2. Chris Paul
Chris Paul remains the league’s preeminent ringless ringleader. A storied career has culminated in countless playoff letdowns, a few his fault. However, the Durant trade has opened up the championship window for Paul once again.
His playoff lowlights include the blown 3-1 lead against the Houston Rockets in 2015 with the LA Clippers. With the Rockets, there was the Game 5 last-second calf injury against the dreaded 2018 Warriors that (along with an impossible number of missed threes) led to the Warriors winning the final two games. With the Phoenix Suns, the wasted 2-0 lead against the Bucks in Paul’s only NBA Finals appearance.
The time for Paul to win a ring has to be now. He’s aged better than anyone could have expected but his time as an impact player grows short. This is his last, best chance to win the championship that has so often eluded him.
The wild, uncertain West means that Phoenix has a clear path to the Finals. Whatever you think of Paul’s antics, his competitive nature has never been in doubt, and his desperation to win a championship is laudable. Paul has no interest in being the next John Stockton, but he’ll need to turn back the clock to help a top-heavy Phoenix team finally climb the (rocky?) mountain.
Paul has nothing left to accomplish. He’s third all-time in assists, and while he’ll likely surpass Jason Kidd for second, he’ll never approach Stockton. The story is similar with steals. He’s made All-Defensive and All-NBA teams, and he was named a Top-75 Player. He’s at the tail end of one of the greatest careers ever. Now, just the chase for a championship remains.