Chris Paul is not going to win the NBA MVP this
season. But after watching CP3
carry the Clippers during the 2011-2012 season, there is no question about who
should be the leading MVP candidate going into next season. A spectacular run in the 2012 playoffs
would solidify CP3's status among the elites of the game.
The Qualifications:
“Clutchness”:
No one is better late in a game than CP3. Don’t believe me? Paul is 3rd in the NBA with
369 points in the 4th quarter this season, which is a staggering 31%
of his overall points. Everyone in
the building knows that CP3 is going to have the ball at the end of the game,
YET he is still shooting 50.4% from the field in the 4th
quarter.
But let’s dig deeper…In the final five minutes of a game
with the Clips ahead or behind by 5 points or less, CP3 trumps Durant and Kobe
Bryant (and the rest of the NBA):
|
Player
|
Games
|
FG%
|
Assists
|
Points
|
|
Paul
|
36
|
42.4
|
31
|
143
|
|
Durant
|
30
|
39.2
|
2
|
143
|
|
Bryant
|
40
|
36.1
|
23
|
143
|
*Stats courtesy of NBA.com
Game Notes.
Not only is CP3 tied for the scoring lead in the NBA in
these situations, but he has been able to put his teammates in position to
“score” as well. Look careful at
the chart; Durant only has 2 assists in this situation? That’s a red flag. If I’m coaching against Durant in the
playoffs, I can bring the double team harder and quicker because I know he is
not going to hurt us with a pass.
Paul, on the other hand, is much more complicated to defend in these
late game situations. Simply put,
if you double Paul, he will beat you with a pass. If you play him straight up, Paul is adept at beating a
defender off the dribble and finishing in the lane. He can also push his defender into the paint, create space,
and then pull up and hit a fade away 15-foot jumper in your eye. Many will tell you that Paul is
impossible to defend, especially when the game is on the line. His is a fierce competitor who can will
he team to victory.
And if you are still not sold yet, that’s ok, we’ll get
you there.
Most Game-Winning Shots in Last 10 Seconds of Game (2007 - 2012)
Chris Paul 10 (3 such shots in 2012)
Kobe Bryant 9
Carmelo Anthony 8
Dirk Nowitzki 8
Dwyane Wade 6
*Stats courtesy of NBA.com
Game Notes.
Seeing the names of Kobe, Melo, Dirk and Dwyane Wade on
this list are not shocking. If you
are not a Clippers or Hornets fan, seeing CP3 on top of this list may be eye
opening. But it won’t be shocking
for much longer. Going into the
2012 playoffs, Chris Paul has the opportunity to shine in the bright lights of
LA where he will finally start to get the due he deserves for being perhaps the
most clutch player in the NBA.
Just an observation: the two leading candidates for MVP in 2012 (Durant
and James) are both curiously missing from the above list
As Paul goes, the Clips Go…
A great player can carry a solid team and make them appear
elite. The numbers below demonstrate how
valuable Paul’s production is to the Clippers:
|
Stats
|
Wins (37)
|
Losses (23)
|
Difference
|
|
PPG
|
21.2
|
17.5
|
-3.7
|
|
APG
|
9.4
|
8.4
|
-1.0
|
|
FG%
|
50.5
|
42.8
|
-7.7
|
*Stats courtesy of NBA.com
Game Notes.
Paul has to be at his best in order to give the Clippers
an opportunity to win games, as the Clippers do not have the depth of elite
talent to overcome the lack of production from their best player. While Blake Griffin has had an All-Star
season, he is still not an elite player you can isolate in the post in the 4th
quarter for two distinct reasons:
1) His struggles from the charity
stripe: 52%
2) His inability to have a true
“go-to” move in the post versus an elite defender and/or double teams. Double teams are difficult for Blake
because he often holds the ball too long, which allows for both quicker
defensive rotations (on perimeter shooters after a kick-out) and for the double
team to get “deeper” on him, rendering him ineffective in many late game
situations.
Paul understands and embraces the enormous responsibility
thrust upon him to carry this young and inexperienced team night-in and
night-out. I’m often puzzled when
NBA pundits criticize Paul for not looking for his shot earlier in the night. In a condensed season, Paul has had to
pick his spots early in games to make sure he would have enough gas in the tank
to finish off the numerous close games the Clippers found themselves in. After all, the Clippers led the NBA
with 14 comeback victories after trailing by 10 points or more.
It is certainly worth watching to see in the playoffs if
Paul is more aggressive in looking for his shot earlier in games. A more aggressive CP3 would be
incredibly dangerous and could lead the Clippers into uncharted territory!
And for Paul himself, that uncharted territory will be MVP
in 2013!