NBA Player Power Rankings: The Marathon For MVP Begins

2. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Position: Point Guard
Age: 31 (5/6/1985)
Experience: 12th Season
2016-17 Slash Line: .471/.436/.886
2016-17 Season Averages: 29.3 MPG, 19.3 PPG, 8.4 APG, 5.8 RPG, 3.0 SPG, 2.1 3PM

The Los Angeles Clippers are off to an extraordinary start with a league-best record of 7-1 through eight games. Blake Griffin has been sensational, but it’s impossible to overlook the brilliance of point guard Chris Paul.

No performance was a greater display of his two-way brilliance than the game against Portland, when he tallied 19 points and seven assists in 23 minutes, and held Damian Lillard to 1-of-10 shooting from the field.

Through eight game, the Clippers have a net rating of +24.5 when Paul is on the floor and +2.7 when he isn’t—a difference of 21.8 points per 100 possessions. That includes offensive ratings of 109.4 with Paul on the court and 99.1 without him.

Most importantly, Los Angeles has a defensive rating of 84.9 with Paul on the court and 96.5 when he’s on the bench.

Griffin may be emerging as the statistical star of the show, but Paul’s value to the Clippers remains unparalleled. It’s also worth noting that he’s averaging 23.7 points, 10.3 assists, 7.1 rebounds, 3.7 steals, and 2.6 3-point field goals made per 36 minutes.

Other players on this list may have better per game statistics than Paul, but he has the highest net rating and the best defensive rating of any player in the NBA (minimum: 25 minutes per game).