Westbrook. In 2020, Paul made NBA history by becoming the oldest player to record a triple-double in a Game 7, beating LeBron James and Lakers legend Jerry West.
The question remains: Is CP3 underrated or overrated?
On Friday’s "Undisputed," Shannon Sharpe discussed why he think’s Paul's career hasn't been given the credit it's due.
"I think it’s a little underrated, and although I know he hasn’t won a championship — and everybody wants the championship to be the end-all, be-all — but for me, if every great player in every said sport won a championship, championships would be meaningless," Sharpe said. "There have been a lot of great players that [have] never won a championship, and that’s OK.
"You look at the teams prior to when he arrives, and you look at the success the team has once he arrives, and then you look at the team once he leaves. What happens? For me, I think Chris Paul has been a little bit underrated. And it’s hard for a guard. … Can we honestly ever say Chris Paul had the best team? Was on the best team in the NBA? … The only difference between the Suns last year and this year is Chris Paul. That’s the only difference, and they’re the 2-seed, so I believe his career is a little underrated."
Skip Bayless challenged Sharpe’s reasoning, saying that Paul is limited by his stature and injury history.
"This is no joke what I’m about to say about Chris Paul," Bayless began. "He has to be overrated because he’s never quite been able to live up to what you’re talking about, that kind of stature. He made it to the one conference finals with James Harden. They went up 3-2, and right on schedule, he did what? He pulled his hamstring. It seems like he’s always pulling something in big moments because he’s had several playoff runs that got stopped by some injury.
"There’s just something lacking in Chris Paul, where he either gets hurt or he’s limited by his sheer lack of height. … In the playoffs, he’s 53-58. Is that all his fault? No, it’s not, but still, is he transcendent? Can he elevate a team to the highest level? Well, it’s hard to elevate when you’re only 6 feet tall."
Paul will have his chance to weigh in on this debate when the Suns kick off their postseason Sunday against the Lakers.
Could this be the first time the superstar makes it to an NBA Finals?
We'll have to wait and see.
For more up-to-date news on all things NBA, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!
