NBA Insider:Chris Paul for MVP?, Hollinger Chat

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CP3's season has been nothing short of brilliant so far

By John Hollinger
ESPN Insider



Try making a list of the game's great little guys, and you'll end up with a pretty short list. Even the great "little players" haven'tbeen all that little -- Jerry West, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Dwyane Wade all stand at least 6-4, making them taller than the vast majority of thegeneral population.


Chris Paul isn't getting much MVP buzz despite his impressive start.


The list of recent stars below that height is smaller still. Isiah Thomas. John Stockton. Allen Iverson. Steve Nash.
And now, Chris Paul.


Say what? Oh yes. The New Orleans guard is putting together a season that, provided he keeps it up, will put him in the pantheon of the league's greatestlittle guys. This is getting shockingly little attention because Paul hasn't been on national TV and plays before crowds that would have trouble filling aU-Haul, but his production this season has been nothing short of spectacular.


How spectacular? I submit that Paul is the MVP of the non-LeBron portion of the league thus far. He ranks third in the entire NBA in player efficiency ratingat 26.64. And he has the Hornets at a surprising 15-10 despite his teammates' aversion to making shots -- Paul and center Tyson Chandler are the onlyregulars shooting better than 43.8 percent.
This may come as a shock to the multitudes who haven't seen the Hornets much. But if you consider it a sacrilege for Paul to outrank Nash or ChaunceyBillups, get a tape of Saturday's Hornets-Suns game and it might be easier to swallow. Paul got the better of Nash in that pairing. And for the season,he's averaging 21.0 points and 9.6 assists -- leaving the hallowed 20-10 mark well within his sights. Moreover, despite being his team's unquestionedgo-to guy, he has an unusually low turnover ratio (just 9.7 percent of his possessions).


POINTS OF DEBATE: CP3 VS. D-WILL
What about Deron Williams?
Because they were drafted fourth and third, respectively, in the 2005 draft, the careers of Paul and Williams are inextricably linked -- so much so that peopleconstantly compare the two.
Our own Marc Stein interviewed some scouts about this for the Weekend Dime, and the response was similar to many I've heard -- that a lot of scouts wouldtake Williams over Paul because he's bigger.

Look, don't get me wrong: I like Williams. He's an All-Star caliber player and if the Jazz can snap out of their recent slump he fully deserves to joinPaul in New Orleans (for the All-Star Game). That said, the oft-echoed opinion that Williams is equal or superior to Paul is totally indefensible.

It's not like Williams is better at some things and Paul is better at others ... it's more like Paul is better at everything. He's averaging morepoints, more rebounds and more assists in nearly identical minutes. Despite making more plays he averages nearly a turnover fewer per game. Paul leads theleague in steals and is a visibly superior defender. Paul's team is 15-10 with Paul as the best player; Williams' is 14-12 with him as the second-bestplayer.

This isn't a new phenomenon either: Paul had a better player efficiency rating in 2005-06, 2006-07 and now in 2007-08; it wasn't a particularly closerace in any of those seasons. Going deeper, Paul fouls less, has a far better net plus-minus, and has a lower opponent PER. And despite Williams' rep asthe superior shooter, Paul is also far better from the line (91.6 percent to 79.1 percent this season; 84.4 percent to 75.9 percent career), so he's theone you'd want with the ball at the end of games.


Basically, the only items in Williams' favor are that he has a slightly better true shooting percentage (58.6 to 57.2) ... and, um, he's bigger.
Like I said, I like Williams as a player and don't mean this as a rip on him. But because of the vast disparity in media coverage between the two over thepast year, especially during Utah's playoff run last spring, I don't think people quite understand just how good Paul has been, or how wide the chasmis that separates these two.


Even on the off nights -- like Monday night's forgettable performance in a loss to Portland (5-for-15, 11 points, eight assists, four turnovers), there wasplenty to remark on. For starters, the guy has to be the best dribbler in the league, with the ball seemingly attached to his hand while he zips around thecourt like he's on a motorized scooter. To combat that skill, the Blazers played a zone defense designed specifically to contain Paul and dared the otherHornets to beat them from the perimeter. Paul spent the whole game setting up open 3-pointers, only to watch his teammates shoot 3-for-21 from deep. (Come backsoon, Peja. Please.)

