Hoops Habit
Fansided

New Orleans Pelicans: 25 Best Players To Play For The Pelicans

By Phil Watson

Oct 23, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; A general view from the court during the second half of a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Miami Heat at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Heat 93-90. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; A general view from the court during the second half of a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Miami Heat at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Heat 93-90. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
26 of 26
Next
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 26: Chris Paul #3 of the New Orleans Hornets moves the ball against Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 26: Chris Paul #3 of the New Orleans Hornets moves the ball against Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Chris Paul. 1. player. 69. <strong>How acquired:</strong> 4th overall pick from Wake Forest, 2005 NBA Draft.. PG. 2005-11

The New Orleans Hornets were looking for another point guard to build around and when Chris Paul fell to them after a sophomore season at Wake Forest during which he was an All-American and averaged more than 15 points and almost seven assists per game, they gladly snapped him up with the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

But before Paul could take the court, the Hornets were forced to relocate to Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina.

NOP_01_PAUL
NOP_01_PAUL /

Paul was the Rookie of the Year in 2005-06 and was a four-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA selection and a three-time All-Defensive pick with the Hornets, leading the NBA in assists in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and in steals three times.

He was runner-up in the MVP voting in 2007-08 and finished fifth in 2008-09.

But in December 2011, Paul was traded with two second-round picks in 2015 to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and a first-round selection in 2012.

In six seasons in Oklahoma City and New Orleans, Paul averaged 18.7 points, 9.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals in 37.1 minutes per game, shooting .471/.359/.853.

With the Clippers, Paul is a five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Defensive pick, capturing two more assist titles and leading the league in steals three times.

Last season, Paul averaged 19.5 points, 10.0 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 32.7 minutes per game on .462/.371/.896 shooting, finishing fourth in the league in both assists and free-throw shooting while also ending up third in steals.

His season ended prematurely when he broke his hand during the Clippers’ first-round playoff series.

Next: NBA: 25 Greatest Scorers of All-Time

He is contract in Los Angeles through 2016-17 with a early-termination option prior to 2017-18.

Paul is 11th in NBA history with 7,688 assists, 17th with 1,793 steals, 31st with a free-throw percentage of .864, 46th with an average of 35.9 minutes per game, third with an average of 9.9 assists and fifth with an average of 2.3 steals per game.

Home/New Orleans Pelicans