Does Chris Paul Belong In MVP Conversation?

It’s always fun to think about one of the NBA‘s greatest “what-if” scenarios regarding Chris Paul.

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What if Paul had actually been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers? Could he and Kobe Bryant have coexisted? What about Dwight Howard? Could the three have teamed up and won a championship?

Regardless, we’re long past that point, but it’s still somewhat relevant because Paul wanted to be in a larger market like Hollywood, except he hasn’t exactly had a lot of success with the Los Angeles Clippers to this point.

If you consider making the playoffs as a benchmark for success, then the Clippers have been the playoff poster child over the past few seasons. If going deeper in the postseason is what you’re here to see, then look away from the Clippers, as they haven’t made it past the conference semifinals since Paul has arrived with the team.

Sure, it hasn’t been the play of Paul alone that has turned the team around from its miserable losing ways, as Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan have had something to say about that with their stellar play in the post, being a nice tandem that plays off of each other. Griffin provides the scoring punch while Jordan can defend and rebound like few centers can in this league.

This season may be a different story, however, as Griffin missed a large chunk of time due to injury (15 games to be exact), which left many people wondering if the Clippers could hang on to a playoff spot, let alone one of the top seeds in a loaded Western Conference.

Well, over that span, the Clippers went 9-6, and even beat some of the league’s top teams in the process, including the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jordan played out of his mind over the stretch, looking like the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain, but it was Paul that really put the team on his back and stepped up the offense.

Paul averaged 21.3 points and 13 assists per game over Griffin’s absence, which are ridiculous numbers for any point guard to average. Paul’s 15 game stretch of dominance is arguably as good as any other player’s run of games this season, and he did it while one of the team’s star players was out, similar to what James Harden and Russell Westbrook have done for their respective teams.

Paul gives his team so much confidence because of how he plays the game. His goal is always to get everyone involved in the offense while giving himself enough opportunities to take over when necessary.

Players like Harden and Westbrook tend to attack first and worry about passing the ball later, even though they can both get the ball to where it needs to go. Paul is always in that team-first mentality, seeing his moves like a game of chess while being so far ahead it seems as though the defense is playing checkers.

Without Paul running the show, this team wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it is. The team has been built around his strengths, as him and Jamal Crawford are the only real ball-handlers on the perimeter who are capable of setting up their teammates for open shots. The rest of the team is comprised of spot-up shooters and big men who love to catch the lob and finish.

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If Paul weren’t healthy, this team would have a multitude of problems trying to generate efficient offense. Paul means as much to his team as any other player in the league, and he’s shown that he can step up and take his game to another level when necessary.

Has he been the best player in the league outright this season? No, I still believe that honor belongs to Anthony Davis. But has he been as valuable to his team’s success as much as a Harden, Westbrook or Stephen Curry? Absolutely.

Even though his season averages of 18.9 points and 10.1 assists per game don’t stick out because that’s what analysts and fans have come to expect from him, Paul has still played at as high of a level as any other point guard.

Factor in what he’s done on defense always taking on one of the opposing team’s toughest covers, and you’ve got a competitor who’s as complete of a player as anyone else.

Paul does whatever it takes to win games, and because his team has continued to win despite all of the obstacles they’ve faced, he deserves to be in the MVP conversation.

*Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com

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