And then there's the havoc Paul causes at the other end with his ball-hawking D. He leads the league in steals at 2.7 per game -- in fact he's way outin front. His insanely fast hands and equally speedy feet are even more noticeable on loose balls, on which he materializes out of thin air and either cleanlyrecovers the ball or gets a hand in to jostle it from an opponent. With Paul as one of the linchpins, New Orleans ranks fifth in the NBA in defensiveefficiency.

The Paul highlight film for the season includes 12 double-doubles in 25 outings, 20 points in eight of his last 10 games, and perhaps most amazingly, arecently broken string of 21 straight games with at least two steals (including the final two games of last season). He had a 21-assist outing in L.A., and a43-point effort against Memphis that included the game-winner. His PER doesn't lie, in other words -- he's been awesome.

But you may not realize how amazing he's been until you try to come up with other little players who have put up a PER that can match Paul's 26.64
… and realize there aren't any.

Of the players 6-3 or shorter who have been in the league since the NBA began tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78, none has posted a PER that topsPaul's so far this season. Only one had cleared 26 (Allen Iverson two years ago), and only three had cleared 24 (see chart).
Part of this is because the game has become more guard-oriented recently, as you can ascertain by quickly scanning the dates on the chart (In fact,Billups' performance this season would place him fourth on the same list). But obviously, part of this is because Paul has been so unbelievably good.

Top PER seasons by players 6-3 or shorter since 1977-78
PlayerYearPER
Chris Paul2007-0826.67
Allen Iverson2005-0626.02
Terrell Brandon1995-9625.45
Gilbert Arenas2006-0724.07
John Stockton1989-9023.96
Kevin Johnson1990-9123.94
Allen Iverson2000-0123.91
Steve Nash2006-0723.87
Gilbert Arenas2005-0623.87
John Stockton1990-9123.53

This may not be immediately clear from the numbers, since Paul doesn't have a single gaudy stat besides steals. He's third in assists, for instance,rather than first, and although his 21-point average is nice, he won't be making a bid for the scoring title.
Compare him to the league's other point guards, though, and it becomes clearer how well he's played. Paul has created far more shots than Nash orBillups -- more even than Iverson in fact -- and has turned the ball over substantially less than Nash. Tony Parker and T.J. Ford have created slightly moreshots but are inferior passers and have a lower true shooting percentage. Jason Kidd, whom many lump into point guard discussions out of habit, creates farfewer shots, converts a much lower rate of them, and his turnover rate is more than 50 percent higher. And of this gang Paul is almost certainly the mosteffective defender (though some would pull the lever for Billups or, again out of habit, Kidd).
Perhaps of more interest is the historical comparison. Does Paul's season to date really match the best years of Stockton, Nash, KJ, Kidd and Isiah? Sayshere it does. If you take everyone's stats from their best seasons and adjust them to the 2007-08 pace and league average TS%, and give everybody 40minutes on the floor, what you end up with is a comparison in which you almost can't help but give Paul the nod.

Chris Paul vs. other top small guards -- Era-adjusted 40-minute stats
PlayerYearPts.Ast.Reb.TOTS%PER
Chris Paul2007-0822.310.24.13.257.226.67
Allen Iverson2005-0629.96.72.93.154.326.02
John Stockton1989-9017.414.62.63.560.523.96
Kevin Johnson1990-9122.110.13.53.560.523.94
Steve Nash2006-0720.012.53.84.164.623.87
Isiah Thomas1984-8519.112.44.03.352.122.20

The key here is that Paul's Hornets play what is easily the slowest pace of any of the guards on this list, at just 92.9 possessions per game. Everyoneelse was over 95; Isiah and KJ were well over 100. Let some of the air out of those 20-10 seasons from the '80s and it becomes clear how impressive it isthat Paul is approaching those numbers this season.
Across the board, Paul stacks up well in this group. Only Iverson scores more, while Paul beats them all on the glass. He's in the middle of the pack inTS% and assists, but combined with the points, he creates as many shots as anyone on this list save Iverson. And check out those turnovers -- as always, wetend to underrate low-mistake players, and for one to be creating as many shots as Paul with so few miscues is a feat.

