OKC Thunder: Don’t forget that Chris Paul is still an elite-level point guard

OKC Thunder point guard Chris Paul is still one of the best players in the NBA. Last season only solidified that point further.

“Some people (are) built for it.”

And some people aren’t.

Chris Paul vehemently spoke about rising to clutch occasions after the OKC Thunder took down the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of a first-round tilt in this past year’s playoffs.

Paul was the unquestioned leader of an unheralded Thunder troupe that shattered all expectations heading into the 2019-20 campaign (expectations that, mind you, didn’t even project them to achieve a playoff spot).

OKC achieved fifth-placed seeding in a loaded Western Conference, and it was Paul who was most responsible for their seismic tremors as they climbed up the conference’s totem pole.

It was also Paul who guided a spirited charge in a postseason series that almost ended in the perfect calculation of exacted revenge on the Houston squad who so fervidly doubted him – had it not been of course, for a surprise James Harden block on Luguentz Dort as the game’s seconds ticked away.

And again, it was Paul who doubled down on his “best player on the team” duties by assuming the role of alpha veteran leader as well.

I’d say that fits the mold for what you would call “built for it.”

But aside from all of those commensurate building blocks, Paul’s “built for it” legitimacy doesn’t stop there.

At 6’1″ and 175 pounds, he’s never been the tallest – or most athletic player on the court.

But the breadth of his skill level has never prompted a question mark.

He’s an all-time ball-handler with an ankle-breaker montage so dirty it’d need Lysol extra strength to sop up the muck.

He makes shots at an incredibly high rate for his size, posting a 48.9 percent clip for his career from the field while sinking deep bombs at a 37.0 percent mark. And his free throw numbers? Impeccable: 90.7 percent, making him one of the closest to a CAREER 50-40-90 total in NBA history.

Built for it.

This year though – pandemic and all – was the ultimate showcase of just how ready for the moment Paul actually is.

Armed with a slew of virtual castaways, and riddled with inclinations that they should dump Paul or even tank to begin a rebuilding process, he remained undeterred throughout the season’s duration. He made thunderclap shot after bombastic assist to strafe the league with surprise as they navigated their way through rocky terrain, with Paul remaining the steady boulder that guided them through.

He was a consummate role model for younger guards in Dennis Schroder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, both of whom averaged north of 16 points per game.

His pick and roll fluidity with Steven Adams was silky smooth (Paul himself averaged 8.8 in pick and rolls with the husky New Zealander per Second Spectrum) and the two formed a ghastly duo for opponents almost immediately upon his arrival. Adams has always been a force to be reckoned with when he gets within feet of the rim, but one of his largest leaps came as a passer, and Paul was largely integral in elevating Adams’ dime game to the tune of a career-high 2.3 assists per game.

Chris Paul answered every question for the OKC Thunder

One of the biggest speculations surrounding Paul’s efforts this season was his ability to be the top scoring option for a troupe – those to which he eagerly responded by not only leading OKC in points (17.6) but in assists (6.7) and steals (1.6) per game as well.

Paul also finished sixth in the league in pull-up jumper buckets (10.2) and posted the second-highest true shooting number (61.0 percent) of his career.

And when late-game moments called for his emergence, Paul was steadfast as an invariable shot taker – and maker.

His shooting efficiency rose to 52.2 percent in situations the NBA deemed as “clutch”, and a 122.2 offensive rating only bolstered then-OKC Thunder head coach Billy Donovan’s reliance on him in the 4th quarter.

Built for it.

There’s no telling where Chris Paul will end up next season, but as Father Time continues to knock on his door, it’s becoming increasingly urgent for the nine-time All-Star to secure a championship ring under his already gaudy trophy belt.

The Bucks are a potential suitor. So are the Lakers. The OKC Thunder remain so as well.

His eventual destination is unknown. What’s not though is this: he will increase their contingency innumerably.

They don’t call him the “Point God” for nothing.