If you're trying to put words in my mouth by accusing me of saying Paul is better than Stockton or Isiah, don't. I'm not going there -- not yetanyway. As I pointed out above, it's much easier for a small guard to dominate in today's game than it was two decades ago.

More importantly, dominating over 25 games is very different from dominating 82 -- I'm sure you could find a 25-game stretch of any of these players'careers in which they were just as good or better than Paul has been.

Instead, the big takeaway should be this: Paul is on pace to have, arguably, the best season ever by a player 6-3 or smaller, and because of his small marketand relatively unamazing per-game stats, absolutely nobody is even talking about it.

So it's time for me to ring the bell. He plays before a minuscule fan base, gets zero national TV exposure and might not even make the playoffs, which iskeeping his performance under the radar. But Chris Paul is having a historic season thus far. It's about time somebody noticed.





Chat with John Hollinger




Welcome to The Show! On Tuesday, NBA columnist John Hollinger will stop by to talk about the NBA season as the league gets ready to tip off its season Tuesdaynight.
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Hollinger archives: Columns | Chats

John Hollinger: Greetings everyone. Looks like we might have a real basketball team here in the ATL for once. Plus the Skins flambed the Giants and theholidays are just around the corner. Life is good ...




Ray (Detroit): What's your thoughts on the pistons trading Nazr Mohammad for Walter Herrmann and Primoz Brezec?? Seem like this trades means Amir Johnsonmove up to the Depth Charts.

John Hollinger: Seems that way to me too, as Brezec was horrid in Charlotte. Though I give the guy his props -- when the Cats played the Hawks I got there wayearly to beat traffic, and walked out onto the floor around 4:30 for a 7:00 game, and I see Primoz out there in a full lather working out.

John Hollinger: But I think Herrmann might be the best player in this deal, and it's crazy that a) Charlotte didn't play him, and b) that Detroitunloaded Nazr's contract and still got the best player in the deal. Of course, according to the folks at Guinness the shortest book in the world isentitled "foreign players who have succeeded in Detroit", so maybe this won't work out so great for either Fabio or Primoz.



Laird (NYC): What is keeping the Knicks from being the worst team in the NBA?

John Hollinger: Kevin McHale.



Smithsonian (DC): How worried should i be about the Jazz's current skid? Are they farther from the "elite" level than we all thought?

John Hollinger: They've had a lot of tough losses on the road against decent teams, but my takeaway is that Okur is a lot more important than they thought-- they really need him to space the floor. Jazz are almost like Phoenix in that they're never gonna win with D, they need to be a top-tier offense to makea deep playoff run. If all they can do is pound it inside, it won't happen -- they need Okur to space things too. On that note, wouldn't shock me ifthey exchanged Giricek's expiring deal and some other scraps for a shooter (Everyone thinks he's a deep shooter because he's a white Europeanguard, but Gordan is actually more of a midrange, off the dribble guy).



Pat(Chicago): Did you have any clue before the season that Kaman and Bynum would be among the best centers in the NBA?

John Hollinger: If you said Bynum, it wouldn't have shocked me. If you said Kaman, I would have laughed at you. He deserves a ton of credit for taking hisgame up another level.



Bob (Urbana, IL): Who makes your All-Undersized All-Star team? These are the best players that are considered 'too small' for their respectivepositions

John Hollinger: Good idea. Let's see, gotta go with Jason Maxiell and Paul Millsap up front, with Craig Smith an honorable mention. I'll take MontaEllis at the 2, TJ Ford at the point, and Ruben Patterson at the 3. That's off the top of my head, I'm sure I'm forgetting somebody.



MoTown (Charlotte): Do you really think the Bobcats/Piston trade was that lopsided? Nazr has great PER-48 numbers. Don't you think he'll play well forCharlotte?

John Hollinger: I do, actually, and he fills a need, and Okafor can cover for some of his defensive shortcomings. But Detroit got a big wad of cap relief, andlike I said I suspect Herrmann might be the best player in the trade.



Kyle (Cleveland, OH): With all the expiring contracts the Cavs will have after the season, who do you see them targeting in a trade?

John Hollinger: I get questions on this every week, so let's clear this up -- Cleveland's contracts (Marshall, Snow, Jones, Gooden) expire at the endof NEXT year, with the exception of Ira Newble, who expires this summer. So I'm not sure Cleveland can get much done right now on that front.



Jon (Newport Beach, CA): Other than getting additional shooting, because the zone kills the Jazz, could Giricek's contract be better used to trade for someinterior defense?

John Hollinger: In theory I suppose, but who are you taking out of the rotation to accomplish that? You're not getting somebody better than Boozer, Okur orMillsap, so at best it's a fourth big to play 10 minutes a night.



John, Orlando: Are there any trades or trade rumors circulating out there worth mentioning?

John Hollinger: I think those last two words are the key. Sheridan outlined who the likely suspects are last week, but at this point there isn't even muchsmoke, let alone fire.



Matt (NYC): I just don't get to see Chris Paul enough on TV, but of what I've seen of Deron Williams, excellent court vision, great dribble, can getinto the paint at will, great outside shooter, I look at their numbers and its pretty similar so why do people give Paul the edge?

John Hollinger: Sure, their numbers are similar, if you ignore the part about Paul being ahead in every category. Look, Williams is an excellent player --nobody is disputing that. All the things you said about Williams are true (well, the "great outside shooter" part is pushing it, but ...). It'sjust that Paul does those things better.



Laird (NYC): If you were the new GM of the Knicks, would you keep any pieces currently on the team? I think other than David Lee and Renaldo Balkman, get ridof them all!

John Hollinger: I might be tempted to keep Zach Randolph, if I could put the right players around him. And I'd hang on to Wilson Chandler and RandolphMorris. But otherwise, hard to argue with that strategy.



Henry (NY): Whenever I hear people that choose Deron over Paul, they tend to mention longevity since Chris has already had some injuries.

John Hollinger: Chris has missed 22 games in three years. We're not exactly talking about Marcus Camby here. It's true that Williams' build makesyou think he might prove more durable, and as the wear and tear builds up he might catch or surpass Paul in his late 20s and early 30s ... but whose career doyou want, Isiah Thomas's or Terry Porter's?



DD (Washington, DC): Was there a moment when you realized you were interested in basketball stat analysis? Or maybe, a tipping point when you really startedfocusing on it?

John Hollinger: The day I opened the 1984 Bil James Baseball Abstract and realized that you could actually do this.



Rockville, MD: Anything you want to say about the Wiz? You were pretty hard on them before the season started, but they are playing very very solid teambasketball, shorthanded no less.

John Hollinger: They've defended better, and that's been an underrated key. Eddie Jordan told me that they worked a lot more on D in the preseason andthat's why the offense was slow getting untracked, but they're benefiting now. This isn't the '94 Knicks or anything, but they no longer feellike they have to score on every trip.



Jason (Santa Monica, CA): Suppose the Knicks were willing to part with Randolph, Curry, Crawford, Richardson and Jeffries and they wanted nothing back exceptexpiring contracts. Are there any other teams willing to pay these guys even if acquiring them costs literally nothing?

John Hollinger: I doubt it. Maybe on Crawford or Randolph, but no way on the other guys -- Curry and Richardson don't have insurable contracts, which makesthem radioactive for a lot of the league's teams, Jeffries is grossly overpaid for what he provides, and Zach makes too much and has a questionableattitude.



Benjamin (Poughkeepsie, NY): You have to give Deron more props that Terry Porter! Will Jerry Sloan ever win a championship?

John Hollinger: Fair enough -- I used an extreme example to prove my point. Too early to say if this gang can win Jerry his elusive ring, but if you look atthe ages of the key players you have to like their chances of having a 5-8 year run of contention.



Dan (Lincoln, NE): Seems like everyone is locking the Celtics in as the team that is going to lose in the finals. Is that accurate still?

John Hollinger: Everything but the "lose" part. We're still half a year from the Finals and a lot can change between now and then, but Idon't know how you could pick against them at this point.



Bronson (DC): I wish people would shut up about Paul and Williams.



Brian P.(Aliso Viejo, CA): No more Deron Williams questions!!!

John Hollinger: The tribe has spoken.



Crawford (Denver): Why does George Karl continually get a free pass from the media? Even with the injuries, Denver has more ready-to-win talent than theHornets and Lakers, yet hovers just over .500?

John Hollinger: I must say, the vibe in Denver is unusually hostile considering the team has been pretty decent despite the injuries. The paper there rippedthem on the day they took over first place, which seemed a little odd, and I've seen a couple comments like this in the chats. Nuggies are playing great Dbut still need a deep shooter, especially if J.R. smith can't get his head on straight. That's why losing Chucky was such a factor.



Chris (Broadview Heights, OH): I don't understand why Danny Ferry receives no criticism from the media at all? The Cavaliers have LeBron James and are 4games below .500. Do you think when LeBron leaves Cleveland will finally run Ferry out of town for good with fire and pitchforks?

John Hollinger: You must read different papers than I do. Ferry has been ripped by many for the deals he gave to Hughes, Jones, Marshall and, to a lesserextent, Ilgauskas, and the protracted negotiations with Varejao and Pavlovic this summer. But you can't just ignore the positive moves he made and pretendhe's another McHale either ... even with those decisions, Cavs made the Finals last year.



Daniel (Dubai UAE): Greetings Mr. Hollinger, Do you see the rockets getting out of their funk anytime soon? Aside from giving T-mac a heart and back transplantI don't see any easy solutions. Can Brooks help?

John Hollinger: What makes you think T-Mac is the problem? Look, if you're going to play Battier, Alston and Hayes as the three guys around Tracy and Yao,you can't look around in puzzled wonderment when your team fails to score enough points. At some point, they have to get somebody like Wells or Scolaplaying 35-40 minutes so there's another offensive player out there.



Jeff (ATL, GA): The Hawks are improving. What do you think we need more: another shooter, PG, or 5? Honestly, Horford and Josh Smith are decent in the middleso I'm not inclined to say we need a center right now. What's your take?

John Hollinger: Point guard, hands down. Hawks now have a solid (not great, but solid) big rotation with Horford and Zaza, plus Shelden as the No. 3 center anda ton of guys who can play the 4. But they're scrambling at the point. AJ had a nice game last night but he's nursing a hammy and the other four guysare already injured. Beno Udrih is looking pretty good about now.



Pat(Chicago): Any thoughts on the Bucks? They seem to have plenty of talented guys, if not stars, but they don't seem to improved over the last threeyears.

John Hollinger: They have to get better on defense. Looked like they were headed that way early on but they've regressed of late. Also, Charlie V has beena disappointment since the trade and needs to step it up, and Charlie Bell needs to find out what happened to his jump shot.



Kobe Bryant: (Laker land): Hey you haven't talked about me or the Lakers, why is that? Can we get Kidd with out giving up my bestest buddy Bynum and LamarOdom?

John Hollinger: That would be the idea for L.A., it depends a lot on how much the Nets like Jordan Farmar, and of course how desperate they get in general.L.A. probably has the pieces to make it work, but it won't happen unless the Nets string together some more losses.



Blazer fans: Can the Blazers make it a 10 team race for the 8 Western playoff spots- joining the big 9?

John Hollinger: Yes, I think we can officially declare it a Big 10 in the West rather than the Big 9. I'm still a little skeptical as to whetherthey'll stick around, but for now they must be taken seriously.



Mike (DC): With Rondo playing solid ball, are the Celtics still a veteran point guard away from truly competing? Do they make Simmon's dream come true andget Cassel after the Clips buy him out?

John Hollinger: Truly competing? Are you kdding? Open the newspaper, dude -- You're 20-2!! The rest of the league is trying to catch up with the Cs, notthe other way around. Sam I Am would help off the bench -- he'd take House's minutes, essentially -- but I wonder if somebody will trade for him firstand eliminate the buyout possibility.



Sam Micthell (Toronto): How can I improve the rebounding on my team?

John Hollinger: That's tough to do with their roster, but Kris Humphries seems to be a big part of the answer. Delfino can really rebound too, for aperimeter guy. But I'm not sure you're asking the right question -- Other than the PGs, Raps haven't been as sharp offensively as they hoped, andBargnani especially is just way, way off his game. This team was built to win with offense, so the other four positions need to step up.



Every Boston Fan: I get it, 20-2. Blowouts at home. Talk to me after your home and homes with SA, PHX, DAL, Utah, GS, Det and Houston.

John Hollinger: That's about the only question the Celts haven't answered thus far. We'll get our first look against Detroit tomorrow.



Jake, NC: Has Carlesimo done anything to help the porous Seattle D from last year? What position should Presti look to add in next years draft?

John Hollinger: Not really, but it isn't exactly apples-to-apples either. They're letting Durant take his lumps right now in the hope that it pays offdown the road. As far as next year goes, it's way too early to be thinking about positions. Sonics still need to be in "best player available"mode.



Nate (philly): Whats the biggest surprise for you about the Celtics? Rondo's development? defensive intensity? the ease that so many new players meshed?

John Hollinger: The defense, hands down. Underrated key here is Kendrick Perkins -- he's tough and moving much better than a year ago, and that takesfrontcourt D from huge question mark to a positive.



Pat(Chicago): Is Durant back in the lead for your ROY? Or is it Yi or Moon?

John Hollinger: Nobody is in the lead. There isn't one player who has both played often and played particularly well. The guys that have played well haveplayed very little, and the guys that have played a lot have mostly played poorly. Maybe they should vacate the award and give out two trophies next year orsomething.



D'Antoni (phx): How much more room do I have? The team's inconsistency is at an all-time high under my watch and rumors are the ownership/managementare getting antsy.

John Hollinger: Phoenix fans seriously need to chill out. "We're only 18-7! Fire the coach!' C'mon people. This isn't the only post likethis I've seen, either.



Dan (NY): Are you seriously saying Horford hasn't played often and well?

John Hollinger: He's been OK. So has Yi. Horford might be the choice if I was forced to vote at gunpoint, but I don't exactly think to myself"there goes the Rookie of the Year" when he's out there. Maybe that will change in coming weeks -- a lot of rookies will play far better in thesecond half.



PaulieP (Scottsdale): I've heard fans here complain that they blew up the Suns in the offseason. Some of the most fickle fans ever.

John Hollinger: i guess when you come thisclose to winning and just miss every year for four decades it takes a toll.



Anthony (Toronto): Is Jason Kapono the most one-dimensional player in the league?

John Hollinger: I actually think Eddy Curry has him beat. At least Kapono can handle and pass pretty well. Curry can score on the block. That's it.There's no other area where he's even mediocre.



Matt (Philly): What should Sixers fans realistically expect back for Andre Miller?

John Hollinger: The key is getting an expiring deal to increase the free-agent kitty for this summer. You probably won't get $9 mil worth of expirings, butif you can get 4 or 5 it will help a lot.



Mark (NC): Is there any chance that I will wake up and not have Michael Jordan running my local team?

John Hollinger: Other than Danny Ainge, is there any 80s legend who has done a good job running a team? (OK, Dumars.) Even Danny was flailing til he got bailedout by another inept 80s guy in McHale.



Dewey (San Francisco): Should the Warriors expect any production out of Belinelli and Wright this year?

John Hollinger: More to the point, should the Warriors expect any production out of Belinelli, ever? I think Wright can make some contributions as he gets morefamiliar with the pro game, but it's hard because he's not a deep shooter and he's not a 5 -- and those are about the only two options inNelly's system.



nate (omaha): You mean McHale doesn't work for the Celtics?

John Hollinger: Good point.



Mo - Dallas: What is Dallas going to have to give up for Jason Kidd?

John Hollinger: Devin Harris at a minimum. As Stein pointed out, they also can throw in a signed-and-traded Keith Van Horn (remember him?) to make salariesmatch. But NJ would have to really like Harris, because I doubt they're getting much cap relief out of it.



Bryant (Orlando): Whats up with the magics recent losing streak? what happened to the D?

John Hollinger: That's what everyone's asking. Everybody goes through ups and downs like this, but Stan is a defensive coach and it's driving himcrazy that they're giving up 120 at home to a team like Memphis. Don't be shocked if you see him shake up the lineup to put another defender in --maybe even going to a Foyle-Howard comb up front.



Tyson (pdx): think B Roy will make an All-start team this year? (maybe as a coaches pick) He has been very clutch!

John Hollinger: If he was in the East he'd have an outside shot. In the West, with all those great guards? No way, sorry.



PG (Dallas): HOLLINGER-MAN: Isn't Devin Harris BYC, making him nearly impossible to trade?

John Hollinger: He's easier to move in a megadeal like this one, because the other contracts sort of blunt the effect of his BYC. But you're correctthat it's still harder.



JKGaucho: (DC): Do you think the Warriors will look to get a backup PG? Hudson is beyond terrible. Would Boykins who is still a free agent be an upgrade?

John Hollinger: boykins would be perfect in GST, but financial considerations work against that happening. If memory serves the Ws are just under the tax line,and unless Earl takes the minimum (which he's shown no inclination to do thus far, given that he turned down $3 mil guaranteed to opt out), he'll putthem over.



Aaron (Miami): You calling Jordan an "80's legend"?

John Hollinger: OK, most of the legend stuff happened in the 90s. But he did play a big chunk of the 80s too.



Lamar (Atl, Ga: Hey do you think that Josh Smith is a contender for DPOY?

John Hollinger: Can't sign off on that, no. Spectacular shot-blocker, obviously, but not exceptional in the other phases of D at this point, and his teamis only 20th in Defensive Efficiency.



Gilbert Arenas (washington dc): NO WAY the wiz are better off without me ... but should they give me max money in the offseason?

John Hollinger: March and April will answer that question. Wiz will want to see how the knee looks before committing beaucoup bucks to Agent Zero, and plentyof other teams will feel the same way.

John Hollinger: Folks, that's all the time I have, but thanks again for the great questions and we'll do this again soon.
 
It's not like Williams is better at some things and Paul is better at others ... it's more like Paul is better at everything. He's averaging more points, more rebounds and more assists in nearly identical minutes. Despite making more plays he averages nearly a turnover fewer per game. Paul leads the league in steals and is a visibly superior defender. Paul's team is 15-10 with Paul as the best player; Williams' is 14-12 with him as the second-best player.
 
so far:

Dwight Howard = MVP

Chris Paul = still 2nd Team All NBA

hollinger = idiot.

nice lookin' out on the insider articles as usual Va
 
CP3 > Williams, but thats not a bad thing...both are top 5-6 point guards in the league already.

But Paul is only averaging more points because he's asked to do more. Williams is better scorer and shooter, Paul got him on almost everything else tho...
 
But Paul is only averaging more points because he's asked to do more. Williams is better scorer and shooter, Paul got him on almost everything else tho...
It even goes beyond stats though; people just don't get it.
 
CP3 is a baller. Ive' been saying this...CP3 is a way better PG than Deron. Nash & CP are the two best PG's in the L in my opinion. He'sdefinitely Top 5 as far as MVP's this season.

1. Dwight
2. KG
3. Lebron
4. CP3
5. Kobe
 
thanks for posting, I don't have a subscription anymore so I can't access Insider, but Hollinger is always a good read... yeah you know, I haven'teven seen Paul play yet this season, but I've seen Williams about half a dozen times, I need to make a point of finding some Hornets games. In everyhighlight of him I see, he gets to the rim anytime he wants, doesn't matter who's in front of him or how much they pack the key
 
It even goes beyond stats though; people just don't get it.
What you mean? I know your love for CP3 runs deep lol, but I just pointing that out because Hollinger was talking like Paul was better than him inEVERY aspect of basketball, which is def not true.

CP3 is a way better PG than Deron
no he's not. He's a better pure PG (and overall), but they are almost as close to even as you can get, Deron is MONSTER.
 
Good to see you back posting the Insiders, King.

Appreciated.
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Paul is way superior to Williams. i see a great future for Paul, but not if he stays in the hornets
 
Deron is good. He did a lot in the playoffs last season. Thats why his name is even here to debate with. However, this seasons numbers do not show his abilityto play. Deron is good and has the potential to be a GREAT PG but right now he is not touching CP3 and what he has done to turn around that Hornets team
 
CP was, is and always will be better than Deron. Its just a simple fact- imagine what his rep would be like if the Hornets made the playoffs this year? If hesnot the best PG already, then he will be within the next year.

Look at the rest of his team- its basically him, West, and Tyson...no one else. And they are 15-10 in the West.
 
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